Imperium Magnum Infernalis

This is the sort of release I desperately wish I could hate but simply can't because it's so good. Mord's a supergroup of sorts with a pretty bizarre roster, and the inclusion of Malefic, even just on bass and synths, made me pretty leery, but the results in the form of 'Imperium Magnum Infernalis' are admittedly very good. Ironically, this album actually embodies all the things that suck about USBM but manages to use them in such a way that the end product is excellent. Who would've thought it was possible.

'Imperium Magnum Infernalis' is, in essence, a depressive black metal record, very much in the vein of all the European depressive artists out there but with a slightly more dissonant USBM spin on the riffing. The pace is fairly crawling, with repetitive and droning (apparently real though they sound programmed) drums and fairly static, ultra-distorted riffing. Since Malefic is here the bass is more audible than usual, and to the man's credit, the bass is actually employed in an effective manner, using counterpoint melodies under riffs to help expand the musical texture. Malefic also provides synths, which are, surprisingly enough, inaudible most of the time or simply not present apart from the synth-driven outro; when they do pop up they're serviceable if rather unremarkable. The production is essentially a 'turn the delay and reverb on everything way up' Breath Of Sorrows approach, which actually functions better than it should. You'll notice that that statement applies to just about everything on the album.

The music here really rests on the quality of its riffs, which are uniformly strong. The hint of dissonance is used rather well alongside the more euphonious depressive riffs to create an uneasy yet sorrowful atmosphere, further emphasized by the surprisingly good vocal performance of Striid, whose sort of intentionally weak grumblings, growls, and snarls help add texture to what's a fairly rhythmically static style. The record is steeped in atmosphere; a dusty and archaic breed of occult depression not really very similar to anything else out there but hinted at by artists such as Absonus Noctis.

Mord embodies all the stereotypes of modern US black metal: depressive leanings, minor elements of dissonance, static, droning rhythms, repetitive riffing, and poor production, but actually uses all these elements to the benefit of the album. The production is raw but still articulate while maintaining a balance between quality and atmosphere. The riffs, while depressive in nature, are surprisingly well thought out, with a lot of unexpected melodic turns occurring here and there to keep the listener guessing. Really, the compositional prowess here feels much more deep than your usual US depressive band, which is particularly surprising since I surmise this is an internet-based project due to the disparate geographical origins of the band members.

Well, I came into this expecting absolutely nothing but damn if Mord didn't really pull it together. I can wholeheartedly recommend this to any fan of depressive black metal; it's certainly one of the more carefully written and elegant examples of the style, particularly on the US front, that I've heard in a long time.

Mord are a black metal band with a lot of ties to some of the biggest acts in today's scene, perhaps mainly through Malefic's presence in the band. Funeral Mourning, Lugubre, Xasthur and Vrolok to name but a few. Whenever I look for new black metal bands, I tend to find associated bands through the ones I already enjoy listening to. This is exactly what I did when it came to Mord. I was reading up about Xasthur, as you do, and came across this band. Considering the only review on Metal Archives for 'Imperium Magnum Infernalis' is as good as good can be, I followed up my initial interest by checking the full-length, which also happens to be the bands debut, for myself. I wanted to judge it solely on what it produced for me and not by association.


People have a habit of liking, or completely ignoring the presence of a band through another, so I tried to avoided conflicted emotions. I successfully managed to look passed any doubt in my mind that was holding me back from hearing 'Imperium Magnum Infernalis'. The result of this persistence is pleasing. 'Imperium Magnum Infernalis' is a black metal record very much to my liking. I can see a slight resemblance to Xasthur, actually. The atmospheric qualities of Mord are much like they are on Xasthur's better quality sounding full-lengths. This is particularly in reference to 'To Violate The Oblivious', which is probably my favourite Xasthur record. Mord also contain elements that lead me to see influences in other directions.


However, I find it's probably quite unfair to name drop, despite the fact that I have done already. Mord are their own band, with their own sound. The way in which the music is produced and laid down for the audience suggests that Mord want to be their own influence. Each musician in this band will obviously take parts of other bands they been in and mould them into Mord because they know what works for them. The main influence simply has to be Xasthur. In terms of the vocals, the overall sound of 'Imperium Magnum Infernalis' ... Everything. Malefic appears to have had the greater output on this record and his experience in the field of generating a grim sound has paid off.


It came as no surprise to me that Malefic is in charge of the keyboards. As I stated earlier, the atmospheric qualities of this band are much like that of Xasthur. His influence on this record is undeniable. The keyboards are perhaps the strongest element of Mord's 'Imperium Magnum Infernalis'. They create an ever-present atmosphere which lingers over the other instruments like a cloud of thunder and lightning. Ready and waiting to strike it's audience with another euphoric earful of wave after wave of attacks. The piercing and probing keyboards often steady the ship.


They build foundations for Mord to stand on. Foundations which allow the bass to play a huge part in creating that deep and dark sound, persistently plucking out elements of bands that have had great success in this field of music. A disappointment is probably the fact that the production of this release does change. For some reason, unbeknownst to me, the production alters. The lo-fi sound is projected louder and farther than before. It doesn't suit Mord's style. The eerie sound quality that is placed on the first few songs is better suited to Mord.


Each instrument is supported well. The keyboards are perhaps, by and large, the reason why the buzzing of the down tuned guitars, the low bass and the piercing percussion all blend together successfully. The vocals aren't particularly special, high rasping sounds unleashed in an unfathomable style. They, of course, are indecipherable, but that doesn't hinder the progress the rest of Mord's aspects make. If anything, the vocals draw attention to the better parts of Mord's game. The bass, in particular. Sorrowful waves of sound slide of the tips of the strings. Mord's 'Imperium Magnum Infernalis' is one for the black metal demon inside you waiting to be released.

I had high hopes for this album from the beginning. I myself am a huge Xasthur fan, and seeing that Malefic was playing bass for the band, I was quite sure that Mord would be very interesting to hear (Despite the lyrical themes).

The song opens up with Necrobestiality = Goatworship, which has a raw powerful sound. It starts off with a very catchy and trancing guitar riff and extreme vocals. The vocals are really inhuman and hard to get over. The guitars has a quite... depressive sound with the main guitar riffs. Drums are hard to hear because of the "hissing" noise that was caused by the recording device(s). And its hard to hear the bass guitar. In about the middle of the song, everything slows down and a keyboard comes into play, and from there its like falling into an endless abyss of despair... You can truly hear the sorrow.


Track two is Occulta Sodomistica, which automaticaly makes you want to weep. The song takes you deeper into anguish with every passing second. The vocals again are extremely inhuman, but for some reason are painful to hear. Not because they arent good, but because they make you feel emotional pain. The Guitars have the (again) depressive sound with the buzz sounds playing along... The bass lines are much easier to hear in this song, and the Bass couldnt have mixed in more perfectly with the song. Drums are minimalistic, but mix well. And there are keyboards in most of the song that just add to Depressive sound


Track three is In Nomine Sathanas, which starts off with a low sound then gradually fades in with every instrument. This specific song is a bit slower compared to the rest of the songs. The keyboard is much louder, and the drums are hard to hear again. The guitar still has that same buzz sound (which fits the music perfectly). The vocals come in a bit later in the song but also still has that torture feeling in it. Bass is easier to hear in this song as well, and have slow strums, that just make you put your head down.

Track Four is Part I - Summon The Beast/Part II - Seeds Of Evil, which has a complete different sound then the entire album. You can tell that they are demo tracks. The sound is alot rougher and it is hard to hear everything (although bass seems easy to hear). The vocals arent has appealing to me in this specific song then the rest of the album. To be honest, this song stuck out the most because it gives you a complete different feel compared to the rest of the album. Sort of a different kind of sadness

The final track is Rise From Hades, which is a pure instrumental track. It starts off in the first few seconds very depressing, then all of a sudden makes your eyebrows raise... The song is a very interesting track, reminds me of Xasthur's instrumental tracks... They sound similar, but in a way that they are not rip offs. Very transive track though... I loved it.

Overall the album was amazing, I couldnt speak at all during the entire playing of the cd, and I still cannot to be honest... This is not an album you bootlegg!!!, by all meens you purchase this album as well as the Vinyl, For any Black Metal fan, this is an album you should listen to before you find your death. I guarantee that after you listen to this album you will want death...