Vetus Obscurum - Blood Revelations (Demo)

Release Date: October 30th, 2009
Label: Debemur Morti Prod.

TRACK LISTING

1.  Vetus Obscurum
2.  The Omen from the East
3.  Antidote to Humanity
4.  Blood Revelations

Total playing time: 23:23

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*Comments:

April 26, 2010

Reviewer: J. A. Burt

Vetus Obscurum is a recently reactivated project of Krohm’s multi-instrumentalist Numinas that never officially released anything in its short run, and has lain dormant since 1996.  Blood Revelations, the band’s first actual release, is a quality offering of melodic orthodox-leaning black metal that’s immediately superior, I’d say, to any of Krohm’s overwrought and often ponderous woe-is-me melodrama.  Mr. Numinas, who, as in Krohm, plays every instrument, seems to have spent a fair amount of time listening to Deathspell Omega lately, as Blood Revelations has a decidedly French feel to it, albeit far more accessible and at once easier to follow.  Vocal duties seem split between Nihilist from Abazagorath and Herb from Drawn and Quartered.  Not sure who’s doing the lower-register vocal style though if I had to guess I’d say Herb since his other bands are more death metal oriented, but he bears more than a passing resemblance to Mikko Aspa, furthering the quite favorable DsO comparison.  The riffing is serpentine and disharmonic, with a good amount of eerie atmosphere interspersed throughout.  The songs mostly all contain a hefty amount of blasting, but also, as in highlight “The Omen From the East” switch to a more mid-paced plod wherein some of the more melancholic and haunting melodies and solos, long a staple of Krohm, find their way.  One thing that must also be noted here is that Numinas is truly skilled at playing all of these instruments.  Far too often in these one man bands, the musician is extremely adept at his primary instrument, but  lacks ability as pertains to other instruments (generally drums) which subsequently leads to a lack of cohesion and musical solidarity.  Such is happily far from the case in Vetus Obscurum, as Numinas displays an obvious talent for each and every instrument as well as impressive compositional prowess.  Blood Revelations isn’t really breaking any molds or tearing down any semblances of convention, but it’s a well written and excellently executed display of black metal.  If you dig what Deathspell Omega does, but don’t have a great amount of luck deciphering their at times ridiculously dense material, you’ll find a lot to enjoy here.