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Celestia > Frigidiis Apotheosia: Abstinencia Genesiis > Reviews
Celestia - Frigidiis Apotheosia: Abstinencia Genesiis

well-mannered black metal for old people - 75%

ergriefer, November 15th, 2009

My wife asked me to buy this when we saw it at a show-side distro. I had heard the Sumptuous Spectre album previously, and while I felt that Celestia had command of well-composed, decidedly French gothy riffs, the vocals were mixed impossibly high, crushing all other elements and making the disc unlistenable with its disembodied weak squealing dominating and distracting from what was otherwise at least pleasurable. That album was a good example of blkk mtttl kvltish amateurist recording missing the mark for dusty atmosphere, replacing the heady feeling of unearthed antiquated tombs with mere annoyance.

So after a few years wait, I imagine Celestia has tried to address all these problems. On Frigidis Apotheosia you get high-quality production, decent packaging and layout, and pretty much all the marks of mercantile professionalism. In fact, one could be made to think that this is Celestia's bid for international black metal ultra-niche semi-stardom, with all that surrounds this release. The vocals are mixed at a reasonable level, though the similar timbre recalls the feelings that turned me off of Sumptuous Spectre. Malefic even lends a hand with some eerie synth.

This album is predominantly mid-paced, but with active, rock-ish drums instead of the usual Burzumic pulse. Many of the songs are in the same key, but there are ample deviations to seperate individual tunes. Noktu's focus, as always, is on pleasantly morbid melodies and baroque progressions, and Celestia succeeds in providing an air of sophistication beyond the adolescent angst of most Black Metal. I'm reminded occasionally of a Mystic Forest or Eikenskaden, with more focused arrangements but less innate skill than Kozak's projects.

The theme is of Noktu's deduction of a certain kind of "abstinence" that resembles the Taoist method of "active inaction" or withdrawal from the addiction and distractions of the world. I can only guess what else he's "abstaining" from. It's admirable, and I'm sure some sort of resolve is involved, but it's hardly an exciting topic. And while our protagonist has chosen to abstain from the world, the effect of that philosophical idea is confused by the intentions of this album, which are obviously to look and sound cool and sell records. It would be more believable coming from a one-man bedroom-dweller band. Still, it makes for good lyrics.

It follows that the primary quandary from this release is whether your average metalhead is going to want to listen to Black Metal that is this polished and smoothed over. You aren't going to find any moments of thrashing rage here, only melancholic "dark metal" sounds. It's admirable that Celestia is attempting to branch so far from the original manifesto of the genre. And while wrapped in production that whiffs professionalism, there's nothing here that would really offend the sensibilities of a more underground Black Metal fan, but for that matter it's difficult to find ANYTHING offensive about this album. Without the snarly vocals, some of these songs could be backing tracks for Evanescence.

I don't want to detract too much, however, because this release has grown on me over time. I enjoy it's smooth and subtle take on gothic-tinged black metal. But a few songs in you might be tempted to go back to your spikes, leather, and razor blades.

Ugly name, Awesome music inside - 89%

InternalStruggle, November 27th, 2008

Celestia - Frigidiis Apotheosia : Abstinencia Genesiis - 2.008

Following with my approach to dense music and keeping my taste for old-school black metal, this time I have found one more than a brilliant french Black Metal band called "Celestia", with former members of Peste Noir and a depressive modern French touch with some few years playing like "celestia" that are part of the great experimental Black Metal new wave than in the past few years I have enjoyed so much.

That said Celestia and its "Frigidiis Apotheosia: Abstinence Genesiis" with its slow but progressive passages, despair, harsh vocal and a particular smell to French Metal with ambiental passages and subtle drums (programmed), which layers slower and faster that burst dizzily as well as the harsh voices that remind me of Fear of Eternity with an atmosphere that envelops you without being fully depressed, acoustic passages, instrumental (A regrettable Misinterpretation of Mournfulness) and some traditional elements and riffs that build up second-to-second a sublime technical highly moment that make a mixture of modern Black Metal depressive with a lovely speed and that it still becoming one of my most precious discoveries of the genre lately.

Celestia retains much of Peste Noir and although it never intended to turn its sound too raw or aggressive, succeeds in creating deep atmospheres,"Death of the Lizard Queen" is an example of this concept and my viewpoint is the highest moment of the whole album, a mixture of progression with acoustic passages and a symphonic touch, that attempts to be atmospheric and depressing at the same time, and without losing strength and easily stays in the mind the listener to guide us to the theme "Morbid Romance," where once again we have a song that keeps the same balanced structure of desperation played with a touch of speed and this is precisely where the band shines, where the band stands out because that his songs subtly mixed with a rather dense calm, will not be easily forgotten.

There is not much that can be said of this album, I think I ve left clear that this is not something terribly innovative, but I take this line for say that it''s not something that is heard often and for that reason it would be unfair not to mention even a shortly of some tracks, beyond that I may look better or worse, are part of the essence of an album that does not vary too much from the start, but as I won't tire of saying, is "really, really good". I'll start with a catchy theme, the song "She's Dead (Valse Funeste of Decomposition)," poured acoustic passages present throughout the album, voices torn and somewhat dense atmosphere, "A regrettable Misinterpretation of Mournfulness" offers acoustic guitars and maintaining instrumental moments the same musical structure and some great environmental approaches, and "Death of the Lizard Queen (Necro Phaanthasma)" goes on with some acceleration and repetitive riffs quite virtuos, addictive and that guide us to 2 final minutes impossible to get out of your head for a while.

it's hard to me talk about the music itself, I think that it's due particularly to the little Knowledge of technical and details that I know, instead talking about the abysmal sensations that are created in my own with an album like this, but like this should be an invitation and motivation for someone to listen more and maybe I bought the album, then I would say that Celestia guaranteed 45 minutes of atmospheric Black Metal with a dense gothic touch that it never loses its essence and that as more prominent and visible detail, the emotions swaying with technical and a bit of speed .

Romantic Black Metal - 80%

crypticmyth, August 19th, 2008

Six years after Celestia put out their first CD, Apparitia - Sumptuous Spectre, they're back in the game with almost no output in between, save for a demo. Peculiar indeed, for if they continued in the same vein since their inception, they would've doubled their already staggering number of releases. Celestia hail from France and can more or less be attributed as the project of one Noktu (Mortifera, Peste Noir). This time however, Malefic (Xasthur, Twilight) comes to his aid in the synth department. Frigidiis Apotheosia is the result of this collaboration.

Getting to the album, this picks up where Apparaitia left off - dark, gloomy, passionate, brooding black metal unlike any other band has played it. I guess it can be described as Romantic 'gothic' metal, where I use the word in a very literal sense. The music brings to life images of dark stonewall chambers, withered roses, haunted castles, forlorn cults, secret doorways and hideously pale persons cutting themselves (the album opener is called 'She's Dead', if you didn't catch my drift). Thankfully, it doesn't cross into Cradle Of Filth territory. Not nearly. This album is gothic like Tim Burton's films with an added dollop of creepy.

There are more acoustic moments here than on the debut album, most of which are elegantly weaved around thick layers of synth and graceful chord progressions. Rococo-ish neoclassical melodies can be heard throughout the album's periphery. Importantly, these are the kind of harmonies that stick to you. Noktu sounds like a ghoul who's just lost his bride, the best he's ever sounded. His rhythm guitars and Malefic's ghastly effects compliment each other very well. But alas, there are some portions of the album which sound hollow due to a lack of synth. Another negative as far as I'm concerned is that some of the drum patterns seem to be hastily programmed - a much better job could have been done. However, the type of atmosphere created is one which is very unique as opposed to any other black metal band. Admirable Eros Abstraction opening with its orchestral backdrop and acoustic lead is my favourite track on the album. The way the song progresses from a bittersweet melody to a brooding doleful passage is extraordinary. Further, none of the songs sound forced and none of them rove about endlessly for unnecessary amounts of time.

Frigidiis Apotheosia spans approximately 45 mins and the quality in songwriting doesn't waver one bit. This makes listening to the album in one sitting gratifying let alone possible (whenever one's in the mood of course). If you are a fan of bands like old Alcest, Mortifera, Peste Noir, Genocide Kommando then this is definitely for you. If you're new to all these bands, but are a fan of any sort of black metal, feel free to enter into their realm through this release.

Originally written for http://www.kvltsite.com/