Ludicra Fex Urbis Lex Orbis
Alternative Tentacles Records virus364 October 10th, 2006
By Jason Jordan
Sometimes, when a band of individuals gets together, they rarely sound like their other involvements, if at all, and such is the case with black metallers Ludicra, who hold in their ranks John Cobbett (Hammers of Misfortune, ex-Slough Feg), Ross Sewage (Impaled), Aesop Dekker (Hickey), et al. Even more unusual is to find said group on Alternative Tentacles, though they arent new to Biafras label.
Moving on, Fex Urbis Lex Orbis which means The Dregs of the City, The Law of the Earth and is from Les Misérables is Ludicras third record, and continues the two-year gap between releases that began with 2002s Hollow Psalms and continued with 2004s Another Great Love Song. Now, for those of you who havent had the pleasure of listening to this remarkable 40-minute album, Im going to make a generalization that I feel encapsulates the sound, yet avoids doing a disservice to the musicians in question. To me, FULO is what I imagine Haughm would come up with if he decided to delve into black metal more than Agalloch does, and employ a couple people of the opposite gender to contribute female vocals. Either way, this is great BM that should not be missed.
Opener Dead City really does draw parallels to Agallochs work especially their heaviest material found on Ashes Against the Grain aside from the somber female vocals. The growls, too, are different insofar as they have a greater impact by being more upfront and commanding. While Dead City gets off to a slow drum-ridden start, In Fever grabs the baton and sprints at top speed, with the riffs being of a to-die-for variety. Veils experiments a bit more than its peers in the tempo department, and also includes a liberal amount of acoustic guitars and electric leads. Though Only a Moment may be the most melancholy of the five, there are certain parts, however, where HoM/SF-esque melodies peek through the BM fury at 5:20 and on. Collapse is perhaps more focused on tension than the others and is delivered to reflect it until opting for a trance-led outro that dies after nearly 12 minutes. So each of the songs forms its own identity, and lasts several minutes to boot.
Hollow Psalms was good, and while I cant comment on Another Great Love Song, Fex Urbis Lex Orbis has done its part to convince me I need to obtain Ludicras second effort. All Ive heard from them has been exceptional, and this of course does not disappoint. For a different, worthwhile take on black metal, look no further than this quintet.
Official Ludicra Website
Official Alternative Tentacles Records Website
Alternative Tentacles Records virus364 October 10th, 2006
By Jason Jordan
Sometimes, when a band of individuals gets together, they rarely sound like their other involvements, if at all, and such is the case with black metallers Ludicra, who hold in their ranks John Cobbett (Hammers of Misfortune, ex-Slough Feg), Ross Sewage (Impaled), Aesop Dekker (Hickey), et al. Even more unusual is to find said group on Alternative Tentacles, though they arent new to Biafras label.
Moving on, Fex Urbis Lex Orbis which means The Dregs of the City, The Law of the Earth and is from Les Misérables is Ludicras third record, and continues the two-year gap between releases that began with 2002s Hollow Psalms and continued with 2004s Another Great Love Song. Now, for those of you who havent had the pleasure of listening to this remarkable 40-minute album, Im going to make a generalization that I feel encapsulates the sound, yet avoids doing a disservice to the musicians in question. To me, FULO is what I imagine Haughm would come up with if he decided to delve into black metal more than Agalloch does, and employ a couple people of the opposite gender to contribute female vocals. Either way, this is great BM that should not be missed.
Opener Dead City really does draw parallels to Agallochs work especially their heaviest material found on Ashes Against the Grain aside from the somber female vocals. The growls, too, are different insofar as they have a greater impact by being more upfront and commanding. While Dead City gets off to a slow drum-ridden start, In Fever grabs the baton and sprints at top speed, with the riffs being of a to-die-for variety. Veils experiments a bit more than its peers in the tempo department, and also includes a liberal amount of acoustic guitars and electric leads. Though Only a Moment may be the most melancholy of the five, there are certain parts, however, where HoM/SF-esque melodies peek through the BM fury at 5:20 and on. Collapse is perhaps more focused on tension than the others and is delivered to reflect it until opting for a trance-led outro that dies after nearly 12 minutes. So each of the songs forms its own identity, and lasts several minutes to boot.
Hollow Psalms was good, and while I cant comment on Another Great Love Song, Fex Urbis Lex Orbis has done its part to convince me I need to obtain Ludicras second effort. All Ive heard from them has been exceptional, and this of course does not disappoint. For a different, worthwhile take on black metal, look no further than this quintet.
Official Ludicra Website
Official Alternative Tentacles Records Website
