Review: Reverorum ib Malacht — De Mysteriis dom Christi
From the Vault Review – Reverorum ib Malacht – De Mysteriis dom Christi
There was a time, roughly 20-25 years ago or so, that there arose a burgeoning wave of what was termed “religious” “orthodox” black metal, the kind of hyper-serious and terrifying music being peddled by bands like Watain, Deathspell Omega, Ofermod, and Glorior Belli. The movement was, at least in my view, a reaction against what black metal had become. As the liner notes for the fantastic reissue of Antestor’s Kongsblod observe, “Black metal today has grown from subculture to mainstream acceptance…Black metal bands are invited to prime-time TV-interviews, receive awards, launch wine labels…” And so it was in the early 2000’s. Cradle of Filth’s vampyric carnival theatrics and Dimmu Borgir’s grand arena-filling symphonies (to pick on the two most obvious offenders in this regard) had overtaken the genre and skyrocketed it into the mainstream metal consciousness, for better or for worse.
The movement’s return to black metal “orthodoxy” (at least in ethos, aesthetic and intent) would prove influential on many bands (from Marduk to Merrimack), though it would also become consumed and regurgitated into pop culture once again with artists like Behemoth. But there was one band who would prove to be the ultimate iconoclasts within the movement, a band that once stood alongside their satanic brethren before becoming one of the greatest enigmas to ever exist in the eyes of the secular black metal scene (and maybe, in some eyes, the Christian one, too) – an intensely devout Roman Catholic black metal act called Reverorum ib Malacht.
Their releases are numerous, and yet one stands out from amongst the rest, simply because it could very well be one of the most esoteric and difficult black metal records out there. Like Horde, Reverorum ib Malacht reference the pillars of the black metal world; whereas Horde’s Hellig Usvart was a riff on Darkthrone’s “Unholy Black Metal” track from their Under a Funeral Moon album, Reverorum ib Malacht reference the title of Mayhem’s infamous album De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas with their 2014 release De Mysteriis Dom Christi. To do such a thing was a deliberate slap in the face, a blatant inversion, of one of the most infamous and mythical albums in all of black metal’s turbulent history, and I have no doubt that such an effect was very, very intended. However, unlike Horde, Reverorum ib Malacht’s music is not simply an evangelistic outreach, but an intensely and deeply mystical outpouring of black metal art that is profoundly informed by the peculiars and particulars of Roman Catholic spirituality. Suffice it all to say, this is not an easy record to approach, nor is it an easy listen on any level. But I believe that it is a very important one. Non-Roman Catholic Christian readers here might draw back; if it’s for reasons of confessional differences, there’s nothing I can do about that. But if you find yourself curious to know what it’s all about on some minute level, I’m happy to oblige as a reporter.
Certainly, to explore an album like this track by track makes little sense; such is the impenetrable nature of it, but such also is its monolithic construct. But for the pilgrim who wishes to explore it, I’ll try to illustrate what the band has on offer here. Be advised – there are three records with the title De Mysteriis Dom Christi; I am here reviewing the CD version, which seems to be the most well-known (NOT the cassette or vinyl releases).
It all begins with a recitation of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed as formulated by the Second Ecumenical Council (the First Council of Constantinople) in 381 AD. As the band is composed of Roman Catholics, they use the version of the Creed later adopted by Rome which makes use of the term “filioque” (“and the Son”) in reference to the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son.
From there, it’s a dark and almost-nightmarish journey through twisting, murky fogscapes of distant noise, almost lifeless pulsing drums, shrieks and chanting, and guitars that swirl about the maelstrom like black lace. It’s hard to describe it all as anything other than what sounds like a fever dream. The closest thing I can compare some of the more traditional black metal songs on here to (if you can call them that) is a strange mix of Mayhem’s “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas” with Paysage d’Hiver’s Kerker album, with ominous ambient passages woven throughout. It gets under your skin with a cold that seeps into your bones. This isn’t black metal for the uninitiated, nor is it even black metal for those who don’t mind a bit of Slechtvalk or Antestor from time to time. This is something far deeper, far more intense. If the Christian black metal world is the solar system as we know it, this is another world in another star system entirely. The atmosphere is hostile, different, but somehow survivable if one gives themselves time to adjust.
In terms of lyrical content, De Mysteriis Dom Christi has lyrics in Latin, Swedish and Hebrew. Though it can be difficult to find the lyrics to some of the album, the song titles give a strong indication to their content. Most of the album’s lyrics are either composed of Scriptural recitations – some from Genesis, some from the Gospel of St. Matthew – but others are simply devotional prayers to the Trinity. The general theme of the Fall makes itself known as well. But to encapsulate it all in a word? I would say that the album functions as a kind of outcry, an album’s worth of “De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine” (Psalm 130:1). However, the prayers and utterances on here always sound like they come from a place wherein the spiritual realm is front and centre, inescapable, and darkness is seeking with all its might to envelop the vocalist. This feeling reaches a crescendo on the almost shoegaze-ish rising wave of guitars and desperate chants on “Nw thänthid (Var förste skaptir fadhir adam thätta hördhe).” It’s the soundtrack to someone praying in the middle of total darkness for deliverance. It doesn’t sound evil, it sounds like someone is surrounded by eviland waging war against it, if that makes sense.
One can easily tell that the members of Reverorum ib Malacht came from the furthest edges of extremity within the black metal scene; every tone and sound and note on this record screams out this fact. But I wonder if some of the darkness they left behind followed them a little into the audial nightmare they have here created, or if, to harp on an old theme of mine, they are simply speaking in a language that fans of the “religious/orthodox” black metal movement can understand. I’m not entirely sure, though I obviously hope it’s the latter. As it is though, it’s an album that somewhat stands on its own due to its demanding nature, unorthodox production values, and highly-eccentric approach.
In the end, is it worth listening to? Well, I would say that this is a record that will only appeal to a very limited audience, but as far as this kind of thing goes, and as far as the band’s mythical status in the black metal world at large goes as well, I would say, yes it is, with some caveats. I have no doubt that many will be put off by the intense Roman Catholicism of the band’s lyrics and approach, both Christians and non-Christians, and I have no doubt that many metal fans will find the album to be either far too dark and unsettling, or simply just too difficult to get into. Be all of that as it may, I still think that the band’s work here remains a definitive and, if you will, iconoclastic statement to a certain era and movement within black metal that rejected how mainstream black metal had become. Its sonic landscapes are almost inimitable, at once haunting, dream-like, and frightening all at the same time, and the brave will find much to chew on here. It’s harrowing, it’s difficult, it’s even unpleasant, and it requires some work on the part of the listener in a way. But as high unblack metal art, it’s pretty difficult to find anything else out there like it. If nothing else, it’s worth knowing at least for the history, and the fact that the band’s story proves once more that Christ reaches into the utter depths to reach His lost sheep.
The daring can listen to the album in its entirety HERE.
For Fans Of: Blut Aus Nord, Mayhem (early), Abruptum, Paysage d’Hiver (the Kerker album in particular), most “orthodox” black metal bands from the early 2000’s.
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