PARACLETUS

When Deathspell Omega unleashed the third instalment of their defining "trilogy" in the second-to-last month of 2010, I honestly didn't know what to think. Though they've since become one of the most important staples in my listening diet, my experience of their works at the time was limited to a few cursory spins of Fas - Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum, an album I now consider to be the largely unrivalled pinnacle of black metal as an artform. I also knew they had once approximated the lo-fi sounds of Darkthrone at some earlier point, not that you'd be able to guess that based upon a single riff of Paracletus. It was an aggressive, overwhelmingly chaotic-- dare I say it, religious experience; this wasn't like anything was then-familiar with in metal or otherwise. Nevertheless, Paracletus shocked me as any forward-thinking masterpiece would.

It still does. Now that I know precisely how it fits in with the rest of Deathspell Omega's adventurous arc, I think I'm impressed more than ever. Arguably with nothing but the Wagnerian pomp of The Ruins of Beverast to rival it, DSO's trilogy is the most impressive testament yet achieved in black metal. Their third full-length Si Monvmentvm Requires, Circvmspice began this trilogy with a revelation for the genre, not only by its progressive amplification of musical conventions, but lyrically as well; though Satan's been no stranger to the black metal genre, seldom has He been afforded the intellectual weight Deathspell Omega invested in their lyrics, which appeared a greater part philosophical tract than musical accompaniment. By the point of Fas come 2007, their music became enlightened to the point where it seemed like there would be no way to take it further, lest the enigmatic souls behind this work dare imbalance the terrible perfection they unveiled three years prior to Paracletus... Had I known then what I know now, I would have been all the more intrigued to see how such an uncompromising cabal of musicians would tackle the insurmountable task of following up an album like Fas.

Upon reaching an artistic peak, the usual thing for bands to do is recoil their sound to some previous, safer incarnation. Bands' EPKs usually call this a "return to their roots", but you always know they're full of shit. Whether it's Yes, Blind Guardian, Metallica or a hundred-thousand other sorry cases, this transformation often results in a greater focus on melody and precision in the place of their past ambitions. In virtually every case, this is a death knell for a band's career, except in the case of Deathspell Omega. With Paracletus, not only did they follow-up on the madness of Fas without missing a beat; they infused that existing carnage with the economical precision and, yes, the melody that may have otherwise made its predecessor unpalatable. Paracletus seeks to overwhelm, puzzle, and immerse its listener as much as anything else offered in black metal. So long following its release, to call it a masterpiece feels oddly redundant. Calling it a modern classic might be more suitable; much like its predecessor, this album is one of the few metal records of the current decade that will continue to be listened to, will continue to shock and even offend listeners decades following its release.

The songs on Paracletus are much more to-the-point and spontaneous than those on Fas. Where DSO's previous album took a few minutes to get warmed up, Paracletus immediately bursts out with tech metal drumming and unsettling guitars. Within two minutes of that, they're crushing at their fullest speed. Paracletus immediately demonstrates itself as a more guitar-based effort than the band's past works. Although the song lengths suggest a more decentralized approach to albumcraft, Paracletus takes the prog-rock approach of making each track one part of a seamless whole. Although many of the songs are individually identifiable (with "Wings of Predation", "Abscission", the two "Epiklesis" segments and the post-rock rupture of closing track "Apokatastasis Pantôn" shining brightest of all), Paracletus gives off the impression of being one long, chaotic, misanthropic descent into avant-metal hell.

Even if Deathspell Omega cut back on the calculated chaos of their style, they make for it with the most memorable riffs of their career. I'm constantly taken aback every time I hear the way Hasjarl's guitar on "Wings of Predation" imparts such vicious urgency, or the way a dismally atonal melody opens up "Abscission" in contrast with the brushfire drumming. Atop all this, the vocals (now more multi-lingual than ever) are crushingly incorporated into the mix. Whether DSO are singing in English, Latin, or French (Spica of their splitmates S.V.E.S.T helps out with that last part) the lyrics are a biting, intellectual mockery of Christian orthodoxy. Contrast that with the glorification of Satan they espoused on the first two albums-- with the third chapter of their trilogy, Deathspell Omega have gone on the offensive with their lyrics. 'Tis not enough for them to uphold their own beliefs, it seems; they must prove the folly in others. I have personally found myself fascinated in DSO's lyrical content, and Paracletus is no exception. Considering how tired Satanic imagery in black metal should feel, it is wholly refreshing that Deathspell Omega manage to inject a rare seriousness into the subject matter.

The album isn't perfect. "Have You Beheld the Fevers?" always seemed a little too straightforward for the rest of the album, as if they were trying to fulfill the role "Drink The Devil's Blood" played in their work two albums past. In spite of the thickness of its groove, "Dearth" feels less engaging in light of the three furies that erupted before it. Paracletus may not have achieved the outright perfection of Fas - Ite, Maledicti in Ignem Aeternum a second time around, but it would be folly to think of their trilogy's closing statement as anything short of a masterwork. As once a neophyte, and now a well-fevered fan of most of their work, Paracletus has lost none of its ability to amaze and immerse. The question remains, of course, whether DSO will return to follow-up on the astounding testament of this trilogy now that it's over. It's been almost five years since this album came out, and my fingers remain crossed.

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