Pipe down choir boy
I doubt I will ever truly understand what compels Christian metal bands to do what they do. Or rather, I will never understand those that mix traditional metal's (for argument's sake occult) imagery with their white metal sounds and agendas. Endless Funeral is one such band that completely baffles me.
As a musician, sole member of Eternal Funeral Martin Pleau is quite accomplished. His music is generally very well written and constructed, especially when it comes to his keyboard instrumentals. He creates a strong, ethereal atmosphere that permeates consistently throughout the seven songs on the album.
Though the album is heavily sequenced and orchestrated, Pleau has shown a great level of restraint and taste in the layering of his synths so that they are used to create an effective backdrop rather than an overwhelming flood of noise. The keyboard work is easily the best aspect of A Second Beginning with great examples being seen in songs such as Caelistis Veritas (Celestial Truth), and If Only Eyes Could See (a reworking of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata), amongst others.
Much of the material on A Second Beginning is instrumental and in some ways the other parts probably should have been too. Notwithstanding receiving a lyrical sermon from them, the vocals are the weakest aspect of the album. They appear as a half-hearted attempt at black metal rasps and apart from being completely out of place as far as I'm concerned, they aren't orchestrated particularly well at all as they are unconvincing and empty sounding.
Perhaps it is simply my own failing that I cannot take overtly religious bands seriously but I find preachy lyrical themes to be completely intolerable and in some ways an offence. In many cases I can be forgiving of more run of the mill “satanic” bands because often the satanic imagery and lyrical themes they present are simply metaphors for their objection to the standards of mainstream society. In the case of Endless Funeral, there is no subtlety or innuendo. The lyrics mean exactly what they say and frankly, I have no interest in being preached to, regardless of the quality of the music they accompany.
(Independent)
