Deus Inversus

While some bands churn out full lengths every year or two, others tend to stick with short-form releases that give listeners hints of their progression in smaller doses.  Split albums are often a great way for these ideas to manifest, and this is the case with the latest split between long-running black metal bands Black Altar and Kirkebrann, Deus Inversus.  Both have been quiet in recent years with only a handful of songs seeping out on other splits and EP’s, but on Deus Inversus they unleash polished and razor-sharp material.  Despite each group channeling slightly different elements of black metal, the halves complement each other well and make for a cohesive and intense listening experience.

Black Altar kicks things off with two songs and an outro, and while I do wish that they might have contributed one more track considering the three year gap between new material what is on display channels the same type of polish and intensity that the band has become known for.  While founder Shadow has employed different musicians over the past two and a half decades, there’s been a consistent approach to the songwriting that weaves melodic elements into the relentless black metal base.  “Deus Inversus” begins with a creepy intro that makes it feel like you’re stepping directly into a murky crypt, but that quickly explodes into scorching blast beats.  Shadow has a raspy scream that towers above the recording, and the pitch is so distorted on both tracks that you’ll feel like each word is stabbing you in the chest.  Stylistically the polish in the recording and the way that the instrumentation twists and turns between faster attacks and mid-tempo sections where the atmosphere festers is reminiscent of the Norwegian and Swedish sounds circa the late 90s and early 2000s.  With that being said though, while “Ancient Warlust” and the ambient outro provide enough substance to be worth your attention, “Deus Inversus” is the song that stands out the most for Black Altar’s contribution as the soaring choral vocals and symphonic elements stick with you and make the material sound truly immense and otherworldly.  It doesn’t deviate significantly from what I remember of 2008’s Death Fanaticism or 2013’s Suicidal Salvation, but the subtle nuances once again elevate this band above some of their more contemporary peers.

Kirkebrann is a band I wasn’t as familiar with, and while they’ve been around since 2004 they only have a handful of smaller releases and a full length from 2013 to their name.  What you’ll notice as soon as “Begrensa Bevissthet” kicks in is that compared to Black Altar’s side, this side of the split takes things into more traditional second-wave and rock-leaning black metal.  Given Kirkebrann’s Norwegian roots that may not be particularly surprising, but they do the style justice throughout the three main tracks and there are some strong riffs that will get stuck in your head.  “Et Nederlang” reminds me of Taake in how the guitar work moves from icier and jagged riffing to sweeping melodies that have an almost bluesy groove woven in.  Like Black Altar, these tracks are noticeably polished and each of the instrumentals is easy to pick out in the mix but there’s a rawer edge that allows the abrasive elements to really stand out and punch you in the throat.  This is unmistakably Norwegian black metal, but it’s quite catchy and the instrumentals shake things up often enough to give each of the songs their own identity.  On the vocal front, guitarist Draug took over the lead position in 2014 after previously providing backing vocals and it’s clear that he’s a suitable replacement as his raspier screams add a considerable burst of aggression and grit to the material.  Their side also ends with an outro, though unlike Black Altar’s ambient and haunting outro theirs uses acoustic guitar in a way that channels a folk or even medieval melodic influence.  Kirkebrann’s approach is a familiar one that injects some rock ‘n roll edge into the icy black metal base, but these songs are as catchy as they are intense.

Despite going into this split only knowing Black Altar, Kirkebrann’s side stood out just a bit more and showcased some of the best elements of Norwegian black metal.  But no matter which band stands out more for you, the black metal that each one channels serve as a natural complement and make this a cohesive listen that provides ample amounts of darkness and violence.  Despite how crowded of a year 2020 has been, leave room for this one on your shelf as it has more staying power than the average split and also hints at even greater things soon to come from both acts.  Deus Inversus is available from Odium Records.

-Review by Chris Dahlberg

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