One of the things I love about reviewing is that sometimes I come across bands that are real gems that I would never have known about otherwise. Deathspell Omega is one of those bands. These mysterious Frenchmen stay true to the spirit of traditional, raw black metal, but at the same time manage to put their own genuine spin on the genre.
This 36-minute EP, split between three epic tracks, also shows progression from their previous efforts, which I was inspired to check out after hearing Kénôse. Inquisitors of Satan from 2002, for example, has a much more traditional, trebly sound to it. But on Kénôse, the production level has increased slightly, allowing Deathspell Omega to be able to carve their own niche in true black metal. The drums are more audible (you can actually hear more than the snare this time) and the guitars are a little clearer, giving every blasphemous riff the chance the shine through. Worry not, black metal purists, it still sounds like it comes from the murky depths of misanthropy. What is special about Kénôse is that the frightening atmospheres are created with doomy, even earthy, textures. The production is just right: it's not murky, but computers also have not molested it. It still sounds as raw as ever, but now you can distinguish all of the instruments.
The first track, "Kénôse I", is over fifteen minutes long and, like the entire EP, is a journey through many different blackened textures and timbres. The first four minutes are very ominous and drone-like, with doomy, cymbal-heavy drumming and slow, gloomy guitar and bass repetitions. Then, all of a sudden, there is the hair-raising sound of a choir from deep within the bowels of hell; the sound of a horn, and then the highly satisfying, blast-beat-punctuated riffage starts pounding away at your skull. The riffs are pure genius, and it was a great move to not bury them in the mix this time around. In between the technical onslaughts, the band also inserts some slower, cleaner, doomier passages that fit perfectly. Honestly, I was starting to think metal could not come up with any original riffs anymore but, fortunately, Deathspell Omega came along to prove me wrong.
"Kénôse II" and "Kénôse III" are just as unpredictable. There is almost a prog feel to Kénôse. There are plenty of unusual rhythms, and although the riffs are always dissonant and sinister, they are also ever changing and highly original. You don't even get the chance to get bored with one riff before they move on to another. Even when the band slows down it sounds every bit as apocalyptic. And the best part is that it all comes together seamlessly. The lyrics (which I had to look up online) are also very interesting and all are related to religious topics, although you'd never be able to decipher the vocalist's snarls.
Kénôse will blow away any idea you may have of what black metal is supposed to sound like. And the amazing thing is that this is all packed into an EP. I haven't heard a half-hour of music so enjoyable and unique in a long time. Kénôse is an unholy testament to why Deathspell Omega is quickly becoming one of my favorite black metal bands of this decade. Even if you are just a little interested in black metal, you really need to check out this EP. There is something special going on here.
