The life of 19th century writer August Strindberg makes a fascinating subject, which he must have been aware of when he wrote the autobiographical ‘Inferno.’ Living in Paris at the time, his life was plagued by paranoia that all those around him were out to get him, and the belief that he was being guided by arcane forces. A Swedenborgian practitioner, it was the prophecies revealed in the text Arcana Coelestia (translated: Heavenly Secrets), that tormented Strindberg to the brink of madness and lead him to experiment in alchemy and cast black magic spells on his estranged daughter. This autobiography appears to be a major source of inspiration for the band, now on their second album, which puts across all of the mysticism and madness of the tale into musical form that had me more or less intrigued from the start. This has a tragic feel throughout as we are taken on a journey that almost seems to veer between this world and some distant realm.
At just short of eleven minutes, opener ‘Duskfall’ instantly shows this isn’t about short, catchy tunes you can play on your I-Pod to kill a few minutes. Rather, these six tracks make up the sort of album that both requires and deserves your full attention from start to end. You know from the first listen that this is something special; as though there is a rare gem waiting to be uncovered, shrouded in a mystic aura that gradually peels away with each listen.
The clean vocals here are simply captivating and project a soothing and rich tone that reminds of Mikael Akerfeldt, above a combination of gentle piano melodies and mesmerising Alcestesque guitars. ‘Requiem (for the fathomless void of redemption) seems rather bleak in its approach and at times comes across totally devastating. Yet the ambience here transcends above all of this and feels as though I’m being taken on an interstellar voyage through the stars and at this point I can’t help but allow myself to get drawn into its mystery. It is this cosmic display that ephemerally returns; in ‘Tragedy and Delirium part II – the delirium’ I am once again encouraged to close my eyes and drift off into a perpetual twilight. The production here helps put across that three-dimensional feel and being surrounded by an oppressive atmosphere as the chilling spoken words cut through while drums crash somewhere in the distance.
There’s a certain amount of discordance on ‘Le Mirage De L’Ideal’ and it seems as though the elements purposely avoid one another, colliding rather painfully and eventually regrouping as they sweep into a dramatic climax. The deathly growls on this track are truly devastating and filled with passion. ‘Tragedy and Delirium part I – the tragedy’ is more slow and crushing as the album gradually comes to a climax. The female vocals seem to appear out of nowhere and the moment they do you can’t help but stop and listen attentively as they sound so haunting and poignant. Perhaps it is her fleeting appearance that makes it so special as opposed to if they overkilled with operatic vocals on all the tracks.
There certainly sounds to be a storyline embedded within the final three tracks at least, and I must say it captures the imagination incredibly well as much as it is open to interpretation. For me it is like listening to an entire nation being slaughtered and then slipping into a state of mourning as you maunder through the aftermath; watching as though in black and white at an utterly colourless, joyless scene of mass slaughter that has spared no innocent. ‘Thus Fade in Nocturnal Deluge’ rounds the album off to a true finale; funereal and without any hope as you can hear the tragic loss in the music as it weeps profusely a deluge of nocturnal tears.
This is definitely a contender for album of the year and is essential listening for any fan of funeral doom.
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http://www.atmf.net/
