Seemingly out of nowhere, this mysterious German act (they don’t even have a Metal Archives page! Gasp!) have unleashed their debut album, carrying with it as it does a real sense of pedigree. The David Glomba artwork is arresting and the backing of the World Terror Committee label is certainly a good sign. Already, it is looking good and that’s without a millisecond of it being heard.
These positive omens are more than vindicated by the compelling power and incisive songwriting of ‘Disciples of the Void’. Shrine of Insanabilis deliver an uncompromising brand of blast-strewn black metal, peppered with hints of dark melody and technical precision yet the underlying ferocity is rarely compromised. ‘Invocation’ is a storming number, lashing the listener with a thick layer of incisive guitars and bestial vocals whilst ‘Cycles and Circles’ injects a more sombre melodic tone into the proceedings.
All of this is given a real sense of propulsive force courtesy of the excellent production provided by Temple of Disharmony – it’s suitably huge sounding yet carries enough menace and growl to satisfy the more demanding underground purist. It’s particularly evident on the spidery violence of ‘Ruina’ whereby spiralling guitar lines are given ample support by some wonderfully gravelly bass. The only misstep here is on the piano-led instrumental closer ‘Omega’ – coming hot on the heels of the focussed dissonance of ‘Acerbus’, this finale seems rather out of place and trite in comparison.
It’s only a minor blemish however and ‘Disciples of the Void’ sets out its stall as rendering Shrine of Insanabilis as a newcomer with serious ability. It also shows – much like last year’s Nightbringer opus – that ‘big’ black metal doesn’t necessarily need to be all trite, over-produced, surface-level bluster. The massive sound simply serves to exemplify the poise of the band’s songcraft and help weave an all-encompassing tar-black atmosphere.
(8.5/10 Frank Allain)
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