Absentia Lunae - _In Umbrarum Imperii Gloria_
(Serpens Caput Productions, 2006)
by: Andreas Marouchos (7.5 out of 10)
I must say Absentia Lunae caught me a little unawares there. After being bombarded by the black metal raucous of "Fortis Cadere, Cedere Non Potest", I subconsciously prepared myself for yet another band who exercise in the fine art of black metal tomfoolery where speed precedes the actual essence. Well, I was in for a surprise. Blatantly influenced by the more avant-garde side of black metal as pioneered by bands such as DHG, Ved Buens Ende and Arcturus (although not as near to their musical effulgence), Absentia Lunae attempt to present a more original, even personal manifestation of their artistic endeavours.Variation in both mood and rhythmical dynamics ensure a tumultuous yet emotive output paved on a tight and robust percussion. They employ interesting cadences akin to more classical forms, where surreally melodic guitar passages escalate into faster spurts of frenetic blasts. Of course fast, tremolo-driven passages are not amiss here, since they act as an appropriate release element. Vocals unfortunately do not follow the album's interesting variations and become a burden at moods where unorthodox vocal patterns perhaps would be more appropriate. Jazzy patterns also make their subtle appearance at times, giving the album's progression a more elaborate touch of musicality.Although the fact is that not a lot of bands are keen on following the same path Absentia Lunae are trotting on, this doesn't necessarily imply that they are the most original of acts. As I said before, I was pleasantly surprised; this is indeed quality stuff, but still I'm not particularly impressed. Not yet, at least, since there is definitely a lot of potential on display here.The album is pressed on vinyl only and strictly limited to 400 copies.
Facebook
Twitter ::
:
::
HTML :
CSS ::
All contents copyright 1995-2024 their individual creators. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
All opinions expressed in Chronicles of Chaos are opinions held at the time of writing by the individuals expressing them.
They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of anyone else, past or present.