FAS - ITE, MALEDICTI, IN IGNEM AETERNUM

Picture the most extreme music you have ever heard, multiply it by Gorguts and you have Deathspell Omega. I have been a fan of Deathspell Omega for almost a decade now. Until recently I was only familiar with Si Momventm Reqvires, Circvmspice, a fantastic album in its own right but altogether different from the experience presented in this album. Beginning with the ominous Obombration, this album generates a uniquely dark and extreme experience. It is as progressive as any black metal album I have heard, and this is coming from a huge fan of the genre. No time is wasted on pandering atmospheric melodic passages. Instead the focus is on creating the most intense and fulfilling metal experience, with dissonance at its heart. Insanely technical and chaotic verses give way to incredibly satisfying passages of brooding melody and groove, while interludes of silence separate these themes. Bread of Bitterness serves as the highlight of the album, beginning with a groovy riff that is repeated throughout the beginning of the song, between passages of the utmost chaos and dissonance. Ultimately the song gives way to a despairing middle section of King Crimsony groove, while the bass guitar brings in a melodious and ominous presence. Things wind up, only to fall back into the groove, but only briefly before the massive crescendo. It is unlike anything I have ever heard, a monument of heaviness and nuance. I haven't even mentioned the lyrics, which deal with the metaphysical casting of Satan from the heavens. In fact, the lyrics are of the utmost importance, as they are written first and the music is structured around them according to an interview given by the band. As a whole this album offers arguably the most progressive metal experience out there. There's a reason Luc Lemay of Gorguts and Josh Elmore of Cattle Decapitation cite this band as a massive influence. They are at the forefront of progressive metal and this album is among the best they have to offer.