‘Ascension’ is opened up with an atmospheric intro with some brass and spoken word building into an all-out assault in the form of second track ‘Summoning The Ancients.’ The musical backbone is measured and vicious, the vocals delivered with intent and passion, spat out with real dedication, and meaning. Tes Re Oth vocal products are muscular and venomous, each word has an intent to cause mayhem with each syllable on which they sit. The track has alternating tempos and speeds with which it is dispensed and the drum work from Draghul is exhilarating and controlled pandemonium, each beat is served with an exuberance that is to be admired.
‘Thy Mighty Serpent’ is slower to open its gates than its predecessor. Chords and beats are restrained before chants join the fray and create the multi-dimensional channel before the drums kick the track up a gear. This track is punchy and catchy with a certain rhythmic stance about it, all uniting together to create a dignified and stately track which exudes sophistication and decadence of a black metal stature.
Female spoken word is utilised to create a moody and foreboding segment, ‘Invocation Perversum’, which allows us to sit back and take stock as an interim measure and a purposeful respite trigger before we move onto the next track and join the riot once more.
‘Blasphemy’ is violent and venomous from the off. The strings are battered into oblivion and the vocals are brutal and malicious, each working with the other in harmony of the blackest order. The track is a fairly brief affair, sitting at under four minutes, yet this does not detract away from any of the desire and hunger, each second is used to the max and creates a storm with which you are left craving even more savagery and carnage, and that is just what is served up with the next track.
‘Bring Down The Sun’ is muscular and captivating with its chunky chords and melodic vocal efforts. Draghul takes centre stage on this maniacal feast and batters his skins into near submission with the fretboards and picking of the six strings being quite mesmerising in their delicate and intricate form. The chords are robust and systematic, creating a harmonious and melodious exhibition with the vocals playing as an almost supporting role to the instrumental body of this work. This all ties together to create an amicable display of a more burly and refined demonstration of elegant black arts.
‘Invocation Maledictum’ is another short piece in which we are allowed to calibrate and reset the senses, more atmosphere and guttural words are dispensed to us as a nod to the dirty and raw end of the black metal spectrum, each moment liberated with debauchery and shade.
‘Sworn To The Oath’ is another all-out powerhouse of extreme music. Tes Re Oth is even more delirious and malevolent, this time there seems to be more haste and need to deliver their product at a speed which has not been seen previously on the album. Each facet of the band is working as one, yet each is battling to create an uber fast paced moment in time, the tempo is truly exhilarating. The track is fairly repetitive, yet this is not discussed with any negative connotations by any means, in fact, if anything, the track is over way too soon as I just feel that they had even more to give on this offering.
‘Of Fang And Claw’ is another powerhouse, following in a similar vein as ‘Sworn To The Oath,’ the brawn and definition to the track is pummelling and battering. There is melody and intricacy sitting under the top layer of violence and rabid hostility which keeps an element of sophisticated delicacy about the whole proceedings.
Another section of atmospheric gloom, this time on the form of ‘Invocation Infectum.’ This is almost industrial in its deliverance and make up and is brief in its composition, almost too brief in order to allow you to recalibrate and set your stance once more for the home straight which falls to the final duo of ‘Death The Destroyer’ and ‘Blood Moon’.
Both ‘Blood Moon’ and ‘Death The Destroyer’ are similar in their character and complexion yet keep an individual identity to the tracks. ‘Blood Moon’ is an all-out assault with little delay or hiatus while ‘Death The Destroyer’ builds the mood at the start with some sullen fretwork and calculated drum skills before propelling into a demonstration of specific and meticulous vehemence and savage strength.
As the album closes out with a delicate, gentle, and refined display of acoustic strings it allows for a moment of reflection on what lies behind us. We have been taken on a true journey, beaten, and mauled, yet allowing us flashes of time when we could contemplate and reset our souls in order to launch into a full-on onslaught when ordered to. This is an album of differences yet keeping to a true essence of callous black metal. This is more of a polished medium than a raw and savage beast yet there is a spirit which certainly fulfils your inner bleak and dirty black metal soul.
(8/10 Phil Pountney)
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