Band: Ars Veneficium
Album: The Lurking Shadows of Death
Genre: Black Metal
Country: Belgium
Label: Immortal Frost Productions
Released: 27th of September 2024
Introduction
Some releases, just make you happy, and every time I see a new release from this band it, as said, makes me happy. Ars Veneficium is a Belgian black metal band with including this new album 3 full albums available.
One of the members of this band is Ronarg, and he’s very active in the Belgian black metal scene. He, for example, is also active in: Bloedmaan, Antzaat and Rongarg. So when he releases a new album (with any of the bands he’s involved in) I dive in and give the album a few proper spins.
That was also the case with the latest release of Ars Veneficium entitled The Lurking Shadows of Death, gave it a few good spins, and now I’m ready to reveal what’s hiding inside the lurking shadows of death.
The Lurking Shadows of Death
A new album, but what can you expect, when you put this record for the first time in your CD player (or stream it from your favorite platform)?
- Death Is Light
- Eye to Eye with the Devil
- De glorie van dood
- One with the Cosmos
- Into the Void
- My Tomb Under the Stars
- Pale Image of I
Well, a fine album for starters, you can hear that a lot of time and effort went into the creation of this new album. The 7 tracks on this album (with a runtime of 40 minutes) are all carefully sculpted and it shows.
Some highlights for me on the album are the overall sound and mixing, it’s all well put together and nothing drowns out the instruments or vocals. I’ve also listened to the album on headsets a few times and that also sounds very well mixed.
Take the third track, for example, De glorie van Dood. The drums keep going relentlessly, but the vocals are still clear, for those that understand Dutch, you can make out what he is actually saying, and that, for me, is a plus. The lyrics of that song (and the other songs as well) are very well written, for example the beginning of the third track;
| In de donkerste dagen waar geen troost gevonden kan worden, zal men de realiteit onder ogen moeten komen. Het vasthouden aan de dagen van weleer is een verloren zaak. Zoals de natuur het wilt, komt alles aan zijn einde. In the darkest days, where no comfort can be found, one will have to face reality. Clinging to the days of yore is a lost cause. As nature wills, everything comes to an end. |
The attention to detail can be found throughout the entire album, the lyrics, the vocals, and as said, the mixing. What also stands out is are the drums, they are relentless and that is thanks to the work of Flo Musil of Theotoxin. He took care of the drums and it shows.
Conclusion
Do you fancy atmospheric black metal? If you answer that with a yes, then this album is a must-listen for you. If you said no, then well sod it, this album is as well for you. Just give it a try, and I’m pretty sure you will like it. The Belgian scene, for me, never fails to deliver, and that also goes for this album.
BMZ Rating: 8 – Very Good: An impressive album that rises above many others. It features innovative ideas, captivating lyrics, or excellent musicianship that makes it stand out.
What do you think of: The Lurking Shadows of Death by Ars Veneficium
You can support the band here: https://arsveneficium.bandcamp.com/album/the-lurking-shadow-of-death
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