The amount of bands, projects both past and present that Belgian Déhà is involved in is nothing short of stupefying. Under his own named project he put out around 13 releases last year and rest assured if not playing or vocalising he is busy working behind the scenes production wise for others. Everything and we are talking about just a fraction of his output that I have heard is of a consistent high quality too. This brings us to the latest release from Cult Of Erinyes and their sixth album Metempsychosis. Thematically we are looking into death and resurrection via two massive tracks, each spanning over 20 minutes in length. Déhà is left to contribute just vocally here and puts on quite a remarkable performance beside founding member Corvus (his cohort among others in We All Die (Laughing) & Wolvennest) along with more recent recruits Algol and Baron.
Personally I last lent my ears to the Cult’s Roman themed album ‘Tiberivs’ and seemingly missed their last one ‘Æstivation’ of 2019. Both topically and in musical execution make no mistake this one is a hefty tome of devout blackness which you seriously need to focus all your attention on. Luckily I was prepared for this as I had come to learn that this band don’t do things by half.
With ‘Death And The Voyage’ we go in for a spot of soul-searching and question both our existence on this earth and what happens when we pass from it and transcend to another plane. Musically we leave our body via swirling build-up and a massive yell as everything piles in alongside it. Perhaps it tackles the frustration at all things not accomplished in life, but it’s too late now. The layers are massive and it is hostile and barraging with some excellent melody which you can take in as it penetrates and feels like it is spreading through your veins. Chants fill the spaces and Déhà is on hand to groan, roar, scream, gibber and grunt through his parts as the drums bounce and a somewhat dissonant, progressive twist is furrowed out from the guitars. There are two distinct forms to the music, the fast and fiery and the colder atmospheric parts which break up the distemper. The group aptly describe this approach as “”noir ambient” and its icy tentacles slither, slide and consume via their ritualistic and orthodox grip. It’s at around the ten-minute mark the first of these passages appears and it also boosts the bass definition allowing its player to cast a dark and depressive tinge on things. The void has come to meet us and it won’t be long before it bites again and consumes us totally. Scathing and harrowing, dramatic and foreboding you don’t even notice the length of the tracks here as there is so much to focus on. Judging by the madness of the vocals there might even be a possession taking place too. It’s a real horror-show as Corvus uses guitar as weapon and fires out some excellent twisted shapes, before the epic track eerily shimmers out.
Of course the next instalment ‘Eternity In A Second’ is just a breath away and equally demanding. The pitch-black, swarming attack hones back in quickly and it feels like our soul is in the fiery pits of hell. Blasting turmoil offers little mercy and the propulsive velocity is immense as we confront this terrifying charnel house of doom. Well, by now you should have got the idea what to expect from this monumental release and the rest of this grim tale is yours to discover if brave enough. If you are looking for the musical equivalent of having your very soul torn apart at the seams, look no further.
(8.5/10 Pete Woods)
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