Despite hailing from Chile, hardly the black metal capital of the world, Animus Mortis have some experience with members all being or have been in obscure acts such as The Last Knell, Hetroertzen, Oculus, Ruined Sanctuary, Leuku, Nefastus Abbatia, Wildes Heer, Gorjeo Seglar, Hominis Nocturna, and it shows on the proper debut ‘on loan’ (licensed) to Moribund from Debemur Morti Productions.

Though hardly an essential release and full of overt tangible influences, namely early Emperor, Animus Mortis are still proficient and competent at their chosen style of Norwegian styled black metal that’s scattered with a few experimental and ambient moments. Grim but grandiose in a more primal way, the nine tracks here are full of cold, tremolo filled blast beats, feral rasp and a raw, natural majesty without any form of synths. I’m reminded of recent releases by the likes of Aguynguerran and Aetherius Obscuritas, as far as more organic but still by the numbers, acceptable yet predictable black metal.

The ambient moments are somewhat piecemeal as they come in the form of pulsing programming like the intro of “Ambivalent Aura” or add on to the end of a song like “Dying Murmur” and never spiral into basement black level territory as the focus of the album is a more sweeping but earthy and cold foray into riffage and blast beats (“Splendour Ruins”). A few more tempered moments such as the end of “Among the Phlegm of God” or the more deliberate double bass march of most of “Ethereal Dimension”. The overall early Emperor without synths (Nightside Eclipse) influence is more than cemented by closer “Thresholds of Insanity” which is a note for note rendition of the opening of “I Am the Black Wizards”, so much so I initially thought it was a cover.

Ultimately, Animus Mortis are a competent, solid middle tier black metal act that along Azaghal and AVSKY that gives a little more flavor and energy to Moribund’s generally bleak and barren recent roster of one man bands and rehashed old school death metal.

[Visit the band's website]

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