It's truly awesome when you patiently wait for a release, hoping that it will match the intensity of the single released in promotion for it, and you not only get what you were looking for but so much more. Bornless Fire's "Arcanum", the debut album from a brand new project from Kristof Bathory, more well known for his Dawn Of Ashes band, is contrastingly symphonic and beautiful, while being destructively brutal and dissonant. This album definitily bridges the inspiring and the antagonistic with sonic grace. And considering the subject matter, Left-Hand Path Esotercism and Ritualistic Magick, it makes sense that the album effectively resolves the paradoxical states of the above and below. And while we speaking of contrasting states, interestingly enough, despite the propelling aggressive nature of music filled with pulsing and/or distorted synthetics, much of the music has an darker and brooding flow to it, sounding almost like something you could find on particularly sinister soundtrack. Adding to this cinematic quality is an extensive array of mystical or otherworldly samples and some pretty majestic sounding symphonic material.
Veering between the hauntingly atmospheric to the blisteringly intense often within a short period of time, this album's tendency for masterfully blended contrast of extremes works perfectly all throughout the album, never making you question the mixtures of drum machine propelled blast-beats, soaring choirs, and pulsing futurepop inspired synth melodies, effortlessly combined and topped by vocals that walk the perfect line between his old aggrotech days and his new black metal growls. And the vocals! Truly a particular strong point, quite literally, throughout the album, coming across with a sort of intensity that often requires no processing. Just pure raw emotion and spirit pushed out with convincing conviction. Bathory's adherence to sobriety and the dark arts seem to have payed him well with his vocals sounding better then they ever have. The lyrics predominantly pertain to self-empowerment, magick and Left-Hand Path inspired mythology, and as someone who has all the same interests this is pure gold for me. And to be honest, I think anyone even not of the "dark arts" mindset could enjoy the intensity of there projection, as well as there overall inspiring nature. You don't have to be a left-hand practitioner to want to take charge of your world and make some real difference, or to enjoy some spooky stories. So if you want some inspiring and intense lyrics packed over some of the most well crafted beats you'll find in the dark-electro-industrial music scene then come and get it!
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