originally written by Jim Brandon
October is slowly reaching its end. The moon is full tonight, with a lone star shining brightly in the dark blue sky as the strains of Haeresiarchs Of Dis pierce the serenity of this peaceful Dallas night. These sounds are cold, but do not induce frostbite, as the blood that pumps through Denuntiatus Cinis simultaneously brings understated heat typical of American black metal and the harsh clarity of Norwegian counterparts. I’ve become quite acclimated to this album; a rare beast which captivates from the immediate onset and gradually sinks its claws deeper with each passing note. It’s been a long time coming, but this is the closest I’ve come to being completely enthralled by an album this year.
What brings me to such close rapture is the feeling of nostalgia without redundancy. Undoubtedly, there is a spirit of an Emperor locked tightly within this shell, but its physicality is decidedly ambitious in terms of black metal bombast. The riffs, both rugged and supple, exemplify the odd contrast Dis so hatefully spits forth, and the occasionally rich melodic vocals cast a pall of discord which brings to mind the soaring moments of the lethal Anaal Nathrakh.
Production-wise, there is an occasional frailty and bare-bones exposure that avoids necro styling but still seems to be a bit allergic to the deeper tones found in many modern USBM bands. The vibrancy of “Intent The Augury” is complemented by the rather transparent resonance, boosted by lamenting guitars and a wide variety of vocal diversions that add texture and mood during its eight-plus minute length. Unpredictably, “Bemoan The Fallen” takes a sharp turn into folk territory, with an almost Gaelic-inspired sidestep into a less outwardly aggressive stance, but lacking any kind of ironic wit. It’s a risk well worth taking, and “Median Existere” quickly returns to rapidly picked, jangling tremolo and a magnificently off-kilter percussive barrage.
For the most part, these songs are bulky without being too overblown, and the grooves that pop up unexpectedly add a great deal of grounded weight to help break up the Wrath Of The Tyrant overtones which permeate so profoundly throughout. Any flaw to point out lies directly within the aesthetic itself, for this is certainly well-worn ground with very deep-seated inspiration. But with tunes like “Nine Days They Fell” stretching the choral boundaries this one-man project has established for himself, the overall picture is frequently stunning to behold. For being a particularly long album, there is a minimum of nonsense or self-indulgent repetition to suffer through, notably during the positively wild “Intent Postremo Enclosure Orsorum.”
California has become an unlikely breeding ground for great USBM bands (Necrite, Leviathan, Battle Dagorath), and the sophomore release from the feral-sounding Cernunnos is one of strong ambition, blending classic vibes with unusual attachments, such as the quick piano that introduces “Ad Baculum” and then dives into violently irregular riffs that mix with further melodic vocals, and consistently interesting drum patterns. It’s wonderful to experience such a faithful nod towards the forefathers while still getting a very ‘new’ feeling from start to finish.
The new Woe has its high moments, and Krieg’s latest takes anger to new levels for Imperial, but Haeresiarchs Of Dis is by far the most reckless, bloodthirsty release I’ve heard this year from a USBM band. No brief undertaking, Denuntiatus Cinis is exactly what I’ve been longing to hear this year; a careless, brazenly trend-free homage to timeless music that stands on its own as an album that comes so damn close to sheer brilliance. For now, I don’t need much more than this.
