On the subject of the dialog surrounding the “biggest excessive/tech demise metallic acts of the final 20 years,” Persefone is definitely on that record. From their phenomenal debut LP (2004’s Fact Contained in the Shades) to 2022’s Metanoia, the Andorran sextet at all times produce work that ranks alongside the most effective of what the style presently gives. On condition that legacy (alongside the truth that vocalist Marc Martins Pia left final yr and was changed by Daniel Rodríguez Flys), it’s no surprise why Lingua Ignota: Half I arrives with excessive hopes and loads to show.
Fortunately, Persefone’s second EP fully showcases they’re functionality to hold on and exceed expectations.
Clocking in at beneath half-hour, it succeeds at fulfilling the group’s objective of crafting an “natural and band-oriented” sequence during which “each instrument, phrase, be aware, and hit had its place – avoiding meaningless passages or transitions.” Whereas prior collections have been stuffed with instrumental segues, build-ups, and the like, this one is a tighter and extra relentlessly abrasive journey. Coupled with the inherent newness Flys brings to the desk, that economical method permits Lingua Ignota: Half I to really feel gratifyingly contemporary but acquainted from begin to end.
Despite the fact that opener “Sounds and Vessels” begins just like the form of ethereally atmospheric prelude you’d count on from Persefone, it rapidly demonstrates their shift in artistic methodology. Following some eerie ambiance, quiet piano notes and digital beats cascade round Flys’ ominous multilayered chant (“I hold dreaming of the one phrase / That may’t be named”). It’s eerie but serene, and earlier than lengthy, the association will get considerably intense whereas Flys unleashes his full guttural would possibly. Such instant hellishness is as surprising as it’s wholly hypnotic.
Naturally, it seamlessly strikes into “One Phrase” (which doubles down on that diabolic path and even reprises the mantra). It’s actually some of the ruthlessly aggressive songs Persefone has finished in a lengthy time—if not ever—with them sprinkling solely bits of their attribute “proggy” theatricality and dynamics all through the overwhelmingly in-your-face belligerence. As for Flys, he’s not definitively higher or worse than his predecessor; quite, he’s completely different however equally becoming, instantly incomes his spot because the group’s newest frontman.
Though the identical may be stated for the remaining three tracks, every one does sufficient to tell apart itself, too.
Particularly, “The Equable” is peppered with church bells and dense sing-along choruses, in addition to a larger give attention to respiration room between the brutality. In distinction, the title observe offsets the prevailing chaos with hauntingly rustic harmonies and acoustic guitar strums, simply as sorrowful nearer “Abyssal Communication” wraps issues up with a self-professed emphasis on “cinematic” manufacturing, ritualistic rhythms, and mournful singing. In a approach, it’s like a stunning hybrid of Persefone, TesseracT, Leprous and Ihsahn that pierces your soul and by no means leaves.
Lingua Ignota: Half I is an awe-inspiring testomony to Persefone’s stylistic hegemony and private/skilled resilience. In spite of everything, they might’ve simply simply recaptured the precise chemistry that made Metanoia so unbelievable (or let the departure of Pia signify their demise). As a substitute, they rebounded expertly with a commendable new singer and route, leading to a set whose conciseness makes it immensely replayable and whose artistry undoubtedly matches what preceded it.
As such, Lingua Ignota: Half I is each an ideal place to start out with Persefone and a rewarding reminder of why they’ve spent 20 years dominating the tech/excessive demise metallic scene.
Persefone’s Lingua Ignota: Half I drops Friday, February 2 through Napalm Data. Preorder your copy as we speak.
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