Register Forgot login?

© 2002-2024
Encyclopaedia Metallum

Privacy Policy

Argentum > Ad Interitum Funebrarum > Reviews
Argentum - Ad Interitum Funebrarum

The haunting of Monterrey - 85%

colin040, November 22nd, 2020

When one speaks of mid-paced black metal, there are often a variety of scenes and/or bands that come to mind; think of the Greek trinity, the Czech duo, Switzerland’s Samael and Brazil’s Mystifier. What we have here is a Mexican blackened doom-y occult affair that goes by the name of Argentum - comparable to those aforementioned bands, yet they’re definitely something that stands on its own.

In fact, I’d argue that Ad Interitum Funebrarum falls somewhere between the third Mystifier record and Tiamat’s The Astral Sleep. Still, whereas Mystifier turned into a sinister drama with comedic overtones to it (thanks to those Dr. Strangelove-esque clean vocals) at the time, Argentum avoids that goofy factor to be part of their sound. The Tiamat comparison comes through the tricky style of the album – simply calling it a black/doom metal isn’t exactly saying much, let alone in the context of 1996 and the gothic horror atmosphere, yet Argentum take things to an even more extreme. Keys have rarely sounded ghastlier; always hovering in the background while a foggy guitar tone couldn’t have been more appropriate for this record and unleashes riffs that are actually quite physically firm from time to time. It’s a wonderful contrast and makes even the heaviest tracks such as the Celtic Frost-esque stomp of ’’La Sorella Di Satana’’ or the pre-Kisser Sepultura-esque thrash/death metal mania of ‘’Asstrum Argentum’’ appear ghastly. At last this guitarist present solos and leads which at their most restrained are reminiscent of again, early Tiamat - yet at their most shred-happy remind me of no one more than Yngwie Malmsteen. It’s one of those aspects that theoretically wouldn’t make a lot of sense, yet practically somehow manages to work.

If the description above already gave you any doubts about Ad Interitum Funebrarum, you’ll probably be even less enthusiastic about its runtime. Indeed, I'm talking about a 77 minute long record here and it's not hard to imagine that that results into issues at one point. ‘’Ad Posthumum’’ has its emphasis too much on melodic leads and keys, with only a banger of a riff popping up briefly halfway through. Ending the album on an unfortunate weak note, ‘’Horta Funebra Revise’’ sounds surprisingly more heroic than spooky – it’s not really a bad song at all, but after so many superb tracks appearing beforehand, it just doesn’t contribute much to the album anymore.

However, Ad Interitum Funebrarum fortunately features enough subtle differences to keep its pacing optimal. ‘’Enter an Ecysted Hibernation’’ sets the mood for the record and while not a heavy or fast paced track by any means, it makes an excellent opener and works all the way towards that suspenseful climax; by the time those riffs become more tense and the serpent-reptilian hybrid of a vocalist spits out those final lines with ghastly majesty, you know you’ve stumbled upon something unique. Following up with the aforementioned ’Asstrum Argentum’’, Argentum trick (or treat?) the listener with a blistering solo that at first seems to go on forever, yet it quickly sees the guitarist switch gears by unleashing an impulsive thrash metal riff, turning the song into the most vicious offering of the album. It’s one of those beautiful contrasts between the album’s metallic spirit and haunting ambiance and even at their most sentimental, Argentum refrain from summoning something sappy or over dramatic. ‘’Horta Funebra’’ starts off with some female vocals speaking over a tender piano line and a classy melodic guitar solo to boot, but here again, the guitarist quickly exchanges these for some Mystifier-esque bend-crushing riffs that spiral through the verses.

Distinct, unique and atmospheric in a sense that I find it hard not to get moved by it, Ad Interitum Funebrarum is definitely one of those albums that would take a while to get used to. For me it took me a while before I were able to set certain tracks apart, but what seemed to be somewhat of an one dimensional experience at first, quickly turned into a diverse, yet cohesive experience for me. The production, too, might be an issue for some, but I like it a lot. This is one of those cases where a rawer/low-fi production works in the favor of what an album demands and I wouldn’t change it if I could and while I’ve heard some later versions of certain tracks with upgraded production values that make them sound more accessible, I’ll gladly stick with these originals. So, do yourself a favor and listen to Ad Interitum Funebrarum. It's haunting in a way very few albums are.

Boundless - 100%

Drowned, December 25th, 2005

Argentum is a band that I was introduced to sometime in the late 1990's, when I picked up a Full Moon Productions sampler with their song "The Serpent's Lament" on it. I thought it was the best track on that CD and I listened to it many times. Somewhere down the line I got ahold of their first two demo tapes. I thought they were great, but the production was very polished and gave the music a rather typical, melodic death metal feel. The song I heard on the sampler was much more raw and genuine, without any over-the-top production job to alter its atmosphere. After realizing that the song was from the "Ad Interitum Funebrarum" CD, I immediately went out and found a copy of it. It quickly became one of the most listened to albums in my collection, and still remains so almost seven years later.

What Argentum recorded here is a work that's far beyond your common, everyday metal releases. This is something that transcends all fancy genres and categories. Many of my friends know that I'm a huge fan of oldschool death metal. Show me anything from Carnage, Fleshcrawl, Ripping Corpse, etc. You name it - I got it; but when I tell them that a band like Argentum released one of my all-time favorite records, they can't help but scratch their heads in disbelief. Sometimes I even second guess myself as to why I enjoy this band so much, when I rarely listen to this form of melodic music, especially with a heavy emphasis on keyboards and a strong black metal feel. But as soon as the disc starts spinning, any sign of hesitation is diminished as I immerse myself in the spiritual journey that is Argentum.

I could name a handful of bands that have released something similar in structure to this album, but none of them have left an impact on me as great as this has. Disembowelment's "Transcendence Into the Peripheral", Cenotaph's "The Gloomy Reflection..." and Paralysis' "Beyond the Chaos" demo are ones that tread closest, but even those amazing titles can only scratch the surface of this CD's brilliance. I feel that this album is my calling, something that has been waiting for me all of my life and its purpose is some sort of deep reflection and demonic meditation. To some people, this may just seem like a wonderful, occult, atmospheric doom/death metal record and nothing more. For me, it's all of those things, but it goes miles beyond what traditional metal music brings to the table. When I listen to this, I feel like a weakling trapped beneath its immense power and majesty. The level of euphoric darkness exhibited by the music is absolutely overwhelming.

Each and every song on this album is completely flawless. Most are extremely lengthy, with the CD itself clocking in at nearly eighty minutes, but there isn't a single moment of filler to be found. The fact is that "Ad Interitum Funebrarum" is one of the most pure and genuine releases of extreme metal that I've ever heard, and I've heard thousands. Whenever I browse through my collection and select this for listening, I tell myself that I'll just play a few songs and then move on. This is never the case, however. The music just pulls me in with such force that I absolutely must hear the album in its entirety. This music is just as relaxing as it is mesmerizing, and it inevitably brings out the selfishness in me. I can just listen to this all day long and not worry about a single fucking thing in my mundane life. It's better than drugs, alcohol or (for some) going on a killing rampage. It's the culmination of my being.

Argentum's style on this release is a spectral mixture of doom, death and black metal. There are very tasteful keyboards used in most of the songs, but it's the guitarwork accompanying the keyboards that makes this album shine musically. The lead guitarist is so amazingly good that he makes Crypt of Kerberos sound like first-year amateurs. The man in the spotlight is none other than Chebb Maelstrom. He could easily release a solo CD with nothing but guitars and probably sell thousands of copies right away. Just listen to the leads at the beginning of "Astrum Argentum" or at the end of "Horta Funebra" and tell me different. The vocals, courtesy of Khabee, are some of the most unique and vicious sounds to ever grace my ears. His style ranges from deep, cataclysmic chanting, as on "Pax Moriendi", to high-pitched reptilian rasps like those found in "Umbradiabolous". There's also a fair amount of eerie spoken word used on many of the tracks, some of which is supplied by a female who sounds just as lustful and seductive as Salma Hayek with her lovely accent.

The songs vary in tempo, from the doomy, abysmal pace of "Enter An Encysted Hibernation" and "The Serpent's Lament" (both of which begin with some ethereal acoustic guitarwork), to faster works like "Mortuus Infradaemoni". The final track, "Umbradiabolous" (labeled as "Horta Funebra Revise" on the CD), at first listen has an odd, almost upbeat feel to it - but it's not misplaced at all. Instead, it sounds like a majestic celebration and triumph after a long battle. The guitar leads towards the end of that piece are some of the most impressive and emotional on the entire disc. The drumming is very simple throughout the album, quietly sitting in the background of things for the majority of the time. His double bass is soft but effective, gracefully helping to keep everything in motion.

Although I tried giving an accurate description of the music, the only way to really discover what it sounds like is by simply hearing it for yourself. This is definitely the best thing FMP ever released, and personally one of my top five metal albums of all time. Whether my opinion of this will change in ten years remains to be seen, but the impression this masterpiece has left in my mind cannot be extracted. It's something I will take to the grave.