DARK FUNERAL

Dark Funeral is a black metal band from Stockholm, Sweden. They are one of the bands to have emerged in Sweden during the Second wave of black metal.
Their lyrical themes have traditionally pertained to Satanism and anti-Christianity - with Lord Ahriman and Emperor Magus Caligula being practitioners of LaVeyan Satanism. In their earlier years their lyrical themes usually revolved specifically around depictions of Hell and Satan, but since Emperor Magus Caligula joined the band their lyrics have focused more on blasphemy and anti-Christian rhetoric although there have been several exceptions to this.
Dark Funeral was founded by guitarists Blackmoon (David Parland) and Lord Ahriman in 1993. Shortly afterwards drummer Draugen and bassist and vocalist Themgoroth joined the band. Their self-titled and self-financed album, Dark Funeral, was recorded in 1994 at Dan Swanö's Uni-Sound studio in January. It was released on May 4, the same day the band performed their first gig at Luse Lottes Pub in Oslo, Norway alongside bands such as fellow live debut band Gorgoroth and Marduk (who performed their first show abroad). After the recording sessions, Draugen left the band and was replaced by Equimanthorn.
In 1995, the band signed up to No Fashion Records and started preparing songs for a full-length album. After an attempt to record The Secrets of the Black Arts at Uni-Sound studios (again with Dan Swanö), the band decided to relocate to Abyss Studio and re-record the entire album. During the break between studio sessions, the band wrote the song When Angels Forever Die. With engineer Peter Tägtgren (Hypocrisy) on board, the band finally got the production they were looking for. Shortly after, Dark Funeral played their first festival gig, Under The Black Sun I in Berlin. A few weeks prior to this gig Emperor Magus Caligula (Magnus 'Masse' Broberg, the original vocalist of Hypocrisy) replaced Themgoroth and eventually became a permanent member. The band also shot their first video for the track "The Secrets Of The Black Arts", which was well received and played on music channels all over the world.[citation needed] On January 28, 1996, the band's first full-length-album, The Secrets Of The Black Arts, was released and the album was soon licensed to Metal Blade (North America) and Mystic Production (Poland). Equimanthorn was soon replaced by Alzazmon (Tomas Asklund, later renowned for his work with Dissection and Gorgoroth). The line-up of Emperor Magus Caligula, Lord Ahriman, Alzazmon and Blackmoon recorded their versions of Bathory's Call From The Grave and Equimanthorn for the Bathory tribute, In Conspiracy With Satan.(These also appeared later re-mastered for the re-titled re-release of the band's debut In The Sign…). Blackmoon eventually left and founded War a year later. Together with Necromass, the band embarked on the Satanic War Tour I throughout Europe.