The Demo Review:
Band Name: Funeral Rites
Demo Title: Heaven Falls Bleeding
Band Members: Lazaro Sanchez, vocals; Luis Carlos, guitar; John Ramos, guitar; & Steve Richardson, drums
Location: Houston, TX

Rating: 2 Skulls

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    • Behemoth's Review:
    Hailing from the Houston area, Funeral Rites consists of Lazaro Sanchez, vocals, Luis Carlos, guitar, John Ramos, guitar, & Steve Richardson, drums, which apparently is quite an angry group of young men. The band's purpose is to create heavy, evil, death metal music through dark and guitar-driven death metal diatribes, featuring twin guitar attacks. Sure to appeal to the extreme music camp; trust me - after the first spin of Funeral Rites the blood will flow. The band competes on the Texas scene with Absu who already have their niche carved out. Additional influences include Morbid & Obituary.

    The band first unleashed its black metal power with their self-titled demo Funeral Rites. After a few line-up changes the band returned in 1996 with Seal of Lucifer as the continuum evolved. Funeral Rites toured the great state of Texas and rotated their alignment once again before their first full length effort, For Our Kingdom of Darkness, which included the infamous track "Valley of Fallen Swords." Relative nationwide distribution followed with increased recognition amongst the underground scene. The band continued to progress, subsequently releasing a four-song sampler in 1999, DCLXVI which featured basic metal structures. Fortunately or unfortunately, the dizzying line-up changes continued, but the founding members remained focused with the task at hand: creation of the most evil-sounding music their minds could think of. It's taken the band nearly ten years to produce Heaven Falls Bleeding, but the new material is really fast and dark featuring both fast and slowly wicked parts. There are seven tracks including "Seventh Seal," "Blackened Remains" and "Requiem for a Witch."

    Funeral Rites features heavy, powerful guitar tracks with extreme riffs and harmonic distortions. Lyrics reflect the fact that apocalyptic ideas are very important to band members, reflecting perspectives and progressive ideals. Considering the storyline, Funeral Rites certainly would welcome Osiris, god of the underground, to their table. Over time the band has received favorable reviews from Pit & Terrorizer Magazine.

    Funeral Rites are playing the XVIII Annual Milwaukee Metal fest to be held July 30-31, 2004. The band's goal is to express their brutal music in the darkest of ways. However, for the band to achieve its vision they must develop complex compositions to avoid their repetitive structures, in addition progress with production functions. Brutal music is a way of life in Texas and Funeral Rites are finally getting their due. The band's currently playing a few locals shows and no doubt would like to mesh into national environs. The pit is ready, are you?
    2 out of 5

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