Funeral Mist is the solo project of Daniel Rosten (aka Mortuus/Arioch), current vocalist of Marduk. And quite frankly, Maranatha is a more impressive album than anything Marduk’s released in years. All the lyrical and sonic aggression that thrills fans of the genre and repels outsiders is amply present, but there’s a level of thought at work that’s impressive no matter what your primary musical tastes may be. Like Deathspell Omega, Blut Aus Nord, and other adventurous black metal acts, Rosten has put serious thought into his message — it’s much more than rote Christian-bashing, and the music reflects that. The use of sampled sermons, movie dialogue, and choirs on tracks like “Sword of Faith” and “A New Light” extend the genre’s vocabulary in predictable but still exciting ways, while almost psychedelic guitar tones emerge midway through the eight-minute “Jesus Saves!,” briefly turning that song into an inward journey rather than the headlong assault of much of the rest of the album. Throughout Maranatha, Rosten takes multiple rhythmic approaches as well, slowing to a midtempo crawl on “Blessed Curse” and battering the listener relentlessly on “Living Temples” — a song that begins with a long inhalation of breath, as though he’s preparing for a sprint. Rosten sings in a manner reminiscent of Laibach’s Milan Fras, spicing it up with choking, barking, and other throat noises that make him seem both more and less than human. He also plays all the instruments except the drums, which are uncredited — a shame, given the quality of the performance. Taken all together, this is an album that could restore a listener’s faith in the possibilities of black metal. – Phil Freeman