Mesopotamian vibes via Madrid here and if you are wondering about the album title, Bīt mēseri is an incantation text for protection against invading evil. Spectrum Mortis are easier to fathom being a Spanish quartet active since 2015. They may have worked fairly slowly with just a couple of EP’s and a split with Hecavitz to date but they find themselves signed to Listenable Records for debut album, so must be doing something right. What we have here is essentially doomy, black, death which as per the mysterious title plunges the listener back to past times and long deceased civilisations, essentially focussing on the “Sumerian saga of Apkallus and Ziggurats.” This is atmospherically brought to life not just by the narrative within the main song’s framework but also passages of traditional acoustic stringed instruments at opening, midway point and closure.

Historians could no doubt follow the tale by researching song titles such as ‘Utu-Abzu’ but concentrating on the music we get a gradually building track with spoken word parts moving to hoary chants over solemn and ceremonial melodies. Drums and guitars gradually speed up and then things hurtle down the chasm as the death drives in. It’s nothing not heard before by many dark explorers of dark Akkadian mythology, from the likes of Acherontas to Melechesh and beyond but the fairly well-thought out and lengthy songs here have identity and intrigue. This actually makes one want to go and get further insight into the subject matter and unlock mysteries as we move from one labyrinthine crypt like tunnel to the next. Songs like ‘U-Anne-Dugga’ are slow and creepy and there is a sound amidst the main melody almost like melodious horns and Sheram’s rasped incantations provide increasing feelings of dread, rather than exorcising evil it feels like he is inviting it in.

As the title track moves from slow to mid-paced crush and the mutterings and spat out rasps of our orator increase it feels like a particularly evil rite is being enacted and from the shadows demons emerge. It must be pretty damn effective live, performances of which we are told are “authentic celebrations of the fall of light and the cult of black fire under the sign of Baal.” Hyperbole perhaps but it does match the mood of which listening here conveys. Despite the fact there is only in essence 6 main crypts to open once intro and outro are dispensed with and the running time is only 38-minutes, there is plenty going on here. The slow oozing stealthy passages are matched well with faster headlong dashes and one gets the idea that Spectrum Mortis have spent a lot of time perfecting their craft to get to this stage. Put simply, these are catacombs that lovers of obsidian, orthodox darkness are going to enjoy and somewhat terrify themselves trawling.

(7.5/10 Pete Woods)

https://www.facebook.com/spectrummortis

https://spectrummortis.bandcamp.com/album/bit-meseri-the-incantation