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Art Inferno > Abyssvs Abyssvm Invocat > Reviews
Art Inferno - Abyssvs Abyssvm Invocat

The early days of orchestral metal - 100%

Scapulla, May 30th, 2014

I still can't believe I bought this album without even looking up any information on this band. It's like destiny, it was meant to happen. All owners of this album know that this band has mastered the genre of symphony. People yet still believe Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir started symphonic black metal. This release proves everyone wrong, as not only it is one the best earliest symphonic black metal albums, but also was recorded in a real orchestra. Keep in mind this was back in 1999, what’s the chances of a black metal band recording an album in an orchestra? Who the hell would afford that? I remember the first time i heard this album; it scared the fuck out of me. Art Inferno produce so many different atmospheres, there are songs where they scare the hell out of you, make you feel lonely, and even sometimes make you happy. The opening track starts off with monstrous type of voice talking until the epic drums and strings kick in. This is when you know you're in for one hell of a ride. The type of symphonic black metal Art Inferno play is unique and rare. When you think of classical black metal bands, half of the song is all piano with high pitched vocals. When you think of symphonic black metal band, you'd expect blast beats with keyboards everywhere. Art Inferno remind me of the old styles that Norther and Tyrant(Japan) use to play but longer. We're talking about non-stop drumming with keyboards, xylophones, and strings at the same time.

On this album there are four instrumental tracks, it can't get any better than that. The strings do all the work by creating epic melancholic notes that lead up to another. Nintendo wish they had a song like "Interludium: Sigillum Luciferi" for one of their games. As epic as these songs get, they also represent torture and chaos. You can hear noises of slaves in all of the instrumentals. When you hear ''Postludium: Fornacem Ignis Aeterni'', you hear babies crying this time with haunting keyboards. It's like a nightmare listening to these instrumentals - believe it or not. I hardly see any bands use the xylophone, but again Art Inferno did not write ''Crying Mirrors'' as it was a guest named ‘’Flamaent’’ who wrote it. The song goes for a minute and thirty seven seconds, waste that time and listen to this track. Every time I hear this track, it makes me happy. Funny thing is its the same note over and over, I guess it's representing the time of a clock.

I honestly hate lengthy songs, but who cares when there’s a different chorus every minute? Art Inferno usually tends to change the pace of their songs to create different atmospheres. When Art Inferno goes back to playing slowly, the vocalist does falsetto black metal vocals. These vocals are unique and you'll hardly hear them anywhere else. The vocalist is also the mixer of the album, so this is why his vocals sound so good. These lengthy songs might be long, but they sure are epic. Bands like Drudkh and Summoning are considered epic black metal, but their songs are slow, boring, and mainly consist of acoustic guitars. If Art Inferno's music is orchestral, its definitely epic as fuck then.

The production of this album is surprisingly good, but you can expect that when it is actually recorded in an actual orchestra. All instruments can be clearly heard. The spread use of different type of vocals is useful when you're changing melody a lot as it doesn't bore the listener. Nerio sounds literally like Dani Filth, although the only difference is that Nerio didn't autotune his voice. Nerio and the guitarist Magister Archeron both do the keyboards, something you don't see everyday.

I still can't believe these guys never released another album. It's like Scarlet Records didn't know what to do with these guys even though they were so good using their instruments. It seems these guys put a lot of money into this album and didn't make much back from it. I think this can be the only reason why they haven't released anything else. I still hope they would return one day, because when they do, they will create a new era of symphonic black metal. The year 1999 is known as one of the best years of metal, and this release is another reason to remind you why.

from the depths of empty desolation - 100%

raveneyeslikemirrors, February 18th, 2012

I find it a challenge to have to write a review on such a recording as this for some very clear reasons. Art Inferno to this day is a name few would ever hear or lift their heads up to. My discovery of them was while doing research on a demo tape I was curious about from their previous project Journey Through the Dark. I was a little curious when I found their later black metal project, but the crappy cover art did not help to get me too excited. It was only when on a tread on MA asking for 'truly frightening black metal music' that I saw some one pop up and mention them. No one really responded to that suggestion, but seeing as I had known of the band I decided to check this out. So, finding this band was a real chance coincidence. The real weight of a review on this album is the knowledge that it appears either that no one sees this music as I do, or that they to this point have been ignored or not give a chance by the community. My most grievous challenge is to be able to relate to others why this album is criminally ignored and absolutely worth listening to. And with that meager cover art, the gushing orgasms of vampyric CoF style goth, and the empty drum machine it would be so hard to convince anyone in the current scene to even give this the time of day.

There is a select few I can appeal to though. Some may have noticed that in Italy, some black metal bands such as Evol and Abhor are punctuated with some of the most primitive and silly synthwork one could ever imagine. A select few see that this is all intentional. Simply put, there was already since the 70's with Jacula a pre-existing musical world in Italy centered around occult, devil worship, and horror film fodder. Goblin of course is the most well obvious example. Others being Antonious Rex, Death SS, Paul Chain, Devil Doll, Black Hole and most likely many others. And this world is what some Italian BM bands have reached to for their inspiration. I've never heard a descriptive term for it so I just simply call this insualr scene Italian horror black (in reference to Goblin's horror film soundtracks).

Some know of what I talk about, therefore I will say that Art Inferno are absolutely part of this. Moreover, they are even more than that.

This is not normal black metal. It took me a while of further research to see what was happening here. It is quite clear to me that the members of this band stumbled into Maldoror's 'Ars Magicka'. Those who know that album, this is exactly what Art Inferno aimed for. They execute gothic black metal filled with thick songs of intense technicality and epic structures. This such a work is a real challenge, and this band did not at all have the sheer fortune that Maldoror did by possessing a masterfully competent drummer like Drakon. They unfortunately have to settle with a drum machine. This is a great loss for music like this, but in no way at all should this be taken against them when weighed with what they do succeed in. So yes, they sought to create another 'Ars Magicka' in one sense, but there is a difference. Whereas Maldoror went for a fine, to the point church ceremonial sound, Art Inferno took a more symphonic route. They come across as trying to utilize the kind of atmosphere Cradle of Filth used to go for. But what Cradle of Filth are limited on Art Inferno has in spades. The atmosphere... HOLY SHIT THE ATMOSPHERE! There is far far more than just a cheesy gothic tone, there is something so deeply sinister.. even moreso something so very sorrowful, abyssmal, miserable. It is cold, desolate, demonic yes, but most of all truly lonely and sad. The melodic lines weep, serenaded by strings and settled among whispered invocations and ghostly ambient noises. Even Maldoror are not capable of this level of sorrow. They give long breath to these sombre passages and such variety fills them: bells, organs, pianos, Goblin-esque electronic lines, actual chorals of women chanting, all in supplication to either the darksome noises of hell or to one bleeding melodic line of such sad beauty. And then they swell to crest and with a piercing scream, blazing technical black metal takes a full on assault. And yet the grand orchestrations remain. Hell, the guitars even take notice and pick up on the same sad melodic riffs themselves. Utterly divine.

Each song on this album is filled with intricate craftsmanship. Many cohesive ideas are woven together with great and delicate skill and never once do they stitch a weak point into their tapestry. Another thing to note is that like Maldoror they rely heavily on technical leads. But here there is just one guitar and not the dueling twin leads of Maldoror. Nonetheless it is just as powerful in it harmonies and is often dueled against a synth passage with occasional burst of polyphony. Each metal passage is linked to each other by one of their ambinet/symphoinc interludes. These pieces are absolutely as essential as their metal counterparts for they contain the aspects I feel that person who recommended this album was trying to highlight on the forum. These sections are crafted in with such insight as that I am willing to say the are at times genuinely frightening, something very very few black metal artists are ever able to achieve. I'm sure many would argue with me on this, especially with the fact Art Inferno make such a heavy use of the gothic element. Gothic or not, truly great writing is the most essential and that is what they have, the ability not to just be scary, but to be cruely sorrowful as well. It is a true pity that this band could not find a drummer that would play this difficult material for them. This is not like Limbonic Art, this kind of music with this technicality you can not be evoked effectively with a drum machine. Pity yes, but it is understandably forgiven for what they have done with their little resources. Everything else overrides that. Some goes for the poor artwork of the album. Just dig up any of Caspar David Freidrich's more sombre works, maddening Medieval religious art, or the beautiful tarot deck Crowley created and you shall have a suitable source of imagery for this music.

I am listening again to the opening of “Be Silence my Ossuary”.. the sounds are so distant and quiet, but they are murder on the heart in their melody and bring tears to my eyes. So very desolate and alone. Soon the chants will begin and the metal will rise back in all its fury of mad leads and sweep me away. I have tried my best here. It is sad that few have noticed this music or are willing to not hold a prejudice against gothic style and recognize what this band did here. It is more a pity that they all but disappeared after this opus. I could care less about the hype of the long lost band no one knows. Good music like this should be heard and more available and I would gladly take the idea of them writing more stuff than that whole 'kult legacy' of the long lost demo or single album. But that is the way it is. Best for me is to provide this review for them. So if you have spotted this cd for sale or trade and are looking here to find out if it is of interest... let me say unless you have a real disgust for gothic elements, this album is most definitely worth it. I have had it for 3 years now and I listen to it all the time and still consider it one of the greatest things ever to come out of Italian black metal. Get it.

Awesome symphonic black metal - 90%

cuervo_pagano, May 26th, 2004

This is one of my all-time favourite black metal albums, but it has a problem: the instrumentals. The album has 10 tracks: five songs and five instrumentals, I would like more songs and less instrumentals because the songs are just amazing!! This band makes a great use of the keyboards, with a really dark and esoteric atmosphere, worthy of the great works of Milton and Dante. This synth work is compared as a mix between Wagner and Cradle of Filth,,, nonsense, it has its personality and portraits those hellish images painted by Hieronymus Bosch with nightmarish creatures, tormented souls, fire rivers, eternal tortures...

The vocals are sometimes the classic rasp, sometimes shrieks similar to Dani Filth, and the riffs are pretty good.

You'll enjoy this album if you are a fan of symphonic black metal (like me), If you like Limbonic Art, Ancient Ceremony, Eblis or something similar, then you must listen this CD.
If you got tired of Cradle of Filth (their later albums are horrible) you must give this band a chance, because Abyssus Abyssum Invocat is a killer album.