Seven tracks, seven bells . . . all chiming in tune to open
the Seven Gates of Hell.
Secrets of the Moon is a black metal outfit from Germany and
have been plying their demonic and brackish trade since the mid-90’s. Now
calling Prophecy Productions home, these Teutonic gloomsters hit the nail on
the head, albeit with my skull being the proverbial head. Seven Bells is black
metal masterpiece played just the way I like it. Complex and moody,
experimental when need be, heavy and sinister . . . always making me look over
my shoulder coz’ the Dark Lord himself might be creeping up in tippy-toe
fashion to put a hex on me.
The title track opens this album like the prelude to the
apocalypse. Tolling bells, creepy and haunting guitar arpeggio . . . like
shimmering harbinger notes to a great cataclysm that will inevitably crush us.
All of the building tension creates a monstrous image in the mind’s eye of
cityscapes enshrouded in swirling toxic mist, the burnt out husks of monolithic
skyscrapers standing as markers of a greater destruction, and a constant orange
glow of fire and subsequent death. The survivors are the unlucky ones as they
shamble through the dust and debris, scavengers lost in time. The music grinds
its way through its own volcanic intensity with chugging palm muted guitars,
double bass rhythms, and tones of oppressive darkness. The vocals add a
sinister menace to the song that very easily could have gone the way of campy,
but no . . . the vocals are perfect. The intonation and the delivery of the
vocals draw me in deeper to the darkened imagery, creating greater depth and a
frightening clarity of intent. The chorus is a violent expulsion of belching fire
and brimstone. The musicianship on this track is outstanding as “Seven Bells”
builds and builds and builds, finally seeing the monstrous relief of tension
breaking towards the end of the song as the guitars soar with a chaotic frenzy,
yet jam packed with tastefully chosen notes. Sonically, just an epic song!
I read somewhere that Seven Bells was the soundtrack of
Lucifer rising, and based on this first track, Secrets of the Moon captured
that intent with absolute perfection.
The entire album is made up of fantastic epic music, each
song painting a darker shade of black upon itself. “Blood Into Wine” is rolling
serenade of violence. Thrashing its way at just over five and a half minutes
long, this track is the shortest beast of the bunch. But that doesn’t make it
any less interesting . . . not by a long shot! Secrets of the Moon incorporate
great bits of instrumentation and inject so much texture that even the most
pedantic aspects of the song is incredibly fascinating.
The trio of songs bringing the album to a close are my
personal favorite moments, as Secrets of the Moon explore the deepest and
darkest recesses of evil, both with music and with lyric. “Worship” is
nine-plus minute dirge that plods through most cavernous depressions of the
mind. This tune is more of a slowed down track until we get towards the end,
then the band does what I love the most . . . keep things interesting by
creating dynamic shifts. In the case of “Worship”, the vocal presentation is
top notch and constantly compelling, the inflections of the voice bring the
lyrical message crashing home. “Nyx” is the most terrifying twelve minutes I’ve
listened to in all of 2012, as the song opens with a more ambient musical
passage before exploding with demonic destruction. Once the song picks up
steam, the shroud of darkness lowers itself around us and utterly obliterates
the light during the last few minutes of synthesized tones wash over the
soundscape. The Celtic Frost-esque “The Three Beggars” emphatically closes the
album. This song is everything. Heavy, fast, diabolical, intricate, layered,
dynamic, and pure brilliance! It’s the perfect end to a near perfect album in
that it puts a bow on our miserable existence and mercifully puts us out of our
misery.
Black metal is hit or miss with me. When it’s a miss, it’s
because it’s too rigid and compartmentalized. When it’s a hit, it’s because
bands like Secrets of the Moon take the sonic palette laid out before them and
experiment with tones and tempos, twist ideas and reshape them into the
likeness that they would like to see, er . . . hear. Seven Bells breaks the
mold a bit, it redefines Secrets of the Moon, but not at the expense of
alienating the fans of the genre. In other words, the band holds true to the
ideals of the genre, keeping themselves locked in just enough to know what
you’re getting, yet pushing the boundaries of the genre by adding elements of
ambiance, a crystal clear vision, and a commitment to performing at the highest
level. The execution on this album is a laser guided weapon of mass destruction
to the heart of society’s sensibilities. The destruction is absolute.
Soundtrack to Lucifer’s rising? Yeah . . . without a doubt.
Pope
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