ALBUM REVIEW: Moenen Of Xezbeth – Ancient Spells Of Darkness…

Here is a review of a band I have heard a lot about, but am now only discovering for myself.

1. Intro opens with dark and depressive sounding guitars, there is a medieval vibe to it which is hard to place, the distorted and warbling tone sounds really creepy, a nice way to set in atmosphere and a great vibe.

2. Into the Black Mist brings itself in with feedback, and more slow paced Black Metal, with a dark and raw sound, the music itself is very unique and atmospheric, with plenty of darkness too. The song is upbeat but still melancholic with tons of bass and static like overdriven guitar. Vocals join in the mix and sound very primal and old school with a really sinister feel to them. Finally the drums and simplistic but really effective and in no way cut over the mix unpleasantly, a really great first song with some chorus fuelled and demonic sounding lead work. The synths add yet more historical soundscapes to the track and really bring it together, as do the church bells.

3. Oath of Malignancy features more epic and bombastic yet primitive instrumental sections with Nargaroth like vocals over the top. There is something really hypnotic about the style of this band that I really enjoy, and is rare in such raw music. It could be from the repetition of the riffs or the addition of simple synths but it really works whatever it is. This is really down to Earth and grim Black Metal with similarities to early Enslaved and such like bands, really excellent work, with some hideously tormented vocal styles used. There is actually more variety to this song than I expected as changes in pace and riff occur throughout, keeping a still simple but very creative and intriguing approach.

4. Pandemonial Curse brings more Black Metal madness on really nicely! It sounds absolutely killer, with tracks flowing together perfectly and no feels of displacement to anything. With this kind of music it must be listened to as a whole album, not fragmented pieces, to appreciate the grand design behind it and really unlock the artistic nature within. While I understand the mainstream will not enjoy this, for the right person (like myself) this album hits all the right spots. There is a certain doomy touch to this track that I really enjoyed, with a beautifully created atmosphere. The vocals work much like an instrument in the layers of bleak noise and sound really awesome.

5. Ancient Spells of Darkness comes in with beautifully placed synths and gentle chords. There is something about the intro that sounds like it could be a theme to a Horror movie. The chugging and more drawn out style of this song is quite different to the previous ones but works really nicely especially with the demented vocals added. A truly unsettling atmosphere has been present throughout this release and shows no sign of stopping.

6. Interlude is marginally longer than 2 minutes, but in that time takes a break from the Black Metal, giving us ambient piano and keys that sound really menacing and certainly adds a lot of mysterious and dark soundscapes to the album diversifying the style at the same time. This interlude does exactly what it says, and does it well.

7. Obscured by Lunar Rites is the final piece of the album, although an 8 minute piece so a hefty portion of the music. It kicks straight in with great fuzzy guitars, blasting drums and rumbling bass. There is a truly old school feel that is ever present and this song is no exception. The song writing is very upbeat and headbang worthy for sure. Black n Roll style riffs seem to be growing more popular once again and can be used excellently such as in this case, great stuff. The song erupt into chaotic and aggressive attacks once more with chilling instrumentals and hellish vocals. This song has to be my favourite due to its varying sounds, primitive assault and generally classic style. There are noticeable differences in the riffs such as the punchiness but also in parts more melodic sides too. The album draws out nicely to a halt rather than being too abrupt, and wraps things up very well.

If you like your Black Metal to be untouched by modern production (of course like Perverted Ceremony), flourishing atmospheres or over the top musicianship, but more on the primal and raw side, this is a must listen. Really great material that doesn’t seem to go into any kind of overkill territory. There are also touches of bands like Hecate Enthroned and Anorexia Nervosa to the music which is pretty cool and a really medieval ambient side to it as well. -8/10