'Oscuro smembramento'
(Self-released demo-CD on Oct, 31st 2024)
MARK: 81/100
Prologue
This third album by this Ritual/Dark-Ambient Black Metal-influenced one-man band was born of a moment of inspiration when Lord Yshua was under a falling nut tree with the only intention of playing without limits.
It was not pre-produced, there was no preparation, a flow got opened and he recorded his performance.
Package version and other versions available
The version in my hands is one of the few physical ones available besides the usual ones on digital platforms. It is made of a DIY cardboard digipack containing the booklet and the 3 demo-CDs.
Please note that there are only 10 copies available and each of them contains a different artwork, so as to stress out the way this artist works: only when the inspiration comes and he feels it is the right thing to do, musically, lyrically and in this case visually.
Visual aspect
The artwork of the booklet was made by Valeria Campagnale, while the cardboard artwork is by Lord Yshua (Marco Mainiero himself) and it is really noteworthy what a significant drive he had and how much time and energy he invested in producing these customized limited copies of this demo-album.
The front cover of the digipack shows a snake and 3 moons (one of which is a bigger snake eye), all drawn in white and black pencil, which 3 red sealing wax spots like the ones notaries or diplomats usually used in the past were added on.
The drawing also contains an orange and a green spot, and it was cut and glued to the cardboard which has a violet background, where black tempera was added on later.
The inside recurs to red and orange again on a violet background. At the centre we see Dea Serpenta (Goddess Snake) in a black and white drawing cut in 4 parts glued back in the wrong order intentionally. In the distance we can distinguish a medieval castle and a small village, too.
On the third page of the digipack we find a torn photo in black and white of an ancient Greek statue. Next to that are a few lines in Abruzzese dialect which say an invocation to goddess Angizia. These lines were sung by children forming a circle during a game to avert a storm.
The fourth page displays a different statue on a blurred background holding 2 snakes in its hands.
Inside the digipack we have the 3 CDs and booklets and they are all in transparent plastic containers.
As to the ones of "Oscuro Smembramento", the 2nd and 3rd pages are white and they comprise the white CD-r with the writing of the band and album title.
Then, the first page has an artwork in black and white closer to the style of several Black Metal acts: there appear 3 women wearing make-up, of which the first is a zombie showing a pagan jewel on her forehead.
The woman in the middle wears a crown and looks like a demon, whereas the third is the only human-looking one.
Opposite them stands a naked man with open arms welcoming and adoring them, separated only by a veil of thick fog, whilst behind the women is a lit up wood. At their sides are 2 shadowy figures, probably 2 ghosts with white long gowns in a very 80s style (actually very cool and eye-pleasing). In front of them is a skeleton sitting with its legs crossed.
Then on the left we finally admire the band's oozing frozen logo with two crescent moons and a pagan symbol representing a third moon.
The back cover artwork of the booklet depicts the woods wrapped in fog with notes about the musician, the artwork artist and a thankslist.
Trivia
Obscurum Malum means 'dark evil' in Latin.
The band's logo was realized by MrShades.
The band quit in 2008 and reformed in 2019 when the inspiration returned.
This demo-album will be the last that Obscurum Malum will ever release.
Unlike most metalheads, Obscurum Malum's only member stated he started listening to Black Metal only. Only later did he approach more melodic Metal subgenres.
Lyrical content
The
theme described in this concept album is shamanic dismemberment, that
is the rebuilding of one's psyche after its destruction. The same
concept was analyzed in "Dea Serpenta" and "Bosco Oscuro"
(the other two chapters of this trilogy) in two different ways both
lyrically and musically. Same place, same theme but 3 different
approaches integrating each other.
It tells of a sorceress who enters a labyrinth and then a cave, allured
by Dea Serpenta (Goddess Snake)'s voice. She goes through a journey
that will make her reborn pure after meeting Angizia and Lilith. and
greeting Goddess Snake in the end.
Engineering and sound quality
Recorded live at the first take ad-libbing lyrics and intrumental parts, with just a few overdubs later.
It is however interesting to note that it sounds unexpectedly crystal clear.
Only the opener "Disperazione" was written by a friend, Nephesh.
The 3 acoustic tracks were recorded live on the river Cervaro at 6:00 a.m. in order to give the album a feeling of naturalness, and sound as far as possible from a product made at the computer.
The percussions may have a shamanic feel or a tribal one, because chains, wooden sticks and chicken bones were used during the playing.
The guitar is intentionally low and far-away in order to have the vocals louder and clearer, to make the words more easily discernible.
Track-by-track musical analysis
The analysis regards only this CD because it contains some Metal elements and because it is already over one hour of length, but keep in mind that the other two CDs from the other 2 project-bands complete the concept. Therefore, sooner or later if you have to listen to all of them to have a finished, not fragmentary picture.
"Introcervarum" starts with the sound of a river flowing, soon enriched by the addcition of an arpeggio and clean singing that accelerate a little and then stop in unison.
Almost 18 minutes long, "Disperazione" utilizes tribal drums, penetrating keys, distant shamanic vocals, and windchimes. The vocals are trembling and evoking and it feels like being surrounded by teepees! A soaring guitar riff grows and takes his space as foundation for the composition, which is made heavier by zombie-like and guttural vocals mixed together to hypnotize the listener. This goes on for a while, emphasized by morgue-like keys until some percussions arrive and a few analogue keyboard lines bring us down into a vortex of chaos. The keys have disappeared but the guitar has become obsessive. The shamanic and guttural vocals alternate each other and sometimes overlay for brief moments, until the percussions come back, then some bass lines and menacing whispers lead us to a place of horror and madness, just like "Evil Dead" meets "Eraserhead". When the distorted guitar is added by some typical Black Metal riff, the vocals become beastlike first and later simply growl. Then the shamanic singing is back and this time it is closer to Middle-East vocalisations. The cemeterial keys are back and the vocals become shamanic, trembling like the ones of Tibetan monks. All this goes on accompanied by light percussions until the closure arrives with a sustained keyboard touch that sounds so similar to a harmonica.
A dark, obsessive masterpiece.
The title track is a 15-minute-and-a-half trip opened by a gloomy slow Black Metal riff. Laments from another dimension separated by bass lines and percussion strokes follow; other monstruos vocals and some lines of a second guitar enter. Then some spoken words similar to a prayer appear together with the guitar riff. The bone percussions arrive and there are even some occasional cymbal hits later on. They accelerate and so does the guitar, now going superfast while hysteric vocals fill the song, only to let bone/cymbal percussions and guitar go their own way for some time. Then, a breakdown, sinister chains noises, hieratic threatening vocals enter the musical picture. The shamanic vocals reappear and an arpeggio takes the spotiglht for a while. Ghost-like vocals scare us for good when they change from guttural to crazy mid-high ones, only to be a supernatural moan of ever-growing suffering. The final arpeggio is so rich in misery, moving forward hand in hand with the painful vocals. A repetitve bass line concludes the composition sided by chain noises, till when it is faded out.
This song is not only beautiful but it is also cursed. My notebook got frozen multiple times when I played it. No reboot worked until it was over.
"Mediocervarum" is a short arpeggioed composition which connects us with the nature again thanks to the river flow and the evocatory Folk singing.
Another long number, "Albero Insanguinato", blends the elements that we've already listened to in the previous long songs. The Black Metal riff and the lugubrious keyboard, the skeleton percussion and the otherworldly throat emissions all have one goal: to make us uneasy and keep us in an alarmed state like cats'.
At a certain point there is also a sitar or something quite similar duetting with the monk-like vocals, and in a brief segment the guitar almost goes soloing.
However, the singing varies from growl to Tibetan and Mongolian throat singing with false chords, from howling, to declamatory clean singing to whispers, and it's when the whispers are there that the keyboards become chilling, and they are paired by bass lines like in the best 70's horror movie soundtracks.
From the closure with keyboards to an opening with cemeterial keyboard touches: here comes "Rinascita", filled with clean heartfelt, trembling spoken words as well as a howling guitar plot. Still, it is the keyboards and the vocals to occupy and rule the majority of the piece. This is closer to a funeral ceremony than a classic song.
"Outroserpentarum" finishes the full-length, based on an arpeggio and the river flow. The delicate vocals solo until only the river remains, slowly faded out.
Value
No economic value so far but one day they might be pretty sought after due to their limited number of handmade copies.
For me the value of having products made by oneself without any
commercial logic, just like an artisan would do makes them really
intriguing. I feel good owning them in my collection.
Conclusion
A massive sledge of inhuman tonal weight and darkly hopeless ambience, "Oscuro Smembramento" is an exquisite lot of songs for open-minded metalheads.
This is not music for many as we have seen from many older reviews about Obscurum Malum that its releases have rarely been received well. It is repetitive, long and heavy, just like any transcendant experience but it's worth. Few will understand it and appreciate it, but those who will, they will adore it.
Tracklist:
1. Introcervarum
2. Disperazione
3. Oscuro Smembramento
4. Mediocervarum
5. Albero Insanguinato
6. Rinascita
7. Outroserpentarum
Discography:
-Crypta Vox (demo - 2005)
-Effatą (demo - 2007)
-Regina Noctis (full-length - 2019)
-Crypta Vox and Effatą (first and second demo) (compilation - 2020)
-Essenza (single - 2020)
-Minas Malum (split - 2020)
-Stimmate (single - 2022)
-Phantasma (full-length - 2023)
-Oscuro Smembramento (full-length - 2024)
Line-up on this EP:
Marco Mainiero - all instruments, v. (also in Mystica, Irpinia Nera)
Contacts:
Ariano Irpino (AV) - I
E-mail:
Official website homepage:
Official main links:
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DON'T MISS THIS ALBUM'S VIDEO REVIEWS IN ENGLISH AND
ITALIAN:
English video review:
Italian video review:
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