Dedicated to the one whose name is three hundred and thirty three, the eighth studio opus by this unstoppable one-man army offers us all raw and cold Black Metal that throws the grit right in your face.

“This album is dedicated to He, whose name is three hundred and thirty three, and that thrice one.”

Poisonous and true Black Metal to the bones, the Stygian, irreligious one-man Black Metal entity Funeral Winds is the true essence of Black Metal music, staying loyal to to the original values of Black Metal, hateful and relentlessly contemptuous in sound and vision, since the project’s inception in Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, in the now distant year of 1991. Now in 2024 the unstoppable vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Hellchrist Xul (aka Maurits Jansen) returns from the pits of the underworld with his devilish eighth studio opus, titled 333, which refers to the Dweller in the Abyss, the Demon of Dispersion, also known as Choronzon. Seen as the last great obstacle between the adept and enlightenment, Choronzon needs to be faced to be able to move beyond the Abyss. Stylistically, 333 is raw and cold Black Metal that throws the grit right in your face, a worthy follow-up to all of the previous efforts brought into being by Hellchrist Xul and his Funeral Winds.

The winds of Black Metal bring to our putrid ears the venomous opening tune Sovereign of Shadows, where Hellchrist Xul doesn’t waste a single second and begin to roar manically while also offering his usual infernal riffage, exploding into the vile and obscure Eternal Nightmare, an overdose of Black Metal insanity hitting us hard with its demonic guitars and bass, pounding drums, and a strong sense that all hope is lost and that we must all succumb to the void. Cast the Gauntlet of Doom sounds even darker than its predecessors, a haunting chant where Hellchrist Xul delivers Doom Metal-inspired sluggish beats while he keeps vociferating in the name of pure evil; followed by Ancient Wrath Unleashed, a brutal Black Metal attack that exhales heaviness and sulfur, with the strident riffs by Hellchrist Xul walking hand in hand with his classic blast beats.

In The Damned Ones Shall Rise we face nonstop savagery and sulfur flowing from all instruments, another classic Funeral Winds composition that lives up to the legacy of old school Black Metal; whereas Forever Cursed and Bound brings forward four minutes of absolute evil where the project’s core Black Metal is complemented by a grim Blackened Doom vibe, perfect for banging your head in total darkness. Then get ready to be dragged into the Stygian realm ruled by Funeral Winds in Birthed By Pure Malevolence, a nonstop, visceral Black Metal onrush with Hellchrist Xul enhancing the animosity of his harsh gnarls to a whole new level. And last but not least, Hellchrist Xul will darken the skies for all eternity with the seven-minute aria Conjuration of the Blind One, with the howling winds once again opening the gates of the underworld for Hellchrist Xul’s diabolical vociferations, flowing in a vile and somber manner while also bringing forward bursts of old school Black Metal, ending in a beyond phantasmagorical vibe.

Hellchrist Xul is undoubtedly an unstoppable force of the Black Metal scene, with 333 being an amazing depiction of al his passion for the style, his talent and his hard work. Hence, don’t forget to give him and his Funeral Winds a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, to subscribe to his YouTube channel and to stream his wicked creations on Spotify, and obviously to purchase a copy of the sulfurous 333 from his own BandCamp page, from the Osmose Productions’ BandCamp page, or simply by clicking HERE. Dedicated to the one whose name is three hundred and thirty three, the new album by Funeral Winds is a continuation of Hellchrist Xul’s descent into the underworld, cementing his name as one of the driving forces of the underground scene and setting the stage for a new chapter in the coming years, remaining always true to the foundations of our beloved Black Metal.

Best moments of the album: Eternal Nightmare, Ancient Wrath Unleashed and Birthed By Pure Malevolence.

Worst moments of the album: Cast the Gauntlet of Doom.

Released in 2024 Osmose Productions

Track listing
1. Sovereign of Shadows 4:01
2. Eternal Nightmare 6:02
3. Cast the Gauntlet of Doom 4:01
4. Ancient Wrath Unleashed 4:53
5. The Damned Ones Shall Rise 3:52
6. Forever Cursed and Bound 4:07
7. Birthed By Pure Malevolence 4:23
8. Conjuration of the Blind One 7:11

Band members
Hellchrist Xul – vocals, all instruments