I expected this album to be much colder and bitter than the actual sound portrayed which is dense, hollow and thick. I’d actually say the band has a sound more akin to bands from the Czech Republic rather than Finland from whence they originate. This is in no way a criticism just an observation that went against my expectations. “The Regicide” opens this album and there is an immediate crust angle to the riffing in terms of style, though the music is distinctly slower than that genre generally. The vocals vary from angry guttural roars to cleaner but still intimidating shouts that have an anarchic feel to their fury.
“Bythos In Quintessence” starts with clean vocals again and sound like a radio effect as the song is slightly slower than the opener but builds into an influx of double bass that bolsters the heaviness somewhat. Despite the low end bass production style musically the riffs veer towards Burzum with a funeral approach. The blast snare is a fuzzed indecipherable blur when it appears which works fine within the context of the songs structure, though personally I prefer a sharper snare sound. A tribal and slow beat starts “Consecration Of The Temple” as by now you get the impression that Saturnian Mist are fully intent in distorting your view of black metal with additions of chant vocal lines, punk fuzz bass work and even heavy metal like drumming styles.
“Temps Des Cranes” partially succeeds in delivering epic blackness similar to Bathory but lacks the depth and character that Bathory was so brilliant at. “Sacrifice Of Faces Unbroken” begins with an almost sermonising diatribe vocal rant with high pitch and low end vocals seemingly arguing with each other until the riff change, even though the vocals continue to rant on. The song alternates between blasts and slower passages that have double kick bringing up the rear similar to the intensity of a band like Limbonic Art. As opposed to most black metal bands Saturnian Mist like to colour their blackened madness with a palette of greyscale to create dark and powerful songs that vary in pace, but deliver intense atmosphere. “Aura Mystica” is melancholic with female vocals and you know what I damn well liked it; it made me happy in a warped way. The ghoulish closing title track is haunting with whispered vocals creating that someone is behind you effect. The lead break is half decent as well creating an opinion of this album being half decent as well, even if it doesn’t offer much in the way of ingenuity or groundbreaking styles.
http://saturnianmist.net
Martin Harris
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