Adustum - Searing Fires and Lucid Visions

Full Length, October 2011

World Terror Committee

''Searing Fires and Lucid VIsions'' is the debut offering by this relatively new and obscure Belgian black metal horde called 'Adustum'. It was released by the infamous World Terror Committe during October 2011. 

My first experience with their music was through a sample which I had heard through some thread on NWN! forums last year and it had certainly appealed me. A few months later, I received the promo CD for an extensive review and that really made me curious about the adversarial currents which this young horde had to offer through their craft.

Adustum is latin for ''set fire'', ''light'', ''kindle'' etc. and the name really suits the Qlipothic energies which this album has channeled through its sonic rituals. The opus begins with the splendid ''V.O.H.I.R. - Exvocatium Daemonicus'' which is a hymn meant to conjure the inner daemon within your spiritual embodiment. This ritual's verses have been conjured in an allegorical manner and a profound study of them indicates that they are directing towards creating your own daemon through ritual invocation. 

''ÏAÏ Daemon!

Salutifer - you are me!

Daemon - I am you!

Entwined become, many and none.

Symbiotic releaver, you've shown me to the way to extatic liberation.

Khaotic redeemer, I now cast you back from this shell into thy haven''

The second hymn on the opus ''Ravenous Copulation Upon Her Altar of Catamenia'' is another interesting tale about a malignant copulation with the serpent, the harlot, the aduletrous woman - Reshut ha-Rabbim to obtain wisdom and power. 

''Uttering the names of Damnation

Eating Her cunt of red pettles.

Moaning those verbs of coronation,

when devoured by Her emanation.

Furosiosly devouring her body,

submerged in the ashes of Reshut ha-Rabbim.

Drowning Her in semen, thus closing the circle,

Nine others, are revealed.

And you, my whore, are worshipped & revered.''

The third hymn ''The Eulogy of One Through Three Times Three'' is perhaps the most allegorical and lengthiest one on the opus, clocking around 11 minutes. Apparently it delves deeper into the metaphysical gardens of the Qlipoth and talks about the Kelipah and Choronzon. These lyrics are open to interpretation and followers of the Qliphotic Qabalah would probably comprehend its essence. 

''I see now the bends and amends of Choronzon as my guide.

To devour your harnessed slither and partake of limitless strenghth there in.

Disposing of feeble skin and awakening the Beast of Sin.''

Finally the grand opus comes to and end with the final hymn ''Psalm CLVI - The Rites of Lunar Blood'' which is a ritual to invoke Babalon - The Scarlet Woman, The Great Mother, or the Mother of Abominations. It is my favorite and perhaps the best creation on ''Searing Fires..''. This hymn clocks around 9 minutes and includes some impressive ritualistic percussion, over exotic and almost oriental sounding guitar rhythms; hence enriching the esoteric atmsophere on the opus.

''From the remnants of the Fallen Empire of Two Streams, under Crescent Moon, you are the unquenchable Star of Aeons and Temptress of all who wander freely and obsessively for Your Wisdom, Magick and Perfection, as an Envoy of Therion, and Guardian of Venus.''

After several attentive listens and dissemination of their lyrical content and aesthetic which I have presented above, I can easily declare that Searing Fires and Lucid Visions is one of the better black metal albums which I have heard in a while. This is black metal executed in the way it should be. Esoteric, spiritual and underground. Of course, everybody has their own definition of black metal but for me, this is the kind of art I prefer listening to. The instrumental execution on the album is fluent and its apparent that the members know their music and have persevered to create their own path by being influenced by the adversarial gnosis. If you are an admirer of occult, ritualistic black metal a la Ofermod, old Glorior Belli, Nefandus etc. then this is an album which you must obtain. Their musical influences are apparent but what makes this album worthwhile is the fact that they have been able to present their ideas in their own, unique manner, hence giving a great kick-start to their creative energies. The pslams reflect devotion and spiritual ascension and are well played without being redundant and uninspired. They are easily memorable and possess a great charm. However the only shortcoming on the album is that its length is very short for a being categorized as a full length. The album booklet could have been better and more comprehensible too. But these are minor flaws which I am sure that the horde would certainly improve on for their future works. 

Obtain a copy of the album and immerse yourself in the grand occult demenaor which it emanates! 

Official Temple of Adustum: http://users.telenet.be/teo/xxiii/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adustumofficial

Revenge (Can) - Scum.Collapse.Eradication

Full Length, February 2012

NWN! Productions/Osmose Productions

'Scum.Collapse.Eradication' was one of the most anticipated albums in 2011 but it saw the light of day only during February 2012 due to numerous delays. But sometimes I prefer to abide by the old proverb which says that - ''patience bears a sweet fruit''. 

Although the 'fruit' which this long wait bore was nothing close to being 'sweet' but was in fact ominous and gnarly. I was expecting the album to sound monstrous from the short samples posted on Youtube a few months back and when the NWN! bandcamp posted a full song stream, I knew that something devastative was impending on us. While I was saddened with the unfortunate exit of Pete Helmkamp - one of my favorite frontmen, from the Revenge camp, his departure brought no harm to the integrity and aesthetic of the band. Chris Ross was still there to assist James Read during the album recording and they roped in the malicious Haasiophis from Antediluvian on session bass and backing vocals for live shows. Brutal and stronger than ever. 

Now, this has to be the heaviest sounding album which Revenge have ever produced. The mastering task was suavely accomplished by the infamous Necromorbus Studios and they did a great job there. The guitars are high up in the mix and they complement the drum production perfectly. Vocals are appropriately mixed as well, hence complementing the instrumental mix suavely. This filthy juggernaut consists of eight blistering tracks with an overall duration of around 35 minutes and is certainly capable of keeping an alarmed listener hooked to it right from the first track to the end. The first thing which struck me on the album was an apparent death/grind/goregrind vibe a la old Carcass and Last Days of Humanity. Well, this so-called 'bestial black metal' sub-genre has always been a filthy mixture of death/grind and 80's style black metal, so I am not making a 'eureka' statement with the above mentioned examples. But this time, the grind element is more vitriolic than ever and this is what makes this album such a massive splurge of deafening audio violence. The guitar tone is abrasive and absolutely massive, hence manifesting Revenge's trademark wall of sound with panache. Ross has perfectly executed the required style of guitar-play to create the sonic avalanche which engulfs the listener from the very first riff. J.Read has unleashed his trademark gut wrenching shrieks and mixed them with necrotic pitch-shifted gurgled vomits, which really remind me of classic LDoH, and some other typical goregrid. Such was the impact that I was compelled to revisit albums like ''The Sound of Rancid Juices Slashing Around Your Coffin'' and ''Reek of Putrefaction/Symphonies of Sickness'' to appropriately understand my contemplation's.

Furthermore, I was happily surprised to notice the presence of doom-laden riffs on tracks like ''Us and Them (High Power)'', ''Parasite Gallows (In Line)'' and ''Banner Degradation (Exile or Death)'' which are three of the best tracks from the album. Well I shouldn't say that it was really that surprising to me, because the Revenge duo had participated in the Thergothon tribute album entitled as "Rising of Yog-Sothoth", covering ''Elemental'' while the legendary Axis of Advance were still active. So who knows, they might have gotten an urge to experiment with some doom on this album. Although this element is minimally present, it really makes their sound even more brutal and sick. 

The strongest highlight on the album is still the triumphant drumming prowess of James ''steamroller'' Read. This man has always had a distinct, trademark drumming style which makes him stand apart from the rest. The rolls/fills executed by him are frenetic and they sound like a bloody earthquake! Mixed with his furious blast-beats, they make a complete package, perfect to give you an eargasm. I have always enjoyed listening to his stellar drumming performances on old Revenge/Conqueror/Axis of Advance albums and he has done the trick once again. The snare/tom sound is absolutely crunchy and organic like always and that has been a great factor in highlighting Read's percussive demeanor. 

So, us, minions of Satan can easily comprehend the impact which these deranged Canadians have made through their fourth and probably their most accomplished onslaught till date. I still hail ''Triumph.Genocide.Antichrist'' as my favorite Revenge album, because that was how I was introduced to their might but maybe this opinion can soon change with repeated listens of Scum.Collapse.Eradication. As the name suggests, this album is capable enough of eradicating weak filth with the sepulchral aura which it possesses. It emanates a nauseous odour which reeks of disgust, vileness and an immense hatred for humanity and hence clearly displays the mark of Superion with which Revenge has been conquering the feeble since more than a decade now. This is not just a metal album meant to bang your heads, but this is sheer..revenge and war against the frail. Attain this album, if you share a similar ideology and are seeking a grimy assault of atonal chaos, manifested within black metal. 

Sample Track:

http://nuclearwarnowproductions.bandcamp.com/album/scum-collapse-eradication