Deathspell omega made a move away from the traditional sense of black metal, and decided to incorporate some new elements, where they succeeded in producing on of the most intense musical experiences that I have ever heard before.
The band outdid themselves, straying from the more Clandestine Blaze, one of Mikko Aspa’s side projects, which is doomier, and slower, to a driving, well-produced maisma of intelligently evil and hateful music.
The beginning of this album starts with a blasphemous prayer, where instead of portraying hope, lyrically and musically exuded fear, and disdain for the cross, and everything that it stands for. The Gregorian chants adds an element to this dissonant, wandering track…it sends chills down my spine. This band infused the utter blasphemy of the lyrics with the mood of the music in flawless fashion.
For one thing, this album is an absolute monstrosity. 13 songs, and 70+ minutes of mind-boggling hypocrisy definitely makes this an album that is difficult to sit through, not because it is bad, or boring, but because of a strange inner need for reprieve because of the tone of this album. The guitars are much deeper than even the previous DsO album, and they added complexity to their music that has never existed in the past. This band after IOS release and splits from the past, have upped the ante, and raised the bar of brutality and ingenuity regarding song-structure, progression of music and lyrical content together, and complex beats that keep the album moving like a rushing rapid, thrashing you hither and yon, while you drown on the deep meaning and Satanic influences that His monument altogether obvious.
Satanic incantations, blasphemous Biblical passages…spitting lyrically and musically upon the cross…it is all here for a black metal band that is ahead of it’s time. The voice that Mikko has is different from any other black metal band that I have ever heard. He sounds the same in Clandestine Blaze and Stabat Mater, but the depth and musical diversity pales in comparison, and his deep, raspy vocals do well to add to the doom and impending diabolical take-over that is the main theme of the album.
Overall, I have never heard a more deep, soul-wrenching performance in my life. I think this album is the pinnacle of where black metal came from and is going. More on the avant-garde side of bm, but only because of the fusion of demonology, and Latin strewn throughout, the text of holy books, and the spiteful music that this band has written…Complex riffs, very technical drumming, atmospheric sound effects, the slight reverb from the vocals, all make this the black album of black metal.
I recommend this album for anyone who dares to explore the progressive side of black metal, stepping outside of the box, and showing how the music can evolve into something that exponentially deifies the dark side of man. Ave Sathanas!
rafazardly 