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If
Secrets of the Moon represent the high end of black
metal, the emergence of the white collar BM horde, the
socialite party outside the trailer get together, then
that’s just fine. But don’t come to me like; ‘oh, why do
you cover such pussy shit, that’s so unkvult!’ You know
what’s uncult, or unkvlt? Bitching about a free service.
Besides, Privilegium, (the band’s fourth full length,
only following three demos, one EP, three splits, one
live album and a Best of Comp) kicks a lot of ass. So
much indeed, it kind of kicks its own ass.
I mean just
look at the fucking three-panel digipack. It is gorgeous. You
can see yourself on the cover. It’s mirror black. With a hollow
apple and pitch black deluxe. Then, there is the eight-page
booklet with glossy pictures. All the artwork was carried out by Metastazis who does a lot of work with black metal bands that
want to project a sophisticated image and whose future, judging
by some of his photographs, may be in the fashion industry.
Some may know him for his work on the cover of Nachtmystuim’s Assassin.
And the package
is a perfect introduction to the music in Privilegium. The
basics of which remind me of Samael’s masterful Ceremony of
Opposites. Except Secrets of the Moon take a couple of steps
forward but present as much control. In other words, don’t
search for chaos here. Privilegium is all coated on perfect
pitch production. No screeching high ends nor stomach-pumping
low ends. The music doesn’t grant that either. There is a mid
tempo that prevails and plagues the songs. What’s fast for
Secrets of the Moon may not be fast for the rest. The
arrangements are ambitious. The drums, more than driven by a
beat seem led by the time perfect double bass kick work of T.
Thelemnar. And the songs time and time again get to this
building tempo, where all we get is kick drums and a guitar that
weaves anticipation via introspective riffs. Privilegium spends
a lot of time doing that; the songs seem in transit to something
greater.
The guitar work
is central but the riffs do not slay dragons, nor poke you in
the ass with ridiculous solos. They just dwell in a netherworld.
The vocals are even natural. The black metal power ballad
“Shepherd” is a new level in clarity and post whatever
ambiences. It is also the only track with a solo. When heavy
though, the voice of sG is legible. A humanistic mad growl. And
it’s all that. Privilegium is almost a straight up heavy metal album. If it
wasn’t for the evil aspect of the voice and because the digipack
is really fucking black, this would undoubtedly should be
classified as simply heavy metal.
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