When gravity fails you may well fall into an infinite abyss, can you do so gracefully though? The name Merrimack, I just discovered, comes from Graham Masterton’s novel Walkers and is that black void confronted in a tale of ancient druidic evil that I fondly remember and may well have to go and pluck out the bookshelf for a reread. It suits the French bands malevolent black orthodox style perfectly too and the novel obviously put the frighteners up whomever chose it as band moniker. Active since the mid-90s the group are a well-respected force and have raked up six albums to date. One thing that surprised was the fact that ‘The Acausal Mass’ of 2012 saw them on AFM records which is totally at odds to the ‘airy-fairy metal’ that the label normally releases. Needless to say they were there for just one album and are much more at home where they are now. Personally I have dipped in and out of their stuff but remember catching them live in London supporting Mayhem and holding their own. Now it’s time to take a plunge into their latest descent!
No fall from grace here as the burgeoning and rigorous force of ‘Sulphurean Synods’ ploughs straight in. There’s plenty to be impressed about, the drive of the music via the powerful percussive might of the aptly named Blastum, the intricate and thorny guitars from founding member Perversifier and A.K., the dense bottom end bristling via Daethorn and the snarly, maleficent vocals of Vestal. It’s not all churning speed either but the tracks all have atmosphere via grandiosity and that grace is there in spades as they salute dark forces and praise unholy doctrines. Singing in English the organised religions will take little comfort here and any accusations of blasphemy would be fair enough although these “empty ministries” are intelligently attacked from behind an inverted pulpit. Grim and rife with malaise, the dour and dire melody of songs such as ‘Sublunar Despondency’ is delicious and dark and gets right beneath the skin. It’s a work of divine majesty that caresses the listener with promise and a contrast to the storm of pulverising might unleashed via the following ‘Dead and Distant Clamours.’ Like everything else though this is a two-sided beast whose bite manifested is prepared to watch its prey as its poison slowly spreads through its veins.
I have to admit this is one of those albums that has slowed me down. It’s not one that a review can be rattled out after just a few listens. Like any serious aspect of the dark arts, it needs time to unveil its obsidian treasure and one should not go into it looking for instant gratification. The seven tracks are all woven together impressively and the time that the players have been together with no line-up changes since 2010 illustrates just how co-ordinated they are. The spiralling weave of ‘Wounds That Heal’ for example being an expertly played spell of destructive and hypnotic dark energy. Ceremonial clean chants swirl like mist over the devotional airs of ‘Starving Crowns’ before the gateway to the depths is opened and we plummet down with little hope of salvation. As for the hellish blast of ‘Under The Aimless Spheres’ a considered flailing of flesh and blazing venomous might is well and truly delivered. It took a couple of listens to even realise that last track ‘Embalmer’s Wine’ is essentially an instrumental. Perhaps Vestal had imbibed too much but honestly the instrumentalists keep you so occupied as they surge towards perdition, you probably won’t care or particularly miss them. This one is recommended for all devotees of cataclysmic occultism.
(8/10 Pete Woods)
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