There’s something undeniably uplifting about those teeth-jarring riffs that Luciferian Rites have managed to put together on When The Light Dies. They are constant, bleak, ever evolving and very much in the classic vein of black metal. Which might mean they sound a little overly familiar to anyone who’s been bathing in the dark waters of the Scandinavian scene for the past two decades. However, that doesn’t stop this album being something of an addictive experience – in fact, this Mexican quartet have produced something of a gem. If you ever wanted a straightforward master class in black metal guitar work, then look no further. What lifts Luciferian Rites out of the crowd is the play-off of between those oh-so evil and cavernous South American-style screeches and yelps that here serve as vocals against the lofty, soaring guitar work that by the end of the album becomes like a mainline. The sheer joy ushered in by complete and closing darkness that is as uncompromising and inhuman as it is full of passion and self-belief.
After stamping the musical concept on the first couple of tracks, Luciferian Rites then sets about stretching and toying with the basic formula – knocking around a few different drum patterns while mining their apparently endless ability to come up with a new melody every minute or two. In some respects When The Light Dies stays rigidly within black metal’s musical tramlines. But, while this is a bit of a throwback to a time somewhere around 1995 – an unholy union between ice cold Norwegian darkness and that evil Polish knack for a good hook, this Mexican quartet pays dividends once you accept your fate and drift into the utter blackness of their universe. The hypnotising effect of tracks like Infernal Manifestation and the sweet chords of Garden Of Spirits and a Dreadful Chant For Self Destruction sees Luciferian Rites raising the bar to new heights and proving that decent black metal does not have to be pushing boundaries and trying to flip into new territory.
Casual observers would be forgiven for looking at an album like this, giving it a cursory listen and dismissing the whole concept as the work of men locked in a musical cell of their own making. A salute to the past but an unnecessary one. But, within those close, dank and crippling confines, there is the horrid beauty of tortured souls at odds with the outside world and unlikely to ever reconcile themselves with the endless freedoms the outside might offer. Black metal is a genre that often screams creativity, quality and consistency as much at it sometimes suffers from its own inward looking and rigid mind set. Wallowing in the beauty of a perfect formula that needs no recalculation other than the addition of defiant energy and glowing vigour. Luciferian Rites has produced an album which exemplifies that while pouring in so much atmosphere that you might even find yourself feeling a little bereft when it’s all over.
(8/10 Reverend Darkstanley)
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