As illustrated with their past two full-length albums this Greek group take their time constructing lofty statements within the scope of orthodox black metal and really put the listener through their paces with their challenging and often disorientating approach. With the quartet consisting of studio and live members of cult underground acts such as Acrimonious, Burial Hordes, Necrovorus and Devathorn, they kind of eschew the classic Hellenic riffing style for an unrelenting and fast-flowing miasma of a somewhat bewildering conglomeration of serpentine twisting rhythms and a contusion of schizophrenic mania. When you are confronted with what is essentially an hour’s worth of music it’s certainly a task getting your head around it all.

Everything noisily batters in as soon as play is pressed on opener “Lunar Reign – Lunar Apogee.’ Riffs tumble, slither and slide around things in constant motion whilst vocalist Funus harangues, no doubt the promised “Luciferian and Promethean teachings” at the forefront of his diatribe. A somewhat weird and avant-garde feeling from the plunging bass-lines rears their head on ‘Intoxication Divine’ akin in part to Ved Buens Ende and the drummer hits the first up front rattling rim shot; something he does at various times with an Akercocke like flair. The motion is constant even if the music takes on doom-laden qualities. There’s also a touch of unhinged mania from the vocals making it seem as though our narrator is imbibed by the spirit of their hideous deity.

Things become all the more obtuse as the players weave their way through this rite of musical esoteric terrorism. It’s disorientating, it can be frightening and it makes for somewhat uncomfortable listening as it sprawls like a dark mass from track to track. Dissonance and chaos are all part of the journey as we plunge into the furrowing abyss of ‘Lapsit Exillis’ which hits like the stone that fell from heaven itself. ‘The Woven Chords of Ecstasy’ furrow around like a bilious incense of the damned. Something reeks among the shadows here, summoned by unholy incantations destined to spread malaise and plague. The likes of Blut Aus Nord could easily be cited on the uncoiling stealth and then rattling disharmony of ‘Grave Sophia – Breath of the Night.’ There are plenty of complex arrangements from the music and by now it is likely to get both devotees of this sort of thing as stewed in their senses as it does the totally uninitiated.

Further disorientation is caused by the somewhat non-linear approach of ‘Eye of the Saturnian Dawn.’ After dishing out more of what we have become accustomed to it suddenly decides to down tools and move into a stygian passage orchestral ambient and to my imagination almost Dionysian passage into the song; the sort of piece one might expect as an album intro. Once dispensed of the throttle is opened again and more frenzied dysphoria pours out. Although this could possibly be a good point to bring things to a close, playing with us like a cat with a mouse there is still the 2 part ‘Primeval Cognition’ to contend with….

Not an easy album to listen to and definitely a hard one to review Heretic Cult Redeemer were never expected to “play nice” here but I expected that. For those that can take the ride, there’s stacks to keep you occupied here and although the album sits on the lunatic fringes of orthodoxy one won’t feel short-changed by the sincerity and genius that is evidently at the heart of things here.

(7.5/10 Pete Woods)

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