Escumergamënt: a name still unknown to many but which I am sure will spread like wildfire pretty soon. This mysterious Swedish band basically came out of nowhere in 2020 and on the 12th of March AB released its debut album, “...ni degu fazentz escumergamënt e mesorga...” on the Italian label Avantgarde Music. Since the band’s essence is deeply rooted in the glorious 90s, Escumergamënt has more things in common with that scene instead of the modern one, this album definitely standing above many of the releases of today, when it comes to composition and originality.
To begin with, both the band’s name and the album title are in a language called Occitan, which is still used sporadically in some parts of France, and was known in the early middle ages as the language of the troubadours. The fact that the band has chosen a different “dead” language instead of the already over-hyped Latin means a lot to me, as I feel they have cleverly avoided one of the commercial traps many black metal bands have fallen into these past years. Cause no, having the album name, song titles or even lyrics in Latin does not make you more (oc)cult, evil of smart. In recent years many black metal bands have pretended to be the most evil and dangerous, but the truth is only a handful of them have been able to prove it by releasing a record with such a truly evil feeling as “...ni degu fazentz escumergamënt e mesorga...“. Also, the anonymity of the 4 musicians is not just another commercial stunt, it really plays a strong part here by keeping the listener’s attention focused solely on the music, an aspect somehow often overlooked in today’s “extreme music scene”.
Looking at the beautiful purple picture that adorns the album cover you’d have a hard time guessing what kind of music is on the record. If there are no inverted crosses, pentagrams or other satanic clichés displayed on the cover, it doesn’t mean an album cannot be evil as fuck. On the contrary. Without any doubt, this record is one of the most malicious black metal albums that I have listened to recently. The deep darkness and the real sense of evil which emanate from this recording are something that I would not have thought possible anymore.
One of the strongest points of this album is the cold atmosphere, created by the use of many keyboards/synths which give the music a somehow psychedelic, bombastic, even dungeon synth vibe. The songs are quite long and contain a lot of tempo changes, with different layers of aggression and melody. The riffs are repetitive and monotonous, sometimes incredible catchy (e.g “To Envy the Corpses“), but that makes the music even more enjoyable. Those riffs add a level of oppression, of abandonment if you like, which makes you sink even lower into this abyss of desperation that Escumergamënt has created. The drums have different tempos, from aggressive to slow, doomy and even ritualistic beats, but the overall feeling is they all serve as torches guiding you through the dark corridors that take you to the bowels of the earth. The vocals are another strong point of the record, their raspy, menacing tone fitting perfectly into this horrid picture that is “...ni degu fazentz escumergamënt e mesorga...“.
“This is the place I have longed for
Where everything is gone
A freezing wind I have felt before
But only remembered in my dreams”
Do not make the mistake to label this album as symphonic black metal just because of the keyboards. This is a very solid black metal record, definitely no easy music to enjoy yourself with on a sunny day either. Songs like “Of Old Night and Winter“, “Antediluvium” (with its bombastic synths and “Life Eternal“-like bass guitar), “I Sang of Murder” or “Black Ash and Ruin” are enough proof that something very unholy and disturbing is going on there. The six songs flow swiftly one into another, wrapped in an intriguing and eerie veil of keyboards, obsessive riffs and haunting vocals. This 44 minute album is a melancholic and desolate journey in darkness, time and imagination, where symbols, images and inner fears intertwine perfectly. The band has labelled their six tracks as keys and each of them opens different doors (or portals) of perception. I leave it up to you to discover the hidden meanings of the handwritten lyrics and of the symbols inserted in the booklet, as they go hand in hand. If this album is a door, do you have the guts to open it and step through it?
The mastering done by Tore Stjerna in his famous Necromorbus studio is the Midas touch on this memorable album, but his input did not polish the sound to the level of perfection. The recording is murky, raw, almost “live”, as if the band has deliberately left some tiny “flaws” here and there along the way, conferring it a truly appreciated authenticity.
You might say that what I wrote above may sound as ramblings , but believe me when I say it’s fucking hard to put into words the essence of this record. The best way to hear for yourselves is to buy this album, I guarantee you will not be disappointed. This is an album that deserves to be in every collection because of the cover, the booklet and most of all because of the music.
As a whole, this debut record is an unsettling experience, so I recommend a proper setting before pressing the “play” button. Kill the lights, put on the headphones and listen carefully. Once immersed in darkness you’ll soon discover the beautiful “monotony”of the chords and riffs, the grandeur of the keyboards and the ritualistic drumming. This is a dark, mysterious and enticingly beautiful record, one of the best releases that came out in the recent decade, with a great focus on atmosphere and memorable musicianship.
Escumergamënt – “...ni degu fazentz escumergamënt e mesorga...” Track list:
1. Of Old Night and Winter
2. To Envy the Corpses
3. Antediluvium
4. I Sang of Murder
5. The Grievous Miracle
6. Black Ash and Ruin
Band Links:
https://escumergament.bandcamp.com/album/ni-degu-fazentz-escumergament-e-mesorga
https://avantgardemusic.bandcamp.com/album/ni-degu-fazentz-escumergam-nt-e-mesorga
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