Black Funeral

Black Funeral is a foundational pillar of the United States Black Metal (USBM) scene, formed in 1993 by Michael W. Ford.

Emerging alongside acts like Demoncy and Profanatica, Black Funeral distinguished itself through a heavy emphasis on occultism, vampirism, and the integration of dark ambient and industrial music. The project's sound identity is defined by its 'murky' production - a deliberate aesthetic choice that favors atmosphere and texture over clarity. Throughout the 1990s, Ford established a 'vampiric' black metal style that influenced a generation of raw black metal artists. After a hiatus in the early 2000s, the project evolved to include harsher industrial noise elements, particularly on albums like 'Az-i-Dahak'. In recent years, the addition of Azgorh Drakenhof (Drowning the Light) has solidified the project's connection to the international 'Ordo Ater Anguis' circle, maintaining its status as a premier purveyor of ritualistic, atmospheric black metal. Critical consensus views Black Funeral as a pioneer of the 'raw' aesthetic, though their experimental ambient works are equally respected by collectors of esoteric music.