With somewhere over 25 active projects on the go currently it is no surprise finding another helmed by the prolific Belgian artist Mories so quickly after the last one. That was Schemer Heer where our restless composer summoned the essence of ancient black metal with distinct touches of classical music. Grand Celestial Nightmare is similar in many aspects but the impetus here is looking back at the acts that forged away to create a black metal scene in Greece such as Thou Art Lord, Necromantia and of course Rotting Christ. Like me when you listen to Forbidden Knowledge… you may at first find this link somewhat tenuous as it is not distinctive with that classic strumming sound of Hellenic guitar weaving. This is more to do with the symphonic aspects, aura and majesty created by the keyboard work, expect lots in the way of celestial choral aspects flowing through these 8 tracks.

As for GCN itself this is unsurprisingly a project where Mories is going it alone, he has proven time again that no collaboration is necessary in creating a vision that sounds like it has been accomplished by a full-blown band and it is not that anything ever really sees him gathering like-minded musicians and playing the material live. There was an album called The Void Of Death before this in 2016 and a more recent EP last year. This new album appears to be getting a vinyl release via New Era and you can find it on Mories sprawling Bandcamp page digitally.

We are thrown straight into things with everything piling in at once on ‘Drink from the Chalice with Nightly Lust’ the track titles are certainly descriptive and apart from the music itself the only clues toward further insight. The production is loud and brash and has us rolling on staccato piercing melody and rolling timpani drums. Vocals are slightly in the background above this might and are raw and croaky, the harshness and graven bite an opposition to those aforementioned choral parts via the keyboards which swirl in giving some light to the opposing darkness. The symphonic flow has that fantasy metal feel about it and adds a certain amount of jolliness to things and although tempestuous it’s an immediately comfortable listen for anyone who has previously explored its origins. It’s very much a trip back to ancient times as illustrated by some mystical ethnic sounds immersed in numbers such as ‘Black Mouth Echoes With Death.’ The pace is fast and furious, nothing Spartan about it as it gallops on with breath-taking bravado, almost looking for an opposing force of warriors and a pitched heroic battle to fight. Death may well be calling but the slain will be saluted rather than mourned, the gods are watching every move from Mont Olympus. Funnily enough there are times here that it is a British act that I am most reminded of and that is The Meads Of Asphodel. Let’s face it a title like ‘Speared Servants Of The Jehovah’ would be just the sort of thing one would expect from them as would the jaunty bounce the music takes us on along with the brackish uncouth vocal snarls. You wouldn’t expect this to sound so jolly? There’s also a certain air of Bathory here too in the rawness of numbers such as ‘Upon the Back of the Beast We Ride’ as well as the grand and celestial (it’s a perfectly named project) richness of the symphonic elements. Both this and if your vinyl is flipped ‘Tombs of Marble and Stone’ do take on more of a sombre scope but this is not music that is going to having you dwelling in doom and gloom for long, just a bit of a respectful diversion along the way of the journey.  Before the downright quirky likes of ‘As Bewildered As The Cursed Night’ get you smiling and scratching your head in equal measures.

Pretty much providing just what it advertises this is actually a really enjoyable album and surprisingly rather a happy one rather than grim. There are many times it leaves the listener with a smile on their face and the exuberance of it is quite uplifting, certainly compared to some of the harsher electronic projects its composer is also adept at. It’s all too easy to just see the name Mories and think, “oh not another one” but he has certainly been delivering some treasures of late. You can add this one to the overflowing chest and be glad you have opened it once more.

(8/10 Pete Woods)

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