ALBUM OF THE DAY
Album of the Day, Blut Aus Nord/Aevangelist, “Codex Obscura Nomina”
By Andy O’Connor · June 28, 2016 Merch for this release:
Compact Disc (CD)

Metal under Dalek’s spell? Codex Obscura Nomina, the split between French black metal genius Blut Aus Nord and Portland/Illinois abstract death metal duo Aevangelist feels like it could be such a fever dream. Vindsval—Blut Aus Nord’s mastermind—has expressed admiration for Dalek before, and Dalek himself said they planned to meet up at a gig in Paris in hopes of a possible collaboration. Blut Aus Nord’s side of the split continues along the industrial paths of their 777 trilogy, but it also gives partial insight into how that imagined collaboration could take shape.

Vindsval’s guitars sound more like disembodied organs and strings, perhaps a takeaway from his work with dream-metal unit Pyramids. His drum programming takes on a strangely dancefloor-ready role, especially in “Infra-Voices Ensemble,” which more resembles Godflesh’s techno forays than Streetcleaner stomp. Aevangelist have worked with trip-hop patterns in the past, and on the 21-minute long “Threshold of the Miraculous,” these coiling rhythms feel even more nightmarish than before. Growls and brief nods to thrash push Aevangelist closer to metal conventions; glitchy electronics and a sinister undercurrent of guitar drift do the exact opposite. The spoken word breaks on their side aren’t just haunting; they could also serve as a test run for how Dalek might flow over this bizarre death metal terrain, making for a fascinating and memorable experiment.

—Andy O’Connor

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