It’s been a while – over six years – since Animus Mortis released their debut album ‘Atrabilis (Residues from Verb & Flesh)’ and much has changed within the black metal scene since then. Despite this, Animus Mortis’s music has always felt to me detached of temporal context in that it at once manages to adhere to a number of orthodox sonic black metal trappings whilst simultaneously carving a very distinctive take on this sound.
I’ve been aware of the band since their ‘Thresholds of Insanity’ EP back in 2005 and even at relatively embryonic stage in their development, the band (spearheaded by mastermind and guitarist Nicholas Onfray) were starting to carve a singular sound. Anchored on a bedrock of dark guitar-led melodicism, it was at once cold and compelling, atmospheric without being overbearing, strangely stirring in its own unique way. It certainly marked them out to me as ‘one to watch’.
They’ve not exactly been prolific to say the least and if I’m honest, perhaps dropped off of my radar for a little while – ‘Testimonia’ therefore offers up a welcome return for the Chileans. As ever, taking cues from the denser, more windswept style of Scandinavian black metal whilst injecting it with their own brand of booming darkness is the approach here yet this time, Animus Mortis have also cleverly intertwined influences from more recent developments in black metal. Thus, we find ‘Manuscripts (Emanation & Ascent)’ has more than a whiff of Deathspell Omega about it with the insistent, distended assault of its central refrain whilst elsewhere, the glittering post-black metal sensibilities of Lantlos and (early) Alcest are brought to mind by the ever-ascending melodic sheen of ‘Hyperbole of Senses’.
Really though, this is classic Animus Mortis – thundering, reverb-laden drums underpinning a wave of guitars that carve furrows of melodic, shimmering despond. The title track exemplifies this, the churning assault of the body of the song giving way to a searing climax that is hauntingly uplifting. ‘Seven Decrees’ is also a highlight, the opening passage sprinkling some chiming clean guitars over the tribal percussive bombast to add further compelling texture to the soundscape. Vocals are perhaps a little indistinct (echo-laden and eerie cries, moans and groans sat way back in the mix) but are nonetheless effective.
All told, Animus Mortis are a bit of a strange one – they certainly deserve more appreciation than it seems they currently receive but their slow release rate doesn’t appear to be helping their cause. ‘Testimonia’ is a great album – no question – but I do fear that in this year of high-profile and hyped-up releases, it may be doomed to get lost in amongst the scramble of far more ‘on trend’ pseudo-occult black/death metal currently sweeping the scene. This would be a shame as Animus Mortis are without doubt a talented outfit with a real ear for distinctive songcraft. This is gimmick-free and cavernous black metal that is certainly deserving of your listening time.
(8.5/10 Frank Allain)
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