Year: 2014
Before I say anything else, I
must confess something. I fell in love with this band, from the very first time
I heard this album. This is a rare occasion in my case, as usually, it takes a
while for me to get into a band, no matter how good they are. But there is
something about Entartung, which got me addicted to their music from the very
first listen. In the following paragraphs, stay with me as I try to explain why 'Peccata Mortalia' is an album that I will enjoy for years to come, without
tiring of it.
Entartung is a two man black
metal project formed in Germany in early 2011. Right from the time of their
inception, this band has been trying to create black metal that stays true to
the original black metal ideology – ugly grotesque music that is not meant to
be enjoyed by everyone. Their attempts resulted in their debut album ‘Krypteia’,
released in 2012. As of last year,
Entartung set out on a mission to top their debut and the product of this
mission, titled ‘Peccata Mortalia’, will be unleashed through W.T.C Productions
on 8th March 2014.
‘Peccata Mortalia’ is a record,
where every little bit of it seems to be carefully chiselled with great
attention to detailing. ‘Der Hölle Herr’ kicks off the record and it is a
beautiful piano piece accentuated by gothic chants, which gives way to
something dark and grotesque. Following this total pandemonium is unleashed as
the band sets loose the black metal mayhem. The storm that this band unleashes
in not completely devoid of melody and it carries just enough melody to give
the tremolo madness a character. The
guitar work of Lykormas is quite exquisite and instead of staying in the
forefront to garner attention, the guitar stays hidden behind the raging
atmosphere. As a result guitar work comes off as subtle touches that add a
hint of beauty to the overall grotesqueness of the music.
All the tracks in the album share
a common trait in that they are long. Despite the long play lengths, the band
successfully avoids monotony and manages to retain the listener’s attention.
This, they achieve with the help of subtle elements that they add to the music,
like the gothic chants (‘Blasphemaverit in Spiritum Sanctum’), melodic
interludes with clean guitars (‘Out of Darkness into Light’) and atmospheric
passages with natural soundscapes (‘To Conquer Immortality in the Depths’).
Lykormas also handles the drumming on this record. Though his double bass work
does not showcase anything extraordinary, it is compensated by the subtle
technicality he adds while handling the crashes and rides.
Vulfolaic performs some very
sickening vocals on the records. While he prefers to snarl most of the time,
his occasional screams and maddening laughter boost the sense of evil that the
music carries. Keyboards are also employed here and their presence is felt only
in the atmosphere that envelopes this record, thereby avoiding its overuse. The
only fault that I can say about this album is that Vulfolaic’s bass work is
minimalistic and stays content with following the double bass action. It is not
bad, just that it is not out of the ordinary.
The attention to detail on this album
is incredible. Every track on the album is a worthy competitor for the best
track title, including the instrumental intro, interlude (‘Cimmerian Shade’)
and album closer (‘Yawm ad-Din’). ‘Peccata Mortalia’ is an album where each
track feels unique and memorable. Be sure to pick up this album when it comes
out this march. This is a band to watch out for.
Rating: 95%
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