Destinity In Excelsis Dementia
Adipocere Records CDAR84 April 2004
By Anna Novitzky
I put this CD on and it started to rain. No joke serious, pounding, skull-fracturing rain from a previously clear blue sky. I had to turn the volume up to drown out the sound of thumping on the roof. Pretty cool, eh? Thats got to be one of the best endorsements you could possibly come up with.
Apart from the fully authenticated Fury Of The Heavens, In Excelsis Dementia is a fairly standard symphonic black metal album. All the usual elements are there: incomprehensible growling; lyrics about the futility of religion (growled incomprehensibly); high-speed drumming; brutal guitars; silly stage names and art-work featuring scantily clad women masturbating with crucifixes. Theres a touch of Cradle of Filth in the general atmosphere, from some of the melodies to the sound of impassioned female sobbing in the background of several songs. Theres a hint of Dimmu Borgir in the hysterical vocals, and even a little Nile in the percussion, executed with military precision and impact. Not to mention that the intro to track 8, "And Silence", reminded me briefly and mysteriously of the Harry Potter theme music. So, on the face of it, much that we have heard before, done well but not terribly exciting.
Behind this template of the stereotype black metal album, though, Destinity do show a spark of originality, some desire, perhaps, to move the genre forwards. It manifests itself in the surprisingly sweet acoustic guitar solo of track 4, Heffen Kemet, and the occasional almost EBM-ish electronic interludes, but is soon quenched under the weight of tradition. In Excelsis Dementia is an eminently listenable example of the black metal genre, but if Destinity can nurture that elusive flame, they could grow to be so much more.
6/10
Official Destinity website
Official Adipocere Records website
Adipocere Records CDAR84 April 2004
By Anna Novitzky
I put this CD on and it started to rain. No joke serious, pounding, skull-fracturing rain from a previously clear blue sky. I had to turn the volume up to drown out the sound of thumping on the roof. Pretty cool, eh? Thats got to be one of the best endorsements you could possibly come up with.
Apart from the fully authenticated Fury Of The Heavens, In Excelsis Dementia is a fairly standard symphonic black metal album. All the usual elements are there: incomprehensible growling; lyrics about the futility of religion (growled incomprehensibly); high-speed drumming; brutal guitars; silly stage names and art-work featuring scantily clad women masturbating with crucifixes. Theres a touch of Cradle of Filth in the general atmosphere, from some of the melodies to the sound of impassioned female sobbing in the background of several songs. Theres a hint of Dimmu Borgir in the hysterical vocals, and even a little Nile in the percussion, executed with military precision and impact. Not to mention that the intro to track 8, "And Silence", reminded me briefly and mysteriously of the Harry Potter theme music. So, on the face of it, much that we have heard before, done well but not terribly exciting.
Behind this template of the stereotype black metal album, though, Destinity do show a spark of originality, some desire, perhaps, to move the genre forwards. It manifests itself in the surprisingly sweet acoustic guitar solo of track 4, Heffen Kemet, and the occasional almost EBM-ish electronic interludes, but is soon quenched under the weight of tradition. In Excelsis Dementia is an eminently listenable example of the black metal genre, but if Destinity can nurture that elusive flame, they could grow to be so much more.
6/10
Official Destinity website
Official Adipocere Records website
