Not so much time to kill but time to die as far as this album title is concerned, being the act of giving holy communion in the belief it will ease the passage from life to whatever waits on the other side. No time to mourn though as the good news is that cult Italian act Darkend are back. Having impressed no end on last album ‘Spiritual Resonance’ of 2019 the group have left previous label Dark Essence and joined the roster of this home-grown Italian label. Also during this time, it would appear that guitarist Nothingness has departed after laying down some ‘core riffs’ present on the album to be replaced by Acamar. Still at the heart of things is strange and ghoulish, dreadlocked frontman Animæ and I expected an impressive and blood-curdling performance from him. Along with 5 intriguingly entitled songs I was very keen to plunge into their newest irreligious rite of desecrating black worship.
Shadows seep in and grandiosity is pumped out as they plough into ‘In My Multitude’ and unleash all manner of demons ushering our departing host through death’s vale. Behind the main savage barks from the vocals, choral parts flow with spectral grace but it is the sudden sharp and strident guitar tones which really catch attention. They pierce like a strange force amidst the rampaging black torment of the song and whether they are conjured from heaven or hell, their voice is a carrion cry that is otherworldly and illuminating. An attention grabbing psalm with huge symphonic backing it’s left to ominous heart-beating drum reverberations to take us out, knowing that this has been an incredibly dramatic opening statement. No time to grab a finite death rattle the gloriously entitled ‘An Incautious Exhumation of What Lies Beneath Forgotten Ground’ is fast on heels. Guitars surge like a spirit departing the body, clean vocals draped in glory and symphonic fervour reside here. Moving from fast and furious snarling flurries to airy vocal croons there’s plenty packed in here including some classic guitar soloing and theatrical spoken oration. Pretty impressive for the shortest track on the album. It’s apparently time for the chewing of the dead on mounds if translation from Latin is correct. ‘De Masticatione Mortuorum In Tumulis’ has its sombreness and funereal qualities and is a strange beast with a feeling of occasional mournfulness enhanced by delicate piano lines. Still the title proffers very dread images and one is left with visions of cannibalistic rites on the deceased and unholy foul rites as a bell ominously tolls at conclusion.
This act leads to one inevitable thing, pestilence takes hold and spreads and contagion is borne to ravish via ‘An Ancient Plague Has Silently Worn Our Garments As Its Throne.’ Weaving a danse macabre this twists and turns magnificently as it takes hold. No surprise this was chosen as advance single and it proves a haunting requiem no doubt partly due to the speech sampled around its sprawling guitar harmony. It’s long and recognisable, if you don’t get it at first you will with the parting prophetic words and possibly due to exposure of a recent blockbuster movie (clue, Barbie it ain’t). Gloriously racing to the end its time for the 15-minute epic closer ‘In Your Multitude.’ Slowly evolving over chanting sermon, kind of similar to Jocelyn Pook and Dead Can Dance there’s a feeling of foreboding ancient evil here and a sound that unspools into something sounding as Hellenic as it does Roman to my ears. With a melody that has nods to requiem work by long dead classical music composers it is suitably like the cold touch of the grave and leaves you feeling like the scythe of the reaper is just about to descend. Perhaps completing a full circle taking us back to the album title.
This is a really evocative work that takes the listener on a trip to the brink and beyond as well as one that gets the imaginative juices flowing. Lovers of the baroque and visionary work of the classicists as well as bands such as Funeral Mist and Rotting Christ should certainly check out these dead, dread poems. Hopefully Darkend may spread this disease and perform at a mausoleum near us in the future that is if the shadow of death doesn’t swoop first.
(8.5/10 Pete Woods)
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