The Funeral Pyre
{{Short description|American blackened death metal band}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = The Funeral Pyre
| image =
| caption =
| background = group_or_band
| alias = Envilent (2001)
| origin = La Habra, California, U.S.
| genre = Blackened death metal, melodic death metal, melodic black metal
| years_active = 2001–2012
| label = Creator Destructor, Prosthetic, Forest Moon
| website = {{url|thefuneralpyre666.blogspot.com}}
| current_members = James Joyce
John Strachan
Alex Hernandez
Adam Campbell
| past_members = Jason Dunn
Daniella Jones
Justin Garcia
Lanny Perelman
Alex Lopez
}}
The Funeral Pyre was an American blackened death metal band from La Habra, California. The band released four studio albums and various shorter works before playing their last advertised show in 2012.{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/1271067-The-Funeral-Pyre|title=The Funeral Pyre|website=Discogs.com|access-date=October 7, 2020}}
History
The band was formed in La Habra, California, in 2001 by guitarist James Joyce, keyboardist Daniella Jones, vocalist John Strachan, drummer Alex Hernandez, and bassist Adam Campbell, initially adopting the name Envilent. They participated in the underground extreme music scenes across Los Angeles and Orange counties. They have acclaim amongst metal internet press outlets for their Swedish-style melody, ethereal keyboards, and blackened vocals.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/bands/The-Funeral-Pyre/7694/|title=The Funeral Pyre reviews, music, news|website=Sputnikmusic.com|access-date=October 7, 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/The_Funeral_Pyre/19867|title=The Funeral Pyre – Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives|website=Metal-archives.com|access-date=October 7, 2020}}
The band released several demos{{Cite web|url=http://www.geocities.com/fuchawhorl/Envilent.html |title=Envilent |website=GeoCities |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091021223345/http://www.geocities.com/fuchawhorl/Envilent.html |archive-date=October 21, 2009 |access-date=October 7, 2020}} and the EP Whispering to the Shadows before changing its name to The Funeral Pyre prior to the 2003 release of their EP October.{{Cite web|url=https://www.archaic-magazine.com/|title=Archaic Magazine|website=Archaic-magazine.com|access-date=October 7, 2020}} A year later, the band released its first full-length album, Immersed by the Flames of Mankind.
In August 2006, the band released their second full-length album The Nature of Betrayal, which was recorded at Ulug studios in Costa Mesa, California, through Creator-Destructor Records, an independent California based recording studio. Initial internet-based sales enabled a distribution deal with Prosthetic Records, and The Nature of Betrayal was re-released in March 2007.{{Cite web|url=http://creator-destructor.com/|title=Creator-Destructor Records|website=Creator-destructor.com|access-date=October 7, 2020}} The period that followed saw numerous changes in membership: longtime keyboardist Daniella Jones who parted with the band for "musical differences", was briefly replaced by a second guitarist, Justin Garcia,{{Cite web|url=http://thefuneralpyre666.blogspot.com/|title=The Funeral Pyre – Satans Blog|website=Thefuneralpyre666.blogspot.com|access-date=October 7, 2020}} who was in turn replaced by Lanny Perelman, who left the band as well.
A third album, Wounds, was recorded in January and February 2008 with producer John Haddad and released in May of that year. The band has more closely embraced black metal entirely with the release of Wounds, as well as later works.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-funeral-pyre-mn0000634617/biography|title=The Funeral Pyre | Biography & History|website=AllMusic|access-date=October 7, 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/wounds-mw0000786625|title=Wounds – The Funeral Pyre | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic|access-date=October 7, 2020|website=AllMusic}}
An EP, December, was recorded during December 2008, and received a limited distribution by Creator-Destructor in March 2009. A 7-inch split with Landmine Marathon was released shortly after through Forest Moon Special Products.{{Cite web|url=http://thefuneralpyre666.blogspot.com/2009/05/hardcore.html|title=The Funeral Pyre – Satans Blog: Hardcore|website=Thefuneralpyre666.blogspot.com|date=May 5, 2009|access-date=October 7, 2020}}
The band's fourth and final studio album, Vultures at Dawn, was released in June 2010 by Prosthetic Records. It was generally well received, much of the praise coming from the more experimental songs "Monolith" and "To Watch the Earth Rot", both being further from their normal genre of songwriting.{{Cite web|url=http://allmetalresource.com/2010/07/05/review-the-funeral-pyre-vultures-at-dawn-2010/ |title=Review: The Funeral Pyre – Vultures At Dawn (2010)|website=allmetalresource.com|access-date=October 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111118111654/http://allmetalresource.com/2010/07/05/review-the-funeral-pyre-vultures-at-dawn-2010/ |archive-date=November 18, 2011 |url-status=usurped}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.teethofthedivine.com/reviews/the-funeral-pyre-vultures-at-dawn/|title=Funeral Pyre, The – Vultures At Dawn « Teeth of the Divine|website=Allmetalresource.com|date=August 19, 2010 |access-date=October 7, 2020}}
Members
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;Current members
- James Joyce – guitar
- Alex Hernandez – drums
- John Strachan – vocals
- Adam Campbell – bass
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;Former members
- Jason Dunn – guitar
- Daniella Jones – keyboards
- Justin Garcia – guitar
- Lanny Perelman – guitar
- Alex Lopez – guitar
{{col-end}}
Discography
;Studio albums
- 2004: Immersed by the Flames of Mankind
- 2006: The Nature of Betrayal
- 2008: Wounds
- 2010: Vultures at Dawn
;EPs
- 2002: Whispering to the Shadows EP
- 2003: October EP
- 2006: The First Book of the Kings (split EP)[http://www.musicmight.com/linkto/artist/{FE901546-B24E-4E05-9218-3201F8E] {{dead link|date=October 2020}}
- 2009: December EP
- 2009: The Funeral Pyre/Landmine Marathon (split EP)
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://thefuneralpyre666.blogspot.com/ Official website]
{{The Funeral Pyre}}
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Category:American melodic death metal musical groups
Category:American blackened death metal musical groups
Category:Black metal musical groups from California
Category:Death metal musical groups from California
Category:Musical groups from Orange County, California
Category:American musical quintets