You may not yet have heard of RUÏM but when learning that this new project is a case of going “back to the black with Blasphemer”, no doubt your interests should be peaked. Of course since leaving the hallowed halls of Mayhem, Rune Eriksen has had plenty of time to explore other territories including the Portuguese inspired Fado-folk of Ave Inferi, to the retro rock of Earth Electric, joining in with the caustic shred of Nader Sadek and hooking up with Evil D in Vltimas. Here he is joined by French drummer CSR (César Vesvre – Agressor, Thagirion) and armed with a recently discovered cassette tape of “unused Mayhem-era riffs from 98/99” and an esoteric interest in the Brazilian witchcraft of the Umbanda tradition, a debut album, the first of a projected trilogy is born.

As the epic ‘Black Sacrifice Enthronement’ a ten-minute trawl through labyrinthine left hand paths slowly oozes out the speakers and malignantly spreads in tumultuous heaving riffs, there is little doubt that it recalls the days of blood and yore. Tumbling all over the shop the music is enforced by the previously under-utilised snarls of Rune who here invocates his parts in a mix of languages ranging from English, Portuguese and Norwegian. Drumming pounds away and there are those sudden stops as everything drops out before an obsidian guitar tone summons deepest, darkest magical intrigue. Violence and atmosphere are tempered perfectly and although the lyrics which no doubt deal with the spiritual side, beliefs, rituals and ceremonies of this mysterious religion are as yet unavailable, the whole conglomeration of ideas is quite fascinating. Lower incantations and glistening guitar parts burst into bruising drums and the sort of spat out oratory curses and cackles delivered by Atilla Csihar in the aforementioned act’s heyday on ‘The Triumph (Of Night Fire). It’s totally authentic and has one considering the fact that nobody else really could have pulled this off whilst anticipating how and if it will be projected in the live arena. ‘The Black House’ is evil personified, a quagmire of spiralling malevolence, the deadly precision of the attacking forces leaving you in little doubt that any forces invoked are purely malicious and destructive.

The title track takes us into the crypts with a doomier approach which allow the mind’s eye to explore aged catacombs and spectral forms. Atmosphere is downright creepy with melody dripping in a similar fashion as dread spreads, visions seep out the sides and everything builds with pitch black mesmerism. The hammer-smash obliteration of ‘Evig Dissonans’ should have by now steered you down the right trail as to where this music evolved from and if any further proof is needed there is a song entitled ‘Fall Of Seraphs.’ Yep, we are firmly in the abyss of the wolf here and Rune has no problems ratcheting up the venom and spite unhinged instigator Maniac was so adept at via some particularly potent evil Gollum rasps. ‘Ao Rio’ takes us down the river of the dead via lighter shades of mystic guitar, keyboard pulsations and airy chants before final judgement is served via ‘o sino da ingreja’ a clangourous and tumultuous last twist of fully-formed fury (for now)…

No doubt there will be those who will judge this before hearing it and feeling that ‘Ancient Skin’ should be left to rot but rest assured and smarmy sneer will be wiped off your face once you have encountered this ruinous rite of an album. With two more parts to come over time I am actually leaving a bit of room with the score here which could easily be upped even by a half point. Agree or disagree via the following links.

(8.5/10 Pete Woods)

https://www.facebook.com/BlackRoyalSpiritism

https://peaceville.bandcamp.com/album/black-royal-spiritism-i-o-sino-da-igreja