Reverorum ib Malacht's "Vad är inte sju huvud?" Ventures Forth Into Complexity
How bizarre has Reverorum ib Malacht‘s musical journey been. From the velvet smooth What Do You Think of the Old God, We Call Him Judas? to the avant-improv of Ter Agios Numini, this Swedish group has challenged the very tenets of the music to which they call home, operating under the banner of “Roman Catholic Black Metal.” With that provocation comes defiance, in Reverorum ib Malacht’s case musically — how far can the band’s sound be stretched? As evidenced by previous recordings, very far, and new album Vad är inte sju huvud? (translation: “What is not seven heads?”), which can be streamed ahead of release below, offers a confusing foray into the soul of Reverorum ib Malacht.
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Vad är inte sju huvud? wanders in Reverorum ib Malacht’s approach’s middle ground. On one hand, it is black metal, at least in part — there is blasting percussion and the occasional harsh vocal paired with evil chord progressions, but this new offering is also abstract and ambient. What makes it truly special, though, is how these things happen simultaneously. I’ve sometimes heard rumors of this thing called “ambient black metal,” which is a bit of an oxymoron within itself, but Reverorum ib Malacht’s duality is oxymoronic. How can black metal, something which is supposed to be inherently Satanic, be Roman Catholic? How can black metal simultaneously operate as an ambient soundscape? There can be philosophical debates on this which could last for days, but the real answer is simple: Reverorum ib Malacht just… does things. In a whimsical fashion, they aim at the dartboard and move forward with deliberation.
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Vad är inte sju huvud? will be released on vinyl via Rubeus Obex (US) and Le Narthécophore (EU + ROW).
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