Filii Nigrantium Infernalium
Fellatrix Discordia Pantokrator
8.2
This is a little more like it. Lately I’ve been stuck with black metal that’s made me want to rip off appendages in frustration. But, Filii Nigrantium Infernalium have the right ideas about how groovy melodic BM should be, and Fellatrix Discordia Pantokrator is oddly more of a hodgepodge than anything else. Strangely enough, this is the Portuguese’s debut full-length even though they’ve existed for almost fifteen years, but if the quality of output speaks volumes, as it does here, then I’m not going to complain.
I was truly impressed, right off the bat, due to Belarhauzer’s vocals. In what is arguably a nod to In the Woods… (circa HEart of the Ages) and Fleurety (circa Min Tid Skal Komme), Belarhauzer’s primal screams touch a nerve within me, which is a small victory in and of itself because most BM vocalists just grumble without any semblance of emotion or character. After the introduction, aptly-titled “Intro,” “Calypso” blastsoff with a bevy of melodious guitar leads serving as its propulsion, though the rapid-fire drumming doesn’t tarry in the least bit. Star Wars hooligans will definitely want to check out the song’s end; it’s quite a surprise, but not anymore! The next tune, namely “Bordel No Eden,” features operatic female vocals in the vein of Sarah Jezebel Deva (Cradle of Filth, Angtoria), and boasts compelling instrumentation to match.
Whereas “Azur” and “Morte Geometrica” latch onto thrash leanings like Aura Noir, “A Forca de Deus” and “Sacra Morte” endorse a heavy metal feeling that rarely enters black metal territory without getting raped mercilessly. Anyway, pardon my jumping around, but the last three minutes of “Caes de Guerra” should not be missed. Also, one must remember that the above-mentioned (sub)genres only make cameos, and are by no means indicative of what Filii Nigrantium Infernalium primarily sound like.
Perhaps it’s unnecessary to say so – has that ever stopped me before? – but Fellatrix Discordia Pantokrator is all over the board, as far as style is concerned. While some may view that attribute as their Achilles’ heel, I believe it to be their cornerstone. That is, it kept me interested from start to finish, which is a substantive achievement considering most BM makes me want to hang myself due to its laughable juvenility. Immersing yourself in Filii Nigrantium Infernalium is recommended, I conclude, though this contains not a speck of grimness. It is, however, a great listen even when weighed against some of the better black metal I’ve heard.
