La Singulière Noirceur
d'un Astre is the third full length by Ars Moriendi from France. The country
has been bringing out some amazing black metal to the front in the past few decades.
While black metal bands across the world are mostly about anti-religion, war,
death and blasphemy, the French bands have made their own mark by going in the
philosophical and artistic black metal sound, and Ars Moriendi are no
different.
The album title
translates to ‘The Peculiar Blackness of a Star’, referring to a black hole and
the perfect expression of the nothingness and annihilation power that no one
can imagine, a deep philosophical approach rarely to be seen in a black metal
record.
Before the first spin
of the album begins, it should be pointed that the whole record is the work of
a single man – Arsonist. And this is not just another bedroom one man black
metal project, the sound although maintaining its rawness has a very quality
production to it throughout. The record reeks of pure black metal power, albeit
at a slower pace wonderfully infused with dark melancholic atmospheric sounds.
‘De l'intouchable Mort
(Untouchable Death)’ starts off with the
screeches giving the listener a feel of death of humanity, before slowly
turning into a depressive atmosphere, with symphonic keyboard playing in the
background with haunting narrative lyrics. The transitions from the Black Metal
to a depressive dark ambient sounds being totally seamless.
‘De ma Dague (From My
Dagger)’ begins with an almost post-rock electronic sounding intro, before
going into a powerful atmospheric black metal sound, showing the kind of variety
the album brings forth. The single guitar tune playing to a ghastly background
tune midway of the track takes the listener to a different dimension. The title
track, the longest of the album has a slow atmospheric build up, before going
into galloping riffs. The track shows further variation as there are succinct
junctions of progressive sounds in between, showcasing the diversity of the
record.
Overall, the album is a
powerful atmospheric black metal record, but unlike any other you might have
heard before. The diversity on the record and the perfect fusion of black metal
sounds and dark atmospheric sounds, elevate the listening experience. This is
indeed a very unique album, meant to be enjoyed in total isolation.
