Black Metal.

Hey guys, here is my slightly revised draft of my review for Paracletus, I'd like a bit of feedback; I know it's a bit overlong and doesn't necessarily need all the background, but it had to be at least 800 words. Plus its the end of the trilogy, so I thought it fitting to discuss the background a bit. Anyway here it is:

“It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!”

The final chapter of Deathspell Omega’s trilogy has been realized in the form of Paracletus, and it is, to put it quite simply, amazing, a monumental construction of darkness, dissonance, and at times, even beauty.

Deathspell Omega’s trilogy exploring Satan, God, and Man began when Si Monumentum Requires, Circumspice blasted onto the scene in 2004, a completely new incarnation in respect to their previous works, which were raw, repetitive black metal. Then came Fas- Ite, Maledicti, In Ignem Aeternum in 2007, taking the metal world completely by surprise in its avant-garde abrasiveness, and its machine-like intensity.

Nothing prepared me for Fas, not even the mighty Obscura by Gorguts, the technical death metal masterpiece long prized for its weirdness and chaos. Fas was a sonic odyssey of darkness, a long fall into the abyss, dragging the listener to the brink of madness along the way. Yes, Deathspell Omega left typical black metal behind a long time ago, endeavoring to craft music never before imagined. And they have succeeded.

A handful of splits and EPs were released in between different chapters of the trilogy, furthering the exploration of sound they have undergone, and it was one of these which originally introduced me to Deathspell Omega. I picked up Veritas Diaboli Manet in Aeternum- Chaining the Katechon shortly after it came out in 2008, having heard a lot of good things about the band. It showcased their intense dissonant sound, and their thick, spiteful atmosphere, but I didn’t really “get it” at first, for whatever reason. Then I got SMRC which is a little easier to stomach, and I officially began my journey into the darkness of Deathspell Omega.

“Have you beheld the darkness sitting upon the earth
Overshadowing the wind rose, lost in the smoke?
Thus many went astray at once
The others wandered hazardously through endless mazes”

Now, at last, we come to Paracletus. Like the other chapters of the trilogy, the title is Latin, and the word Paracletus is most commonly used to refer to the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. It is a worthy continuation of their great experiment, almost like a cauldron into which all that has been learned on the journey thus far has been poured, and out has come a dripping new entity. The complex, dissonant riffs and insane drumming of Fas are present, as well as new elements of melody. The album is divided into 10 tracks, only a couple extending past 6 minutes, a departure from the very long track style of Fas and Kénôse; but the songs still flow into each other as if they could have been arranged as such.


The album opens with Epiklesis I, a short track, also faster than I expected as a first track, starting the journey at a brisk stroll. Both First Prayer and Obombration on the previous two full-lengths were slower, more drawn out introductions. Already we can see the use of repetition with this track, something that was showcased very little in the linear construction of Fas and other works since SMRC. Beautiful lead guitar lines are highlights of tracks like Wings of Predation and Epiklesis II, riding starkly above sections of both tempest and calm, beauty that I don’t think I’ve before witnessed in Deathspell Omega. There are so many great moments in this album, it’s nigh unbelievable; moments of reeling fever, moments of furious intensity, dizzying, demented guitars, moments when the rhythm section emerges and the growling bass rises above the fray like never before. Songs like Phosphene, Have You Beheld the Fevers, and Devouring Famine are epic, blasting, abrasive manifestations of true insanity, at times broken by spells of solemn and mournful passages. The voice of Mikko Aspa as always cuts venomously through the mix, dripping with malice and spiteful clamor. The vocals are much more varied on Paracletus than in the past works, which becomes evident very quickly; the spoken word passages in French, mad whisperings, piercing shrieks, and untamed, desperate yelling in addition to Mikko’s trademark growls really add flavor to the tracks. The closer, Apokatastasis Pantôn, starts with the same guitar line as Epiklesis II until the last words of the album are spoken:
“You were seeking strength, justice, splendour! You were seeking love!
Here is the pit, here is your pit! Its name is SILENCE…”
The guitar work is simply beautiful afterwards, mostly simple tremolo picked lines, a more traditional sound, seldom heard in Deathspell anymore. It all combines to craft an incredibly epic 4 minutes, the bass plodding mournfully alongside the drums, all the while the guitar rising and rising; it feels as though you’re about to reach the crest, the climax… and it falls away, just out of reach. The journey is over.

Looking over the trilogy as a whole, I feel almost as though on this odyssey of increasing madness, we have emerged somehow with sense of coherence and sanity. The inevitable embrace of the Abyss is accepted.

“It is senseless to fight against this infinite stream
Behind this threshold life exhausts itself, loses itself”
 
I've never liked Deathspell, and the new album is no exception. Their approach, aesthetic, everything about the way they compose frustrates me. And some people might say that's what good music should do; but in my opinion this isn't "good music." That's great that others can dig their stuff, but I'll never be able to sink my teeth into it.

Sorry, maybe others will be able to give you better feedback on your review.
 
I'm pretty new to black, and have only heard some Bathory and Watain so far.

Can you recomend some black metal bands that aren't overly brutal, and focus on much on riffs, bridges, breaks and so on. I'm a thrash/old school death metal guy, so I like songs with rythm.
 
Dagon666 said:
I'm pretty new to black, and have only heard some Bathory and Watain so far.

Can you recomend some black metal bands that aren't overly brutal, and focus on much on riffs, bridges, breaks and so on. I'm a thrash/old school death metal guy, so I like songs with rythm.
Click to expand...

Samael - Blood Ritual
Gorgoroth - Pentagram
Mortuary Drape - Secret Sudaria
Dissection - Storm of the Light's Bane
Nifelheim - Devil's Force
Master's Hammer - Ritual
Rotting Christ - Thy Mighty Contract
Varathron - His Majesty at the Swamp


Chimaera said:
Where should I start with Bethlehem? I've heard that SUiZiD is fantastic.
Click to expand...

Dark Metal
 
Einherjar86 said:
I've never liked Deathspell, and the new album is no exception. Their approach, aesthetic, everything about the way they compose frustrates me. And some people might say that's what good music should do; but in my opinion this isn't "good music." That's great that others can dig their stuff, but I'll never be able to sink my teeth into it.

Sorry, maybe others will be able to give you better feedback on your review.
Click to expand...

It's fine. Im not a fan either.
 
wandering_taco said:
Hey guys, here is my slightly revised draft of my review for Paracletus, I'd like a bit of feedback; I know it's a bit overlong and doesn't necessarily need all the background, but it had to be at least 800 words. Plus its the end of the trilogy, so I thought it fitting to discuss the background a bit. Anyway here it is:

“It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!”

The final chapter of Deathspell Omega’s trilogy has been realized in the form of Paracletus, and it is, to put it quite simply, amazing, a monumental construction of darkness, dissonance, and at times, even beauty.

Deathspell Omega’s trilogy exploring Satan, God, and Man began when Si Monumentum Requires, Circumspice blasted onto the scene in 2004, a completely new incarnation in respect to their previous works, which were raw, repetitive black metal. Then came Fas- Ite, Maledicti, In Ignem Aeternum in 2007, taking the metal world completely by surprise in its avant-garde abrasiveness, and its machine-like intensity.

Nothing prepared me for Fas, not even the mighty Obscura by Gorguts, the technical death metal masterpiece long prized for its weirdness and chaos. Fas was a sonic odyssey of darkness, a long fall into the abyss, dragging the listener to the brink of madness along the way. Yes, Deathspell Omega left typical black metal behind a long time ago, endeavoring to craft music never before imagined. And they have succeeded.

A handful of splits and EPs were released in between different chapters of the trilogy, furthering the exploration of sound they have undergone, and it was one of these which originally introduced me to Deathspell Omega. I picked up Veritas Diaboli Manet in Aeternum- Chaining the Katechon shortly after it came out in 2008, having heard a lot of good things about the band. It showcased their intense dissonant sound, and their thick, spiteful atmosphere, but I didn’t really “get it” at first, for whatever reason. Then I got SMRC which is a little easier to stomach, and I officially began my journey into the darkness of Deathspell Omega.

“Have you beheld the darkness sitting upon the earth
Overshadowing the wind rose, lost in the smoke?
Thus many went astray at once
The others wandered hazardously through endless mazes”

Now, at last, we come to Paracletus. Like the other chapters of the trilogy, the title is Latin, and the word Paracletus is most commonly used to refer to the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. It is a worthy continuation of their great experiment, almost like a cauldron into which all that has been learned on the journey thus far has been poured, and out has come a dripping new entity. The complex, dissonant riffs and insane drumming of Fas are present, as well as new elements of melody. The album is divided into 10 tracks, only a couple extending past 6 minutes, a departure from the very long track style of Fas and Kénôse; but the songs still flow into each other as if they could have been arranged as such.


The album opens with Epiklesis I, a short track, also faster than I expected as a first track, starting the journey at a brisk stroll. Both First Prayer and Obombration on the previous two full-lengths were slower, more drawn out introductions. Already we can see the use of repetition with this track, something that was showcased very little in the linear construction of Fas and other works since SMRC. Beautiful lead guitar lines are highlights of tracks like Wings of Predation and Epiklesis II, riding starkly above sections of both tempest and calm, beauty that I don’t think I’ve before witnessed in Deathspell Omega. There are so many great moments in this album, it’s nigh unbelievable; moments of reeling fever, moments of furious intensity, dizzying, demented guitars, moments when the rhythm section emerges and the growling bass rises above the fray like never before. Songs like Phosphene, Have You Beheld the Fevers, and Devouring Famine are epic, blasting, abrasive manifestations of true insanity, at times broken by spells of solemn and mournful passages. The voice of Mikko Aspa as always cuts venomously through the mix, dripping with malice and spiteful clamor. The vocals are much more varied on Paracletus than in the past works, which becomes evident very quickly; the spoken word passages in French, mad whisperings, piercing shrieks, and untamed, desperate yelling in addition to Mikko’s trademark growls really add flavor to the tracks. The closer, Apokatastasis Pantôn, starts with the same guitar line as Epiklesis II until the last words of the album are spoken:
“You were seeking strength, justice, splendour! You were seeking love!
Here is the pit, here is your pit! Its name is SILENCE…”
The guitar work is simply beautiful afterwards, mostly simple tremolo picked lines, a more traditional sound, seldom heard in Deathspell anymore. It all combines to craft an incredibly epic 4 minutes, the bass plodding mournfully alongside the drums, all the while the guitar rising and rising; it feels as though you’re about to reach the crest, the climax… and it falls away, just out of reach. The journey is over.

Looking over the trilogy as a whole, I feel almost as though on this odyssey of increasing madness, we have emerged somehow with sense of coherence and sanity. The inevitable embrace of the Abyss is accepted.

“It is senseless to fight against this infinite stream
Behind this threshold life exhausts itself, loses itself”
Click to expand...

Nice review, I agree with basically everything you said regarding the album. Like their other works, Paracletus is indeed relentless with a very oppressive feel to it. I can understand why people dont like them, but you cant deny that nobody else is doing what they are.

I finally got my copy of the new Inquisition! I heard it once cause I couldnt wait after hearing all the positive feedback, but im finally about to give it my first good listen :headbang:
 
Dødsengel - Mirium Occultum

4136ba4b08de9f74.jpg


This is seriously good stuff and probably the best thing I've heard from 2010 so far. Cheers to Dodens Gray for mentioning it. Highly recommended.
 
Have you heard Visionary? And if so how does that one compare to it? I really liked Visionary but havent heard that one yet.
 
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