The third release from French Black metal horde Glorior Belli sees them continue down the path that their previous album ‘Manifesting the Raging Beast’ led us down, with their twisted distinctly unorthodox chiming riffage acting like a black hole which pulls you deep into its decidedly unholy landscapes.
From what I remember, the band’s debut was pretty much an inconspicuous affair that passed me by without so much of a second listen. However, the main thing that you notice about ‘Meet Us At The Southern Sign’ is that it bleeds atmosphere throughout its fifty minute run time – something that was pretty much missing from their first release. With the croaking hiss of vocalist Infestvvs coupled with the ghostly shimmering chords ringing out cold melodies like reflections of moonlight from a freezing lake, you find yourself being consumed by the music. Trepidation is never far away even in the most serene musical sections of this album, most notably so in the few instrumental tracks that really manages to draw you into the unfathomable lair of the beast.
Although the album as a whole is fairly dynamic multi-faceted affair, you do occasionally get the feeling as though Glorior Belli are holding back at times, not wanting to overstate their music or to turn it into some unbridled blast-fest (even when it sounds like they’re going explode to at any moment). However, strangely I think this actually works in their favour, giving a mysterious aura to the proceedings – not wanting to show every side of the underlying barely concealed odium.
Slow burning, cold and hateful, Glorior Belli aren’t afraid to play what they feel suits the mood of the moment, even if it means stepping outside the boundaries of what is seen to be expected from black metal fans.
http://gloriorbelli.luxferous.com
http://www.myspace.com/gloriorbelli
