Locus Mortis
Voust
6.7
Synopsis:
Locus Mortis is a traditional black metal band from Italy, who on their second album, deliver a solid effort of blistering, vitriolic, yet slightly melodic scathing black metal.
Review:
Reminding me of the recent release from Hungary’s Aetherius Obscuritas, or maybe Watain as well as country mates Celestia, Voust is full of shrill, sweeping tremolo picked riffs and slicing harmonies that deliver some fine moments of blackened ferocity, but not necessarily great or genre defining ones.
Other than the song titles and Italian lyrics, you would think Locus Mortis were from the craggy depths of Norway or Sweden based on their competent and swirling vortex of frosty blasting riffs (“Avventa”, “Tempus Mortis”) and occasional atmospheric segues (“La XIII Porta”, “Sonno Eterno”) or discordance (“Resti”). From opener “Lasciate che Vengano a Me” to the closing title track, Locus Mortis display a solid grasp of black metal dynamics and musicianship. I would like to have heard a bit more of the band’s experimental side as on the more atonal “Respiro Del Morti” or the start of the title track.
The production is the smart middle ground between the primal side of black metal and its more polished sound-crisp guitars, slightly muted drums and simplistic bass, but more importantly it sounds like a black metal record by virtue of its mood and chord progressions, not its guitar tone.
The thing is, like so much black metal of this style, nothing just jumps out at you and cries ‘elite’ band or ‘classic’ album, plus there’s no one truly brilliant song that demands to be replayed. It's just eight solid ones that will please fans of the genre. Deathspell Omega or Averse Sefira this is not. More like Endstille, Glorior Belli, Obscure, Nidsang or Pantheon in their well executed assault of competent but familiar black metal.
