Translating from Latin as ‘history will prove us right,’ this second album from Italian black metal outfit Absentia Lunae. This album promotes a distinct message and warns of the bleak future that we are destined for as result of the fake values, corrupted morals, religions, politics and ethics that are the symptoms of the disease of the modern world. While on first glance the cover has me almost certain I am staring at a scene from one of the world wars past, they are in fact the phantoms of nightmares of the days to come according to the band. It’s clear to say there is plenty of intellectual merit here for those unwashed beard-stroking philosophers looking for something to ponder over, but this also translates well into the music as well and Historia… is an all round intelligent black metal album.
What is really important to point out first of all is there is absolutely nothing nice about this album. If it were possible for vocals to kill then surely someone’s relative would be suing the pants of this band right around the point of ‘Condemnation of Rationalism.’ Relentless and unforgiving, the vocals really suit the warlike tone of the track and in fact the whole album. At times its easy to feel as though we’re caught in a combat zone, especially when my other half walked in through this and asked if someone was firing a machine gun. The spoken word parts equally have the hardness of a ferocious dictator and with these militaristic elements it’s easy to find myself reminded of Mayhem, although with a different spelling as behind the skins AL have ex-Belphegor tour drummer Blastphemer so you kind of get an idea what to expect.
The album generally fluctuates between relentless fury and brooding evil and both aspects are done with élan. Black metal can sometimes sound turgid and stale with too much attention to fitting the mould without the right emotion to back it up, but this is absolutely what it’s all about! This is as spiteful, nasty and downright relentless as it gets and clearly this is from the [blackened] heart not out of any crappy metal rulebook. ‘The Timeless Call – Cruelly Does It Resound!’ sounds incredibly haunting; the production lends itself to what only feels in my warped brain as an echo through a dark and cavernous tunnel where one feels to be trapped for eternity, though as we come finally out of the other side it seems to emerge into somewhere tranquil and earthlike and with the clean vocal lines here I am reminded a little of Negura Bunget. Similarly on ‘There are Chilling Signs of an Eternal Farewell (along the Ever-Awakening Trailed Path)’ (just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?) there are some rather appealing clean vocals that work really well to add a bit of colour to the palette. This one really marches off along that trailed path while the minimalist guitars make for a dark and sinister foundation. The bass here seems to come up from beneath and get in a stealthy attack too.
This album is absolute chaos in places, and I mean that of course in a good way with callous guitars and blasting drums thrashing away and shedding theoretical blood over the mix while always bringing it back to a tightly controlled bigger picture which sees the elements coalesce into quite the work of art. The album begins with ‘Neuropa Calling’ which seems to build up a ton of suspense through the orchestral pomp which mixes in some eerie chants which appear suppressed and all the more foreboding for it as it builds the impression that something bigger is on its way. There’s plenty going on through this track and at the same time very little goes on; it’s all noises and sounds that set the tone for the album and does a good job of doing so, while it’s all very surreal.
Overall this is an excellent and wholly intelligent black metal album and if you haven’t yet discovered this band then I urge you to check them out now.
http://www.myspace.com/absentialunae
http://www.atmf.net/
