December 2020 Feature Release - The North Edition

It's now December which of course means that we'll be nominating a brand new monthly feature release for each clan. This essentially means that we're asking you to rate, review & discuss our chosen features for no other reason than because we enjoy the process & banter. We're really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on our chosen releases so don't be shy.

This month's feature release for The North is 2008's highly celebrated single-track "Veritas Diaboli Manet in Aeternum: Chaining the Katechon" E.P. from French black metal heavy-weights Deathspell Omega. I'm a huge fan of the band but recently noticed that I'd never rated this release for some reason so I'm keen to see how I feel it compares with the rest of their elite releases.

https://metal.academy/releases/843

Shit, I hope it's better than that cover, Daniel!

DsO are another band that I haven't listened to anything like enough. Obviously I'm familiar with Paracletus (everybody should be, let's face it) but other than their latest I am largely ignorant of the rest of their output. On the strength of this and Paracletus I obviously need to remedy this situation. Deathspell's music (at least that that I have heard) is all about acute angles and sharp edges that never allow the listener to really get comfortable and never more so than on this single track epic. Apparently, the Katechon is that that prevents the world falling into chaos and disorder and a bulwark against Armageddon, hence the chaining of such would result in just those things (which would probably amuse the DsO guys no end!) Unfortunately it seems that DsO are another band who have at least one member with some quite reprehensible views and that is always disappointing, but judging them solely on musical output, they are a challenging and interesting listen in the main and a band that any fan of extreme metal should be familiar with.

I am not entirely sold on this release if I am honest.  There’s enough functional change of pace and style throughout the track to keep me interested but in all honesty it would have worked better as a three track EP as opposed to one long track.  Whilst I enjoy it in it’s current format, I don’t love it and feel that the band are not utilising their resources to maximum effect.  It plays like one long jam session that somehow is able to be edited together to make some semblance of continuous progress only there’s not enough cohesion to marry it all together harmoniously.  As such it feels like the entertainment is by chance as opposed to anything planned.

I will stick with Paracletus and Drought in the main but this release at least shows the versatility of the band.

2.5/5

I have never cared for Deathspell Omega in the past and have never believed that Paracletus deserves all of the acclaim that it has received in the past ten years. I'm sure this is in large part to Deathspell Omega just never really being my cup of black metal tea. It's very technical in the ways of death metal and the continuous tempo/theme/groove changes on a whim are downright infuriating.

But I decided to give them another chance with the Chaining the Katechon EP from 2008. And this might be the least enjoyable Deathspell Omega project I've heard to date. If I thought that the songs on Paracletus and The Furnaces of Palingenisa were poorly thought out, imagine my frustration when I find out this EP was a single, twenty-two minute song! This band's music is hard enough to focus on when its shorter, bite sized songs. But putting putting it all together like this was a bad idea from the start. There are enough unique passages of melodies and grooves to make a full album out of. But when it's all put together like this, it sounds pretentious.

I am certainly one for controversial takes, but I have never like bashing albums/artists that have been heralded as the greatest. I can make an exception for Deathspell Omega. This is the kind of progressive/avant-garde stylings that I cannot stand with its lack of focus. And this lack of focus does make its way into the sound of the album as well; drawing a lot of dissonance, but not doing anything with it.

4/10

Another utterly magnificent Deathspell Omega release here in my opinion. I just fucking love this band. In fact, I think they've been the best black metal band in the world since the turn of the century. The way they invariably manage to make such abstract dissonance sound so unnervingly evil is beyond comprehension & the drumming & vocal performances just smash me. I have no problem with the chaotic structure as that's really a part of the appeal with a band like Deathspell Omega & the lengthy track duration is only an issue if you're not engaged throughout which I unquestionably am. I spend the vast majority of "Chaining The Katechon" being amazed at the next-level artistry on display & find it just edging out "Paracletus" for second place behind "Kenose" as far as Deathspell Omega's back catalogue goes.

4.5/5