Reviews list for Spectral Lore & Mare Cognitum - Wanderers: Astrology of the Nine (2020)

Nearly two hours of blackened space metal from a couple of old pals in Spectral Lore and Mare Cognitum who present a modern metal take on Holst's Planet suite. Each planet has a track dedicated to it (except non-planet Pluto which has two) and each attempts to invoke the physical and mythological aspects of the planet it represents. Each band takes four planets, Spectral Lore having Mercury, Earth, Saturn and Uranus, with Mare Cognitum taking Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Neptune, both bands then coming together and collaborating on the final two-parter for Pluto (The Gatekeeper parts one and two).

Personally, I prefer Mare Cognitum's blend of visceral atmo-black and soaring post-metal to Spectral Lore's more avant-garde jazzy noodlings, but both bands are on fine form and this is a great example of an atmospheric and inspiring ode to the cosmos. Some bands make music and some bands write songs - this is most definitely the former.

Spectral Lore & Mare Cognitum are both solo black metal artists who decided to team up and create an absolute mammoth of a record in order to create a modern, metal version of Gustav Holst’s The Planets.

And yes, that comparison does have a lot more in common than you think: Mars is subtitled as the “Bringer of War” and “The Warrior” in their respective suites and in both cases, it is the loudest and most aggressive piece in the work. Venus is the “Bringer of Peace” and “The Priestess” respectfully, and while both parties subtitle Neptune as “The Mystic”, it is clear that Spectral Lore & Mare Cognitum took a lot of influence from Holst’s Neptune in the creation of Pluto, from the ethereal nature of the entirety of Part I, and of course, the outro to Part II.

Beyond the comparisons, this album is a lot of work. And it has to do with the simple fact that there are two different artists here making two very different styles of black metal. Spectral Lore is making music with more blackgaze tendencies, while Mare Cognitum makes music that is more technically demanding and perhaps, even more melodically driven. As a result, if I ever do come back to this album again, it would be for the Mare Cognitum tracks over Spectral Lore, as Spectral Lore’s tunes are a lot less interesting.

That being said, “Pluto (The Gatekeeper Part II - The Astral Bridge)” brings both ideas together into one grand finale, but the jarring change of pace with the electronic to acoustic percussion, high screeching vocals to devilishly low gutturals, and soaring tremolo strumming guitars to downtuned, chugging riffs, makes for a very disjointed closer, even if I do appreciate what the duo was going for here.

This is an album that has a lot of excellent ideas, but only some of them are executed all that well. I know that I will be checking much of Mare Cognitum’s back catalogue after this, but I can't say the same for Spectral Lore. The album’s length along with alternating styles certainly make this feel like an intergalactic journey so props for that. But for me, I’ll remember this trip for it’s memories; I don’t think I’m going to travel all this way again for a while.