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TORTORUM
Katabasis

W.T.C. Productions (2014)
Rating: 7/10

Katabasis is the second full-length outing from Norwegian black metallers Tortorum, a rather sinister trio who introduced themselves to the black metal community by way of their 2012 debut Extinctionist. The band – consisting of vocalist / bassist The Barghest and guitarists Skyggen and Specter – is one that are probably known to very little despite the fact they’ve been polluting minds since 2010, hailing from Bergen and brandishing swords and scythes aplenty in their quest for unholy rule.

Tortorum’s latest nine-track offering is one that should please fans of grisly, albeit heavy and at times melodic, black metal. Tortorum aren’t new to this brand of evil metal when one considers that the members are rather experienced, having been in bands such as Gorgoroth and Aeturnus among others.

It’s also worth noting that Tortorum are a dab hand at creating rather eerie atmospherics among the patches of weighty speed and more direct segments. The album is littered with malevolence and menace right from the off with the spooky ‘Descensus’ intro which bleeds into the superb ‘The Great Appetence’, and the equally gruesome ‘In Nameless NonBeing’, in which The Barghest growls “Sink these names in the ocean of NonBeing, Drown the din of symbols to walk the path behind, Burn these unclean faces that dissect the light and dark, In the strife pyre of existence and non-existence, hexistence…” in true occult fashion.

Musically, Tortorum boast a discordant sound which seems to reverberate through the ears as if they were a chasm to tumult. The drums are crisp and fiery, and the bass plunders with menace. This is all aided by the excellent production, which doesn’t allow the atmosphere to diminish – in fact, if anything, the ghastly arrogance of it all seems to revel in its own ability to breath. Sure, there’s nothing overly imaginative about Tortorum; it’s still rather standard yet punchy black metal of varying pace that mingles between gasps of speedier horror and those reflective, brooding clouds of dismay.

Katabasis is a record well-knitted together, with its only real down-point being the occasionally repetitious vocals, which are a tad less convincing than some of the groovier passages which provide continued interest. Katabasis is still a step forward from the debut, and with a touch more variety these guys could become a true, dynamic force within the black metal genre.

There are some fine tracks on offer here, namely ‘Severance And Perseverance’ and the monstrous closer ‘Beyond The Earth And Air And Sun’, which features a killer solo and where The Barghest injects a touch more ghoulish variety in his vocals where he asks “Where is my black stone beneath the waters? Where is the illuminating light buried in the dark?”.

This is fleshy, meaty black metal of fluctuating shades and it’s an album that demands respect, such is its depth.

Neil Arnold

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