Do you think Ghost are cool? In my ears they are barely rock musicians. Cool image yes, and that is what makes some metal fans love them so much. Musically they have nothing compared to these guys from the ancient forests of Ostrobothnia, Finland, with their influences coming from bands like Crimson Moonlight, Antestor, Vaakevandring, Drottnar, Grave Declaration among other fantastic unblack and Christian death metal bands.
This far the releases are the album Offerlammets Makt (2004) with Rivel Records and the EP Se Guds Lamm, 2018, self-released.
I witnessed their first ever live show at Rainbow Rock 2018 and then again this year when the act came back to Sweden for a new performance with some new material.
With props taken from Catholicism, like monk robes and items from the communion, this promotes to us some of the inner core of Christian spirituality. That kind that sees no meaning with life if you don´t live it for Jesus Christ. This summer the act arrived to Alfta, Sweden during an extreme heat wave with temperatures around 32-34 C, and probably at least 40 C in inside the church where the stage was. Not letting that stop them, they performed with their monk robes on. Once you find your image as a band, you don´t step away from it. With that kind of devotion I believe this band will be around for long time giving us high quality Unblack Metal.
Parakletos 
Ljungeld
The recording band is: Ljungeld – Composer, and all instruments except drums, which various session players step in to handle.
Live Lineup:
Ljungeld – Guitar & vocals
Tordön – Bass
Broder Patronus – Guitars
Piskmästaren – Drums
Ulvskogens dån – Keyboards
Now to what they mean to me: I discovered them during the darkest months ever of my life. I was suffering from grief after deaths of family members and friends. I was in a very dark place, feeling like the loneliest person in the world. Completely cut off from all other humans. It felt like nobody could comfort me. I had my pastors and some Christian friends to pray for and with me, but even to them I couldn’t show my full pain, except for a few times. I even thought of ending it all, but at the same time I knew I didn’t want to die. I was looking for ways to feel better, without turning to alcohol, drugs or even antidepressants.
All of my life I´ve been used to listening to music daily and in any mood I have ever been in. At the beginning of 2017 I found first Hilastherion and then later Parakletos along with some other unblack metal and Christian melodic death metal acts. The lyrics together with the raw tunes brought Jesus’s life and suffering very close and made me realize what he really died for and that he left it all on the cross for me when he died. Parakletos’ compositions were some of those that could reach into my grieving soul and make the days bearable. There was a couple of days I could not even open my Bible, because I could not focus enough to understand what I was reading, rather not even having inspiration to know where to start. I was emotionally broken and a mess. Instead I sat with the Bible without opening it, but with the songs “A Sovereign Fortress” and “Se Guds Lamm” playing on repeat in my earphones. After some days I opened my Bible and started to read The New Testament from the very beginning. I made it a routine every day in the morning to pray, read the Bible and listen to music. It became my medication. I was in a state of mind that I wanted to feel the pain so for me taking pills would have probably not helped that much. I wanted to be miserable and feel the grief, not take it away. At the same time I understood that I could not stay in that state of mind forever.
This might sound insane to you, but this method and also knowing that people prayed for me, finally worked. Today I´m past the depression and on new, much happier grounds. Unblack raw metal is that kind of metal that takes away my sadness when I feel really down. For me it´s better than any pills or alcohol I could get my hands on. As Christians we are not free from feelings like fear, anxiety or even depression, but we have a friend that is ready to walk along with us when we struggle with those feelings.
Pray for this band. With their devotion they are the real deal used by God.