1782 † Clamor Luciferi

1782 - The year the last witch trials took place in Europe and now synonymous with top-notch Doom!

After 2 albums and a split with Acid Mammoth, the Italians now deliver their third album and it is an abysmal and heavy - low & slow occult doom monster.

 

Wafts of mist wrap around a black church from which ominous organ sounds can be heard accompanied by candlelight and upside down crosses... at least this would be the appropriate scenario for "A Mercifull Suffering" the intro of the album.

Followed by "Succubus" - a mean and filthy sludge doomer with distorted shouts. The rhythm section (Gabriele Fancellu - Drums & Francecso Pintore - Bass) drives the songs sluggishly and thunderously forward. Bands like the mighty Conan come to mind.

 
"Demons" and "Black Rites" follow the same path.  Marco Nieddu's vocals recede into the background more than on previous albums and crushingly deep riffs come to the fore.
The slow-motion heaviness from which the band never breaks out gives the album a nightmarish melancholy and darkness.

"Tumultus XIII" proves to be a flawless instrumental beast.  Absolutely epic! This should be the anthem the band takes to the stage at live concerts.  For me the highlight of the album.

Probably the fastest song in the muddy, murky waters of slowness is "River of Sins"
The alternation between the distorted vocals and the mesmerizing riff pound right into your head.  Once again it's the thundering viscous drums that give the whole thing its heaviness.

"Devil's Blood" and "Death Ceremony" bring up the rear and bridge the gap to the beginning of the album.
Clamor Luciferi - which means noise and uproar, a hostile scream - is the meanest, darkest and for me best album of the band.
Everything sounds as if it were made of one piece and the heavy slowness casts a spell over you.

Released By Heavy Psych Sound Records.

 

-Helge Neumann