Thursday, June 20, 2013 11:02

Posts Tagged ‘Debemur Morti Productions’

THE EYE – SUPREMACY LP (Debemur Morti Productions)

Monday, May 6th, 2013

The very mention of the name Vindsval should be enough to pique your interest here. The Blut Aus Nord mainman conceived The Eye in the mid-90s and debut full-length ‘Supremacy’ was released in ‘97 (interestingly, the year after BAN’s second opus, ‘Memoria Vetusta I: Fathers Of The Icy Age’ and a full six years before the epiphanic ‘The Work Which Transforms God’).

I was going to say that, apart from the involvement of Vindsval, The Eye doesn’t really have anything to do with Blut Aus Nord … before realising that this would be a dumb statement. So I won’t say it. But I will stress that, musically, there are few comparisons between the two projects. ‘Supremacy’ delivers 40 minutes of almost-epic pagan Black Metal, very melodious and harmonic and bordering on exotic at times.

I found it fascinating to listen along to this alternate visage and I must admit the fact that the composer / executor was only 18 years old when he threw this together is mightily impressive. As ever, the album has been lovingly resurrected by DMP, with a sumptuous gatefold jacket and a fucking fucker of a poster, hehe. The vinyl edition does tremendous justice to the stunning artwork and reverently complements what constitutes a true musical curio as well as a slice of history.

Debemur Morti should have offered a money back guarantee with this record because it is extremely unlikely that anybody will purchase it and regret doing so. (Having said that, there are a lot of mongs in the world.) Worth acquiring; and I believe a follow-up album from The Eye is also imminent.

Evilometer: 555/666

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BLUT AUS NORD – ULTIMA THULEE LP (Debemur Morti Productions)

Saturday, April 20th, 2013

‘Ultima Thulée’ is the debut full-length from Blut Aus Nord, dating back to 1995. At the time, this historic release barely caused a ripple of interest. Which is remarkable, considering how fantastic it is… I’d almost go so far as to say that I prefer this enchanting prototypical incarnation of BAN to the irresistible, innovative force that has emerged post-‘The Work Which Transforms God’. Trust me – that is some compliment!

Debemur Morti Productions has in recent years become a very natural home for Vindsval, not only releasing Blut Aus Nord’s last three albums (the ‘777’ trilogy, including this and this) and the ‘What Once Was…’ EPs but also reissuing the first three full-lengths on vinyl (including this), with the astounding, trailblazing ‘TWWTG’ in the pipeline, I’m led to believe.

Frankly, ‘Ultima Thulée’ is a remarkable 52+ minutes of stellar, icy, hypnotic, haunting, underground Black Metal with a keen sense of melody but also lashings of aggression and forlorn pathos. If you’re not already familiar with this majestic, cult classic – which sounds every bit as beguiling now as it did 18 years (fuck, really?) ago – then it would be a wise move to hunt it down.

Epic and priceless black art.

Evilometer: 666/666

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BEHEXEN – NIGHTSIDE EMANATIONS LP (Debemur Morti Productions)

Sunday, November 11th, 2012

Arriving with neither hype nor fanfare, Behexen’s fourth full-length is one of those albums that could easily slip under the radar. It would be a shame if that were to happen, however, as ‘Nightside Emanations’ is as solid and competent a Black Metal record as you’re likely to hear in these days of banal and humdrum inoffensiveness. Behexen are masters of their craft and – even though this isn’t their best album – it’ still a hell of a lot better than most of their so-called peers.

The real clincher is the sheer quality of the vinyl edition, which (as is always the case with DMP) looks, feels and sounds magnificent. A 16-page booklet is attached to the gatefold cover and the whole unit is truly a thing of absolute beauty. (I bought the CD edition too and it also looks pretty stellar.) Aesthetically, this is one of those records that you will be proud to own. The artwork and presentation are of the most supreme calibre possible and they elevate the album to heights that it might otherwise have failed to reach.

Not that the music is bad, mind you. Far from it, in fact. There are 50 minutes of superior Finnish Black Metal on here, all of which has been cleverly conceived and delightfully executed. Mostly mid-paced and creepy as hell itself, ‘Nightside Emanations’ is a surefire winner from start to finish. I would particularly recommend this to anybody who appreciates Gorgoroth or Watain.  Masters paying homage to their master, this is one of the safest purchases you’ll make this winter.

Evilometer: 555/666

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BLUT AUS NORD – WHAT ONCE WAS … LIBER II EP (Debemur Morti Productions)

Tuesday, July 17th, 2012

Fuck me, these guys are in a rich vein of form. With the astonishing ‘777’ trilogy of full-length albums just completed, they’ve also found time to produce the second part of the parallel-running ‘What Once Was’ trilogy of EPs (a series of separate but related releases…). And, true to form, ‘Liber II’ is an unmitigated success.

An astonishing half-hour of musick that sits beautifully on two sides of a noble record, ‘What Once Was … Liber II’ is right up there as surely one of Blut Aus Nord’s most chaotic, gnarly, unhinged and downright schizophrenic recordings to date. At times, it seems to be all over the place, yet with repeated listens it fits together perfectly, like a hammer and a face.

As demented, eerie and utterly bizarre as this EP is, it is also completely essential. So insane that it borders on genius, the haunting, spectral ‘Liber II’ is a logical progression from its predecessor and also a fabulous piece of art in its own right. To clinch the deal, DMP have housed the record in a fantastic heavy duty gatefold cover, which is right up there with the most awesome collectibles you are going to own.

To sum up: an amazing record; an incredible package; and a mandatory work of art. By the way, ‘Liber I’ –which was pretty damn good first time around but has already sold out its initial print – has been reissued in a similar housing and both records look as wondrous as they sound. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: neither this band nor this label can do any wrong at the moment.

Evilometer: 666/666

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BLUT AUS NORD – MEMORIA VETUSTA I: FATHERS OF THE ICY AGE LP (Debemur Morti Productions)

Tuesday, May 29th, 2012

Are you inherently cynical, like me? Is it engrained in your DNA to be automatically suspicious of everything, especially musical recommendations? Have you ever laughed hysterically to yourself upon hearing the phrase ‘timeless classic’?

Are you sick of having substandard shit shoved down your throat by essentially dishonest, impartial reviewers who are interested only in masturbating their advertisers? Perhaps you need a blast of Blut Aus Nord’s peerless sophomore full-length to restore your faith in a subgenre that’s been prostituted, pimped and flogged to death by decades of media abuse…

Sixteen years on from its original release, ‘Memoria Vetusta I: Fathers Of The Icy Age’ has been lovingly given the vinyl treatment by maverick French label Debemur Morti. This is a colossal release in every respect.

With stunning new artwork and a 180g record available in either gold or grey vinyl, new life is breathed into a magnificent collection of songs that epitomises the first chapter of BAN’s uniquely stellar recording career. On this album, you will hear a band much different from the Blut Aus Nord we all know and love today – but equally brilliant.

As ever with this label and / or band, you cannot go wrong with this.

Evilometer: 666/666

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BLUT AUS NORD – 777 – THE DESANCTIFICATION LP (Debemur Morti Records)

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

‘The Desanctification’ is the second part of Blut Aus Nord’s ongoing 777 trilogy of albums. It’s also their ninth full-length in total and the sixth since the French band reinvented itself and changed the face of Black Metal forever with 2003’s groundbreaking release ‘The Work Which Transforms God’. Since then, BAN has been a unique presence in Black Metal in that their sound is innovative, inimitable and utterly superb.

Vindsval’s vision is immense and I’m at a loss to understand why the scene isn’t cluttered with a host of second-rate Blut Aus Nord clones. Perhaps it’s because what BAN does is so unusual, it would be impossible to recreate or copy. Certainly, for whatever reason, Blut Aus Nord has been a trailblazing entity in BM for close to a decade now and ‘777- The Desanctification’ is a worthy addition to their extraordinary canon.

I’m not overly concerned with how this album fits within the overall context of the 777 concept or how it compares with this. I prefer to treat it as a separate record in its own right. As a stand-alone release, it is arguably slower and more atmospheric than a lot of what went before it but ‘777 – The Desanctification’ remains unmistakeably Blut Aus Nord – a chugging, swirling behemoth of urban filth and psychological decay.

As ever, not-so-subtle industrial elements are evident in a landscape that is both harsh and sumptuous. It’s easy to get lured into a false sense of security only to then have your ears blown out through your arse by an outbreak of violence. The conception and musicianship are second to none but what really seals this deal is the incredible presentation and attention to detail from the label, who have produced one of the finest-looking records (complete with colour on the inside of the sleeve!) you will ever see – or hear.

Obviously, this is mandatory in every way.

Evilometer: 666/666

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ARCHGOAT – THE LIGHT-DEVOURING DARKNESS PLP (Debemur Morti Productions)

Friday, September 16th, 2011

The kids of today. They want all their music piled onto a sleek hard drive, primed for mass consumption. They don’t want to buy CDs. Most of them probably don’t know what a record is. Little fuckers. The underground is under serious threat because of the genesis of the digital era. Music has been depersonalised, stripped of its soul, condensed into a worthless dot. All in the name of progress. I’m not sure what the solution is but I believe labels like Debemur Morti carry at least some form of antidote; quality vinyl means a lot.

Some of the greatest joy in my otherwise embarrassingly-sheltered and unspectacular existence has been derived from the purchase / theft of records. I grew up in a town on the border and used to hunt in both territories. If a record wasn’t nailed down I generally found a way to get it out of the shop. I remember once optimistically placing an order from a distro by mail. I had no money, so I put my order note in an envelope along with my address and tore the envelope so that it might look like the cash had been stolen. The records arrived. Result. Why am I admitting to this?

You see, I come from a time and place when records were like black magic. They still are to me. They can be to you, too… DMP have, on this release, lovingly recreated the second Archgoat full-length in a glorious picture disc format. Unlike most picture discs, this one includes a cover to house it in and the whole thing looks incredible. And the music is brilliant as well. So not only do you get to hear a fantastic album; you get to own something special.

Label guru Void just keeps producing the goods in the quality department and my sincere hope is that in the battle that’s raging for the hearts and minds of a spoiled and lost generation quality will eventually prevail over quantity. This is simply awesome.

Evilometer: 666/666

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NUNFUCKRITUAL – IN BONDAGE TO THE SERPENT (Debemur Morti Productions)

Friday, July 29th, 2011

The 74th release on French label Debemur Morti Productions is going to be very, very special indeed. “In Bondage To The Serpent” – the debut album from veritable extreme metal ubercombo NUNFUCKRITUAL represents something of a departure from the norm for the imprint as it’s not the typically-excellent strain of underground Black Metal one would readily associate with DMP. Instead, it’s altogether more, well, indescribable. Indescribably brilliant.

I grew up listening to and loving bands that Dan Lilker was associated with but I sort of assumed he was yesterday’s news at this stage and never thought I’d see the mighty mop-haired one involved in anything so fresh, vibrant and relevant as this. Colluding with Teloch (Mayhem, Nidingr), Espen T. Hangard (Altaar) and Andreas Johnson (Tyrant), he has surely re-invented himself on “IBTTS”, a release that will introduce him to a whole new generation – and category – of metal fans. We also have guest slots here from Attila Csihar and Ravn (1349), so if that doesn’t pique your interest then you must be dead already.

Normally, when so many known names come together the result is a major disappointment but, incredibly, ‘In Bondage To the Serpent’ is actually greater than the sum of its individual components. The album is like the fucked-up soundtrack to your worst nightmare (everyday life, maybe?), twisted and contorted, evil and nasty, eerie and spiteful. It captures an immense atmosphere of pure and utter filth. It’s truly sick and depraved. Musically, its neither death nor black, sludge nor doom. It’s something new and unique. I won’t even try to describe it (I can’t, anyway…); you just need to hear this leviathan for yourself.

I can’t think of another existing band I’d compare NFR to. They’ve torn up the rulebook and reinvented extreme metal in a stunning new incarnation. This is totally mandatory for anyone who likes dark and evil music. Won’t be available until October but, trust me, this one will be well worth the wait.

Evilometer: 666/666

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BLUT AUS NORD – 777 – SECT(S) (Debemur Morti Productions)

Wednesday, April 6th, 2011

When one of your favourite bands of all time hooks up with your favourite label, it’s time to start pinching yourself. Yet this is exactly what transpired last year when DMP and BAN joined forces, culminating provisionally in the intriguing vinyl-only ‘What Once Was … Liber I’ EP and followed now with the monstrous eighth full-length album, ‘777 – Sect(s)’.

Apparently, this is the opening shot in a trilogy of new Blut Aus Nord offerings. I must concede I’m not too bothered by such notions – concept, trilogy, sidestep, blah blah blah, who cares? All that matters is the music and it must be said that this one compares more than favourably with anything else from Vindsval’s impressive canon of work.

First off, the presentation is excellent – nothing less than we’ve come to expect from this French label. Secondly, the production on this release is spot-on, allowing every discordant note and chord to glide effortlessly through the speakers, resulting in an organic, live feel that so much of today’s Black Metal lacks. Not normally the kind of thing I comment on but, hell, kudos to the producer because ‘777 – Sect(s)’ sounds sublime.

The music itself is prime, unmistakable Blut Aus Nord. As soon as you hear it, you know straight away who it is. Nobody else sounds anything like this – how many BM acts can we genuinely say that about? As corrosive and chaotic as we’ve come to expect from these masters of urban malediction, ‘777 – Sect(s)’ is replete with the familiar sounds of alienation associated with BM’s most trailblazing entity.

But there’s a perfect balance at play. The non-aggressive parts are more pronounced than hitherto, resulting in a magical listen that offers harshness and disturbing, haunting eeriness in equal measure. All the songs are superb but a special mention for the ultra-majestic ‘Epitome 04’ – possibly the greatest Blut Aus Nord song yet. I’m almost ashamed to admit it but I had forgotten just how fantastic this band was. ‘777 – Sect(s)’ showcases an astonishing Black Metal act at the absolute zenith of its powers, churning out the type of unique, inimitable and downright incredible music that makes life worth living. Essential in every respect.

Evilometer: 666/666

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