DARK FUNERAL's modus operendi is a rigid, unwavering loyalty to Black Metal in its purest form. They group, notwithstanding a fractious membership, has never diverted from the path, not once pandering to the temptations of the Gothique, ambience, industrialism or any form of experimentation. They clawed their way up into the genres higher echelons through a relentless worldwide live offensive.

DARK FUNERAL date back to a band project assembled in Stockholm during 1993 by guitarists Blackmoon (real name David Parland and ex-NECROPHOBIC) and Lord Ahriman (Micke Svanberg). The band line-up was completed by vocalist and bassist Themgoroth (a.k.a. Paul Mäkitalo) and drummer Draugen. DARK FUNERAL issued the four track 'Dark Funeral' EP, recorded at DAN SWANȪ's Unisound Studios and released on Hellspawn Records on May 4th 1994. Upon the release date DARK FUNERAL also undertook their inaugural gig at the Luse Lottes pub in Oslo. This record was also released in Poland on cassette by Carrion Records and re-titled 'Open The Gates'. Following the EP's release Draugen departed, eventually turning up as a member of SVARTSYN, and was succeeded by Equimanthorn as DARK FUNERAL began playing their first live shows.

DARK FUNERAL attempted to record the band's first full-length album 'The Secrets Of The Black Arts' at Unisound studios with DAN SWANȪ once more but were so dissatisfied with the results the tapes were scrapped. The band subsequently relocated to Abyss Studio in June 1995, re-recording the entire album, with the benefit of a newly penned track 'When Angels Forever Die' and working with HYPOCRISY's Peter Tägtgren as engineer. 'The Secrets Of The Black Arts' took an unconventional angle on the tried and trusted Black Metal formula, DARK FUNERAL, whilst undeniably pummeling and typically drenched in distortion, entrenching themselves in repetitious riffing, mantra like chorusing snagged on the evocation of "Satan!" all to engender an almost zombified trance state. The album included a cover of VON's 'Satanic Blood' and saw a video for the song 'The Secrets Of The Black Arts' which garnered valuable TV exposure world-wide. Their reach would be further extended as licenses were secured with Metal Blade Records in North America and Mystic Productions in Poland.

Upon the eve of release of 'The Secrets Of The Black Arts' in January 1996 the band again underwent a roster change with the addition of vocalist / bassist Emperor Magus Caligula (real name Masse Broberg, also known as original vocalist for HYPOCRISY) and drummer Alzazmon (a.k.a. Tomas Asklund of DAWN). This new unit debuted at DARK FUNERAL's first festival gig, 'Under The Black Sun' in Berlin.

1996 would also witness DARK FUNERAL taking on covers of BATHORY's 'Call From The Grave' and 'Equimanthorn' for the tribute album 'In Conspiracy With Satan'. Blackmoon quit the band that same year to concentrate on a solo project BLACKMOON his place being taken by Typhos (Henrik Ekeroth), previously a member of Stockholm's FUNERAL MIST.

Touring in Europe had the band supported by Italians NECROMASS. The band made every effort to lay on a terrifying spectacle with displays of fire breathing and pigs heads on spikes gracing the stage flanked by inverted crosses. These dates, the first leg of what would become the 'Satanic War' tour, were so successful DARK FUNERAL toured Europe once more in February of 1997. For this batch of shows BAL SAGOTH and ANCIENT opened. By September the band, reprising their studio union with Peter Tägtgren, were back in the recording studio laying down the much anticipated 'Vobiscum Satanas' album. The group's reach extended into their debut American shows throughout November, commencing in Chicago at the 'Expo Of The Extreme' festival, with a short East coast tour with Chicago's USURPER.

As 1998 drew in DARK FUNERAL, pre-empting the April issue of 'Vobiscum Satanas', embarked on 'The Ineffable Kings Of Darkness' tour in league with ENTHRONED and LIAR OF GOLGOTHA. These dates found Dominion coming in as session bassist. Following their second major festival appearance, at the Swedish 'Hultsfreds' event, Typhos was removed and Dominion, originally a guitarist, took over the role with Caligula reverting to both vocals and bass duties. Further line-up fluxes saw Alzazmon making his exit. The band inducted long term friend Gaahnfaust (Robert Lundin), actually having briefly been a member back in 1996, to fill the vacancy. DARK FUNERAL then formed part of a European package bill 'Blood For Satan' sharing stages with CANNIBAL CORPSE and INFERNAL MAJESTY. The following year witnessed West coast American dates, ominously billed as the 'Black Plague Across The West', and a brief foray into Mexico upfront of European shows termed 'The Satanic Inquisition' with Norwegian premier Black Metal act DIMMU BORGIR.

In March 2000 DARK FUNERAL would pay homage to their mentors by cutting cover versions of MAYHEM's 'Pagan Fears', KING DIAMOND's 'The Trial', SODOM's 'Remember The Dead' and SLAYER's 'Dead Skin Mask' for the 'Teach Children To Worship Satan' EP. This release included the new track 'An Apprentice Of Satan' for which a live video was shot and broadcast globally. Live dates ranked the band alongside DEICIDE, IMMORTAL and CANNIBAL CORPSE for the 'No Mercy' festivals. Fervour for the band was now riding at such a high that Necropolis Records in North America, Hellspawn in Sweden and Hammerheart in Europe re-issued the band's first mini-album, re-titled 'In The Sign...', repackaged with the 1996 BATHORY covers, lavish rare photographs and histories.

During 2000 Caligula and guitarist Dominion (Matti Mäkelä) united with erstwhile DARK FUNERAL drummer Gaahnfaust to found side project DOMINION CALIGULA releasing the 'A New Era Rises' album in 2000. Not to be outdone, Lord Ahriman created WOLFEN SOCIETY with ex-ACHERON leader Vincent Crowley, Kyle Severn of INCANTATION and erstwhile VITAL REMAINS man Jeff Gruslins. Another band of note would be INFERNAL, also assembled in 2000 and comprising DARK FUNERAL members vocalist / guitarist Typhos, guitarist Blackmoon, singer Themgoroth, drummer Matte Modin and IN AETERNUM's Impious (David Larsson) on bass.

DARK FUNERAL themselves added former DEFLESHED drummer Matte Modin to the ranks in late 2000, debuting their new member at the 'Full Force' and 'Wacken Open Air' festivals. The band got back into action with the well received 2001 Peter Tägtgren produced album 'Diabolus Interim'. A suitable 6666 copies were manufactured in digi-pack format bound in fake leather.

Another DARK FUNERAL product arrived in early 2002, albeit a bootleg. Issued by the British Imperial Creations label 'Live Hutsfred, Sweden' comprised live tracks recorded at the Scandinavian festival paired with six early BATHORY demo tracks from the early 1980s. The group would embark on a further round of American dates, headlined by CANNIBAL CORPSE and billed alongside INCANTATION and PISSING RAZORS, commencing on the 24th April in Los Angeles. Taking on the bass role for these shows would be the Death Metal veteran Richard Cabeza of DISMEMBER, UNANIMATED, BORN OF FIRE and MURDER SQUAD notoriety.

Just as Australian dates, together with ASTRIAAL, were projected for October, it was announced that Dominion had vacated the guitar spot. As it transpired the Australian concerts would be curtailed but DARK FUNERAL did put in a run of dates in Japan, Taiwan and Singapore that month. Support for most of these shows came from Taiwanese act CHTHONIC.

DARK FUNERAL, pulling in MORDICHRIST and SKELLINGTON guitarist Chaq Mol (a.k.a. Bo Karlsson), would return to live action in mid 2003 at the longstanding German 'Wacken Open Air' festival. South American gigs, traversing across Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Venezuela, were set for September with support coming from AVERSE SIFERA, VALHALLA and AVEC TRISTESSE. Recordings from these dates would be compiled for issue as the live album 'De Profundis Clamavi Ad Te Domine'.

Later that year Emperor Magus Caligula would join the elite Death Metal side project cast of retro act GOD AMONG INSECTS featuring guitarist Lord K (a.k.a. Kenth Philipson) of LEUKEMIA, ROSICRUCIAN, ODYSSEY, LAME, HOUSE OF USHER and THE PROJECT HATE repute, bassist Tomas Elofsson from SANCTIFICATION and VOMITORY drummer Tobias Gustafsson. In other DARK FUNERAL related news former band members Matias Mäkelä and Robert Lundin forged the Death / Thrash act VICIOUS ART. The duo subsequently enrolled Jörgen Sandström of THE PROJECT HATE and a veteran of ENTOMBED and GRAVE on bass.

DARK FUNERAL partnered with GOATWHORE and ZYKLON for the 'Extreme The Dojo Volume 9' Japanese gigs in January 2004. DARK FUNERAL then resumed touring with a spate of Mexican dates in February before hooking up with DEFLESHED for a short burst of Italian dates. That same year Parland made time to record tracks for a solo project album, 'Autumn Hearts' for Scorpio Rising records, dubbed BLACKMOON. The band's Israeli live debut came with a gig in Tel Aviv during November, supported by local bands LEHAVOTH, WINTERHORDE and ARMILOS. Ex-drummer Thomas Asklund duly came back to the fore by joining the resurrected DISSECTION.

Signing to Regain Records, the band forged a road alliance with SIX FEET UNDER, NILE, DISBELIEF, DYING FETUS, WYKKED WYTCH and CATARACT for the 'No Mercy Festivals 2005' European tour beginning in early March. However, the group pulled out of these shows on 19th March, claiming they had been forced out by band and crew catching influenza. The band entered Dug Out studios in Uppsala during late May with producer Daniel Bergstrand to cut a new album. That same month drummer Matte Modin also acted as fill in for SCAAR and performed festival dates with DEFLESHED.

Album recordings in July, for the 'Attero Totus Sanctus' opus, saw ex-MESHUGGAH man Gustaf Hielm employed on bass. 'Attera Totus Sanctus' entered the Swedish charts at number 35 in November. Opening 2006, live work in Europe during February and March saw DARK FUNERAL sharing stages with AMORAL, NAGLFAR, ASMODEUS and ENDSTILLE. The French leg of the tour saw additional support from OTARGOS. Festival appearances in the Summer would include 'Metalliga Open Air' and 'Kaltenbach Open Air' both in Austria, the Gernika 'Metalway' festival in Spain and September's 'Braincrusher' event in Anröchte, Germany. In August 'Attera Totus Sanctus' was licensed to Icarus Music in Argentina and Sylphorium Records in Colombia.

DARK FUNERAL performed an all-instrumental set in Lima, Peru on October 8th after vocalist/bassist Emperor Magnus Caligula was taken ill with a fever. Fans subsequently became involved in the destruction of property around the concert venue. Local police then impounded the band's equipment.

In continued campaigning, DARK FUNERAL announced a run of January 2007 North American dates backed by ENSLAVED and ABIGAIL WILLIAMS. During this run the band were filmed for inclusion in "the first-ever Satanic porn" movie, the Shane Bugbee directed 'Club Satan: The Witches Sabbath'. DARK FUNERAL starred in the movie and contributed the song 'King Antichrist' to the movie soundtrack. October and November US headliners would be backed by DAATH and NAGLFAR.

In October 2008 DARK FUNERAL launched the DVD 'Attera Orbis Terrarum - Part II' featuring three full shows filmed and recorded during the band's Latin America in 2006 at the Ledslay in Sao Paulo, Brazil on September 23rd, the El Teatro in Buenos Aires, Argentina on October 6th and Antiguo Cine Cali in Gautemala City, Guatemela on October 1st.

To open 2009 ex-band members David Parland and Tomas Asklund joined forces in an unnamed new project. Meantime, DARK FUNERAL enter the Abyss Studio complex together with producer Peter Tägtgren on 10th July to craft new album tracks. The band had also obtained the rights to its back catalogue, 1996's 'The Secrets Of The Black Arts' 1998's 'Vobiscum Satanas', 2000's 'Teach Children To Worship Satan' and 'Diabolis Interium' from 2001, closing a lengthy legal battle with the band's previous record label, MNW/No Fashion Records.