Funeral Dancer - Inner Gate (2026)
Inner Gate lands squarely in that blackened punk / death-n’-roll overlap where momentum matters more than nuance, and that’s both its strength and its limitation. The album is undeniably physical — riffs hit hard, drums push forward with intent, and the vocals stay locked in a snarling, confrontational register — but it rarely feels like it’s reaching beyond that immediate impact.
There’s a raw confidence in how the band commits to this sound. The songs don’t overstay their welcome, the production keeps things abrasive without turning into mud, and the punk backbone gives the record a sense of forward motion that prevents it from dragging. In short bursts, Inner Gate works: it scratches the itch for something ugly, direct, and unpretentious.
Where it falters is in depth and variation. Tracks tend to blur into one another, relying on similar tempos, similar riff shapes, and the same emotional register throughout. The blackened elements feel more aesthetic than exploratory, and the death-metal weight never quite opens into anything memorable or distinctive. By the midpoint, the album starts to feel less like a journey and more like a sustained posture.
At a 58, Inner Gate is competent and occasionally satisfying, but ultimately dispensable. It delivers energy without much imagination, conviction without evolution. I don’t regret hearing it, but once it’s over, there’s little pulling me back — a record that functions in the moment, then fades quickly from memory.
Genre: Black n Roll
Country: US
Final Verdict: 58% (Forgettable Album)
Yearly Ranking: 30th / 34
Highlight: Everglow
Made me think of:
Dödsrit
Entombed
Nails
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