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ZØRORMR
Corpvs Hermeticvm

Via Nocturna (2015)
Rating: 8.5/10

Brace yourself! Corpvs Hermeticvm is the third opus from Polish one-man asylum Moloch, who is also known for his work with I.A. Serpentor.

Mr. Moloch formed this unholy lump back in 2010, and I still haven’t recovered from the spine-shuddering debut Kval which emerged during the same year. Give him his due though, Moloch knows how to construct some truly terrifying black metal, and what makes it so engaging is the lean towards creepier vocal aesthetics which merge well with the more typical commanding rants of terror.

Although completely unrelated, there once was an industrial horror band called G.G.F.H. who employed some truly spooky vocal techniques where the singer’s tone came across like ethereal whispers, and the same can be said for Moloch here as he eerily drifts through the black wall of a sound like an interfering spectre.

Corpvs Hermeticvm, the follow-up to 2013’s IHS, is a nine-track black metal album and a very good one at that. Opening with ‘I Am Legend’ we are treated to a waterfall of melancholic guitars which whine over the orchestral, soundtrack-like passage of funereality before the track kicks in with a juddering drum and charging riff. It’s sharp black metal that hints of that early 90s texture; simple, yet effective, but rarely dissonant. Instead, Zørormr fuses faster, spikier segments with mid-tempo catchiness and glistening melody, but never once lets go of that evil nature that lurks within such a black heart.

‘In The Mouth Of Madness’ opts for all out scathing speed; pure unholy black metal intensity brought together by sweeping keyboard effects for ambience, but punctured by those sordid, despicable waves of barbaric guitars and drum plods. Those eerie vocal effects come into play, gliding ghost-like through the mire of seething claustrophobia, but as with all good quality black metal whatever form the sound takes there is always that deep undercurrent of infectious melody.

Mind you, one should expect such a track to deliver the goods when one considers that Vader bassist Hal makes a guest vocal appearance, while the title track features a lead guitar solo from Mike Wead (King Diamond, Mercyful Fate, Hexenhaus). Indeed, ‘Corpvs Hermeticvm’ is one of the album’s best tracks, and one which revels in icy progression as speed and sublime malevolence of mid-tempo, orgiastic pleasures combine. The chugging intro almost suggests a thrash lean, but the cold, shivering lead which infiltrates is pure class as the track evolves with a catchy drum kick and militant hardness.

Elsewhere, I’m transfixed by the creeping sickness of ‘Nyarlathotep’ with its trickling, spectral intro before being whisked away by another slow, doom-laced chugging traipse of wickedness where Moloch’s vocals boom and sneer. Another cut to worship is ‘Worship Me…’ which by title alone deserves your admiration, but if that’s not enough then the black chugging, machine-like riffage will have you bowing to its supremacy as it eventually gathers pace and comes hurtling at you like machine-gun fire before resorting to type.

With Corpvs Hermeticvm, Zørormr has once again showcased the talents of Moloch, a man with enough savvy to construct primitive, yet cosmic black metal and introduce progressive touches while staying true to the horrifying aspects of what made the genre so potent in the first place.

Neil Arnold

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