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Deathspell Omega: Fas - ite, maledicti, in ignem aeternum
16/10/08 || theProphet
Some other staffer was going to review this a while back, but unfortunately, me being all in favor of different people expressing their opinions on good bands, that didn’t happen. In favor of other opinions aside, I have eventually grown far too impatient to see another Deathspell Omega review, so now I’m going to do it myself, dammit. Initially I was considering not writing anything about the album at all, making the entire review to consist of a link to a video of me jerking off to “A Chore for the Loss”, and I think that with that. you know what direction this review will be taking. However, I thought that some of you might appreciate a slightly higher amount of info about DsO’s fantastic 2007 release. That, and my YouTube vid was taken down because of it being “inappropriate”. Make no mistake though, sometimes masturbation says more than a thousand words. (Edit: and a thousand words it turned out to be…)
When I first heard “Fas – Ite, Maledicti, In Ignem Aeternum” I wasn’t that impressed. In fact, I was disappointed and thought it was a wretched step down compared to their 2004 masterpiece “Si Monumentum Requires, Circumspice”. However, a the end of the year, I liked “FIMIIA” so much that I gave it the #4 spot on my best-of-2007 list here on GD, and then by mid-08 I had finally realized that even this was unfair. Cause the deal is this people, “Fas – Ite, Maledicti, In Ignem Aeternum” is by far the best album of 2007, the 21st century and indeed quite possibly the best album I have ever heard.
I think the reason of my initial dissatisfaction, is the fact that “FIMIIA” sounds very different from “SMRC”. Whereas “SMRC”, while being unconventional, still had somewhat ordinary black metal riffs which pieced together the songs through immensely ambitious song structures “FIMIIA” continues somewhat in the vein of the 2005 EP, “Kénôse” with the riffs here being more unconventional in terms of their structure and timing. More than once I get the feeling that this is what jazz must sound like in hell, while still retaining the spirit and feel of their earlier works. The disharmonic chaos displayed on “FIMIIA” is daunting, if not exhausting, to listen to, and it will perhaps take a while to fully appreciate. Do not allow yourself to be scared off after the first three or four (or ten) listens though, because the rewards of persistence are infinitely great!
On this album, DsO really epitomizes the combination of artistic vision and musical skills. Where in other bands, one of these two factors often fail to live up to the other, it’s very evident that the different band members are absolutely incredible musicians, performance-wise of course, but perhaps even moreso in terms of creativeness. Enabling them to achieve, I think, precisely what their malevolent, genius minds have intended. As suggested, the songwriting is completely fucking stellar here, and I particularly like how DsO manages to combine intense brutality with a mellow beauty. Listen, for example, to “A Chore for the Lost” at about 7:35 or the jazzy exploration at 2:30 of “Bread of Bitterness”, these are some excellent moments, for sure, but really the album must be digested in its entirety to fully appreciate it.
The vocals are very good as well, Mikko Aspa has a throaty snarl somewhat reminiscent of Marduk’s Mortuus at times. However, and this is perhaps the albums greatest flaw (which should be saying something considering how incredibly minor it is), his pronunciation, enunciation and phrasing are not entirely spot-on every single time. Then again, those looking for completely hearable black metal vocals are in a way missing the point.
In peril of making this review redundant and wordy I will now attempt to conclude it. Simply put “FIMIIA” is a monumental black metal effort, featuring some of the best music, most impressive lyrics and coolest cover art (seriously) ever conceived. If you don’t check this out and give it the time it deserves, you are an utter fool.
Finally I would like to impose on you all a simple experiment of the mind:
1. Listen through the album.
2. Imagine a guy, in a room, sitting on a chair with a guitar in his lap, coming up with this stuff.
9,5 best bands ever out of 10.
Saying that you don’t like Deathspell Omega is like saying that you don’t like Bergman or Fellini movies. It’s inescapable that some people will regard you as someone who just doesn’t get it because of insipid taste.
- Information
- Released: 2007
- Label: Norma Evangelium Diaboli
- Website: none
- Band
- Mikko Aspa: vocals
- Hasjarl: guitars
- Khaos: bass
- Tracklist
- 01. Obombration
- 02. The Shrine of Mad Laughter
- 03. Bread of Bitterness
- 04. The Repellent Scars of Abandon and Election
- 05. A Chore for the Lost
- 06. Obombration
