Dødsengel – Mirium Occultum
Finally, the moment has arrived… The moment for Dødsengel to show us how they have followed their supreme debut album, Visionary. With 5 songs spanning a massive 55 minutes, it seems Mirium Occultum is going to take us on a different musical journey to its predecessor.
When the opening track, ‘Azonei Wyrdwalker’ begins, the last thing you expect is silence… But without warning, the void is shattered by a cosmic storm of blasting drums, thundering bass and a seething guitar riff. The speed drops to a pounding medium pace, a foreboding wail lashes out from the darkness, and the first ritual begins… This first song echoes the style of Visionary as it hurtles from one powerful riff to the next, switching pace and soaking your mind in its nihilistic energy.
Oh yes, Dødsengel still create brutal, dramatic Black Metal with a most sinister atmosphere…
Now, prepare yourself for the epic ‘Evocation Of Amezarak’. At 20 minutes long, this expansive composition is new territory for Dødsengel and weaves together sombre guitar melodies, huge grinding riffs, tortured progressive passages and full-speed assaults. There’s a particularly powerful moment in the middle section: the sound decays into feedback, followed by a gloomy, heavily-distorted guitar interlude… then it’s as if Kark has fallen to his knees, whimpering in utter despair. From this moment of wretchedness, the song rises up again in defiant mood, becoming more angry and powerful as it reaches its climax. An impassioned example of Dødsengel’s desire to fully express themselves in their music.
The remainder of the album flows from the pain-ridden and tense ‘Alor Mal Ki’, to the majestic and brutal ‘A Word To Conquer The Aeon’, and finishes with the enigmatic ‘Lucifer Ascendant’. This final track is a disturbing incantation set to music: a cacophony of doomful guitar riffs and droning chants, following a booming, hypnotic drumbeat.
Kark’s vocals are stunning. The improved production allows us to really sense how immersed he becomes in his performance: foul snarls, psychotic screams, gurgling growls, surging roars, ritual chanting – Kark totally releases himself to the purpose of Dødsengel’s art.
Another important change on Mirium Occultum is the drumming, which is less frenzied but still fits the music perfectly (in a way, it reminds me of the solid, understated style of percussion on Satyricon’s classic early albums). The drums are loud and clear, and resonate with a crushing low-end, adding oppressive weight to the slower passages and fierce power to the faster sections.
The guitars have also grown in dimension, with more layering. The riff changes are less chaotic and more progressive, and the improved sound really opens your ears to the guitar tones. From clean and undistorted to harsh and grinding, the clarity of the production really helps you feel the music.
On the surface, the style of this new album is perhaps more accessible than Visionary, but as ever the true spirit of Dødsengel’s music descends much deeper. Lyrical inspiration continues to focus on anti-creation, qabbalistic magick and Luciferian witchcraft – and, from what I can tell, references are also made to Lovecraftian concepts from Necronomicon and Cthulhu. Mirium Occultum harnesses many mysterious themes deep within its fearsome Black Metal soul.
The artwork also has hidden depths. Norwegian artist Sindre Foss Skancke shut himself away in his studio for three days, listening to the album over and over again as he painted the cover and other artwork. His grotesque style complements the feel of the album very well indeed.
The sense of power that emanates from this recording certainly has not diminished as I’ve become more familiar with it. So much thought and energy has been put into writing and recording this album that, even now, I still feel I’m getting to know it. This is one of those rare albums that engulfs me in its immense sound and atmosphere – the riffs and melodies lingering in my mind long after it finishes. Not many albums can do that.
Mirium Occultum is certainly another dark, challenging masterwork, equal to its predecessor, and reinforces Dødsengel as one of the most important bands to emerge from the revered Norwegian Black Metal scene in a long time.
Label / buy the album (Dødsengel Longsleeve shirts also available)
Sample track ‘Alor Mal Ki’ (unofficial video, made by a friend of the band)
Sindre Foss Skancke (cover artist)
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decent stuff, to say the least
‘Mirium Occultum’ It’s a Great Demoniac Record!
Nice review of a damn fine record!