Upon glancing at the album artwork Priveligivm, the new release by German black-metal band Secrets of the Moon, the only pre-conceived judgment I decided to make was that, without a doubt, the music contained would be dark in nature. But that goes without saying, both given the genre, and the fact that Secrets of the Moon, despite the fact no original members remain in the band, have always deeply rooted their music in occultism.
Priveligivm begins with the short intro title-track (that I will admit I will avoid trying to spell as much as possible throughout this review). The track I found to be surprisingly similar in nature, although longer and more intricate, to the intro to “Raining Blood” by Slayer. It leads seamlessly into “Sulphur”, a track noted by its, long, but intense, instrumental buildup into the verses.
For this type of music, the mixing and production tend to be very hit or miss. It has to be perfect, with just enough effect to enhance the music, but not to mask the original sound that the band intended to create. Priveligivm boasts exceptional production, as seen in all tracks, my favorite example being “I Maldoror.” Alternating panned guitars lead off the track, both with a very subtle difference in tone. As they are joined, a steady, heavy, but not terribly overwhelming, drum beat joins the mix, creating an expectant buildup for the listener, a kind of hold your breath experience, until the “I! Maldoror!” chorus comes in. It leads immediately into a slower, somewhat contrasting, but equally potent interlude, with alternating anguished gasping and dark, spoken lyrics, perfectly enhanced with a subtle amount of reverb.
“Harvest” is both the midpoint of the album and easily the longest on the album, at over thirteen minutes of intensity. A three part song, with its main focus on the instrumentals, this song is easily the nightmare of anyone who has the attention span the size of a teaspoon. The distant-sounding vocals, that don't even begin until over five minutes into the song, are sparse in comparison to the powerful instrumentals that make up most of the track.
The seventh track, “A Million Suns,” is stated to be the bonus track of the album. I found this unusual, as most bonus tracks come at the end of an album, often after minutes of silence. It boasts beautifully haunting clean guitar to compliment the heavy riffs, a feature that Secrets of the Moon fits into their music exceptionally well. The term bonus is not synonymous with unfitting, as it may suggest. “A Million Suns” flows perfectly with the album, as it should.
“Shepherd” is one of the most noteworthy songs of the album: an absolutely perfect way to end such a dark, powerful release. A shadow of “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)” by Metallica heard in the clean guitars that open the song, a solo that literally gave me chills, coming straight from the school of David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, and soft accompanying synths, make this my favorite song based on instrumental work. This is the first, and only time, the growling vocals are sacrificed for singing on the entire album. I found them to sound strained, however, and for that reason I prefer the growls. That is not to say they do not work for the song, as they are perfectly fitting, due to the desperate, mournful tone.
I found Privilegivm to be an intense experience. Very multi-layered and inspired, with influences drawn from death, doom, and obviously black metal in both songwriting theme and instrumental style, even the rare touch of thrash, as seen mostly in “Black Halo”. Few things in this world are perfect however, and for some, this release may be considered too long-winded and musically repetitive as the shortest true song is still over seven minutes long. This, of course is in reference to all songs that are not the short instrumental intro and interlude tracks, which, in any release, are often mistaken as “filler.” Black metal fans currently unfamiliar with Secrets of the Moon's style may not be too accepting of the much less “in-your-face” approach to the occult. They take a much more intellectual approach in their songwriting than what is often seen in the typical black metal band. This is, in my opinion, an excellent release, but like most things, it's not for everyone.
Sara Cooper – MuzikReviews.com Contributor
9/28/2009
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