De Magia Veterum - The Divine Antithesis (2011)

The previous De Magia Veterum full-length, Migdal Bavel was the equivalent of sonic rapture. A bludgeon of malignant black noise that left me both mesmerized and mutilated. The culmination of 'M's 20+ years crafting blasphemous aural architecture through projects like this one, Gnaw Their Tongues, and various of his former, demo level projects in prior decades. Naturally, I had some rather high hopes coming into The Divine Antithesis, and after a few listens, I cannot say that I'm heavily disappointed. It's not necessarily the measure of the 2009 opus, but it approaches its utter sense of disheveled chaos with a different aesthetic that sometimes feels more annoying than absorbing, more callous than cloying.

As usual, 'M' throws the book at you. Walls of discordant guitar riffs grinding down your spine while both black and spooky, Gothic narrative vocals sound off in unholy unison and the manic programming escalates like a composite phalanx of spastic grindcore drummers. It's essentially the poor man's Deathspell Omega, with a similar effect due to the theistic lyrics and jangling, panicked guitar lines, but this is far cruder; not the sort of music you expect to 'enjoy', even when you are affixed and fascinated to its jubilant torture. I found "The Stench of Burning Wings", with its streams of gallant, colliding noise, and the ravenous, ripping walls of "Burning Hands and Crowns of Flame", the soothing near miss bliss of "Angelical Deformity" with its ringing, down drifting melodies and insectoid droning alongside the deep chants in the bridge break.

The Divine Antithesis is like being molested by a gang of fallen angels in every orifice. It's noisy, abrasive and will truly piss off anyone who is not expecting it. That said, as usual, De Magia Veterum is an acquired taste. You will either fall in line with the sheer chaos or you will fucking loathe it and spit upon the ground 'M' walks on as he's coming up with these nightmare scenarios. Personally, I enjoyed it, even for its differences from the last album, which I preferred. This is the sound of all the world crashing, all beliefs shattering and all hope being cut free from the corporeal human shell to herald the spirit's ultimate collapse unto oblivion. Harrowing.

Verdict: Win [7.25/10]

http://www.myspace.com/demagiaveterum

De Magia Veterum - Migda Bavel (2009)

Migda Bavel was my first exposure to Dutch De Magia Veterum, though I am familiar with 'M's other band, the noisier/experimental Gnaw Their Tongues. But not my last, as the material on this tape was compelling enough that I had to track down the backlog. As you might have guessed, this is a one man project, with 'M' handling everything from the instruments to the production. Migda Bavel is dense, raw, and quite fucking noisy, to the point where it borders on sheer emotional turbulence. It's also a beautiful work of expression with a flair for creepy discordant guitar lines and multiple layers of atmosphere.

The drum machine might turn some off this release, but find your focus within the bursts of caustic guitar rhythms and you can come to ignore them. "The Confusion of Tongues" is simply explosive, securing that De Magia Veterum may indeed be a European counterpart to our better one man black metal outfits like Leviathan and Xasthur. Chaotic and intense? Surely. But it's also interesting enough that you will want to listen back through numerous times to discern the nuance. By comparison, the title track feels more placid...and yet it still contains blasting rhythms, noisy strokes of the six strings, and 'M's carnivorous guttural raptor-like vocals. There is one point in the track, past the 2 minute mark, where it shifts into a driving discordant shoegaze rhythm, then breaks into this starkly original break with deep male choirs sailing into the distance, gnarled acoustics and utter darkness. "The Boat of Uta-Naphistim" is fast, furious and desperate, harsh sneers over grimy walls of bass guitar sewage and streams of bloodletting guitars and perky synthesizers.

As you can see, we are only three tracks into this album and it's already blown my mind. I would really like all of you to explore this material yourselves, because it is truly tormenting and fascinating. Thematically, the album seems to surround ancient Middle Eastern culture and mythology, but I haven't read the lyrics. I'll spoil that the remainder of the tape is also quite incredible, whether it's the ambient dementia of "Interlude I" and "II" or the shuddering intensity of "I Am the Vine" and "Below the Altar of Ra-Hoor-Khuit". Migda Bavel is a raw as fuck, personal release that delves into the mental anguish of one of Europe's best kept black little secrets.It's a revolutionary album that will appeal to fans of Leviathan, Xasthur and perhaps the more chaotic side of Blut Aus Nord. Mandatory listening for those that wish to challenge their perceptions of extremity, or simply ruin a good day.

Verdict: Epic Win [8.5/10]

http://www.myspace.com/demagiaveterum