Ignis Mortis is a black metal band hailing from Finland. While the band may be new, its members seem to have had a long activity in the Finnish underground, playing in bands like Arthemesia, Rienaus, Cavus or Grieve. “Hæresis Maleficarum” is the band’s first material and it will come out on the 9th of February, released by the Finnish cult label Hammer of Hate on a limited edition MCD.
The 3 tracks on this EP are just great. The music is filled with melancholy and melody, but it’s also infused with a good dose of aggression and hate (that’s quite a trait for many Finnish black metal bands, right?). These elements combined together create a very intensive and introspective atmosphere, in which you are immersed from the very beginning of the 1st track, “Noitasapatin irstaat syöjättäret“. This also happens to be the longest track on the MCD, running for almost 10 minutes, but it’s the perfect opener for sure.
The angelic choir and the bells in the background serve as a beautiful prelude until the harsh vocals enter the stage. Mid tempo drums, Burzum-ish keyboards and a wall of riffs follow close, taking you on a melancholic descent into hell. Even if long, this track is absolutely haunting and obsessive, with its monotonous double bass drumming and wailing guitar riffs. The shrieks and the clean vocals add a disturbing feeling to the whole song, as you fall deeper and deeper into the pits of Hades. As the fires of hell eventually burn you to death, you hear the birds cheerfully chirping around you, as if your life starts anew.
The second track, “Kali Yuga Mysticus“, is a bit faster and more aggressive while still using those melancholic guitar riffs. Some blast beasts make their way for the first time as they add a nice layer of brute force to the picture, but overall the band sticks to the same mid tempo rhythm. The vocals are again top class, switching between traditional black metal screams and choir like vocals, as if prophesizing the downfall of life.
The third and final track is the most energetic of all, as it consists mostly of pounding blast beats and piercing guitars. The main line of the track is very melodic and it stays with you even after the song is over. The keyboards in the background elegantly add a majestic feeling to the song, without stepping over the other instruments. “Sanguine Luciferian Vampirism” is a vengeful track, bloody and satanic, and combines perfectly all the elements present on the previous two songs. I really like the way this MCD has been crafted, as the 3 songs flow smoothly one into another, slowly building the tempo until the last track, when everything erupts into a final explosion of fire, brimstone and ash.
After listening to the EP several times before writing this review I could not help noticing the excellent production on this material, which really helps you hear everything clearly, yet without sounding plastic and artificial. Even if it’s not too up front, the bass guitar is there and you can hear its fat, crunchy lines during the songs. Same goes for the keyboards, which have a nice melancholic touch and help build the atmosphere, while remaining discreet in the background.
As a conclusion, I consider “Hæresis Maleficarum” as a perfect debut for a band like Ignis Mortis. I really liked this material a lot and I am absolutely certain the other Ignis Mortis releases will be at least as good as this EP. If you’re looking for quality black metal with great atmosphere and excellent musicianship, then go buy this MCD, it’s absolutely fantastic.
Ignis Mortis Line-Up:
Valtias – Vocals
Ammutseba – Guitars / Synths
Aghori – Bass / Guitars / Synths
Faen – Drums
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