With Corpus Christii I am along for the ride because of the commitment of Horrendus and cohorts, and that their townsfolk probably shun them is an added bonus. Five full-length recordings and four eps precede this disc in a decade of steady output. This Portuguese band is really Nocturnus Horrendus and a stream of session help. It seems like they have been around forever but they actually formed in 1998. There is an oversize handful of black metal bands that ignore trends and stick to the formula and consistently produce quality material, satisfying those fans that strongly resist change, and there is a smaller handful of black metal bands out there that evolve their style subtly over time and manage to hold on to those same conservative fans. Corpus Christii is one of those bands.
They did not really become a standout band until The Fire God, where the vastly improved drumming seemed to really inspire the guitarists, and each album after has seen them ramp up the ferocity and also the precision. Ferocity does not have to translate into faster and harsher music, it can also take the form of biting and acidic, and a slightly more misanthropic spy seems to have infiltrated the horde back around 2003, possibly a result of Genocide Commando compatriot Notku of Celestia. Blistering hatred softened a bit first in the lyrics and then the music. This rational evolution culminates in Rising, the third and last chapter of the torment trilogy.
The band now employs the full repertoire of black and doom to fulfill their desire to spread the word of Satan and songs like “Heavenless Bliss” are a welcome addition to the misanthropic self loathing contingent, while keeping old Celtic Frost firmly in sight. The slow doom passages are well conceived and the vocals work quite well. “The Wanderer” is another excellent bleak minimalist expression, while “Stabbed” is full force aggression.
Corpus Christii is a band I have been a fan of since The Fire God exceeded my expectations based upon Saeculum Domini, and they have not disappointed me since, but now I am wondering where Horrendus will go from here, the trilogy completed, it seems a new direction is in the cards and based on past performance I will be along for the ride.
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I can actually hear the bass player! Bass guitar audible in a black metal band?? Unthinkable!
How un-trvv kvlt! This is a surprisingly listenable album. Very cool.
on Apr 19th, 2008 at 08:16“Stabbed” is a wicked song. I feel the album is a bit uneven as a whole, though; some riffs I’d rather that he meditate on, and some that I’d rather he didn’t use at all. The flow is a bit odd as well, but I am also excited to see where he goes from here.
on Oct 23rd, 2009 at 11:23