GLORIOR BELLI

The French continue to impress me with the latest in a line of intelligent and superbly written albums of late. The latest one to drop in my lap is 'Meet us at the Southern Sign' by Glorior Belli. Billed as a black metal band, there's actually much more going on to simply tag them with that genre label. There are nods towards classic heavy metal; blues-based rock; a keen sense of melody that is often missing in raw black metal; and clean vocals that aren't operatic, nor out of tune (just effective). The production is also of note, as all instruments can be heard (without fighting for space); even the bass is audible. The dynamics are kept in place by avoiding brickwalling the mix too, which should be applauded these days. From the get-go, we're greeted with some backward-played guitar with a tone that should be familiar in black metal circles; evoking the usual frosty forest images. However, it's where the songs go from here on that really separates Glorior Belli from mere also-rans. No over-reliance is made on break-neck tremolo-picking, or blast beats (although they do appear at appropriate points); the band content to allow the songs to breathe, sometimes moving at a pace more suited to doom. The backwards guitar rears its head again for track three ('Swamp That Shame'), which has a wonderful Sepultura-esque disharmonic lead guitar. It's one of the album’s highlights (and an instrumental to boot!). However, the real jewel in the crown is 'In Every Grief-Stricken Blues', which has a wonderful melodic feel, not only by the instruments, but by Infestvvs' incredible clean voice too. Quite possibly contender for song of the year; it's that good. Candlelight Records appear to be on a roll with their signings again, and long may that continue. Extreme metal fans, and metal fans in general, should get plenty of enjoyment from this.

LABEL:

FORMAT:

Candlelight Records

Album

MEET US AT THE SOUTHERN SIGN

Review by Steve Cowan

RUNNING TIME:

50:39

RELEASE DATE:

29th June 2009

TRACK LISTING

1) Once in a Blood Red Moon
2) The Forbidden Words
3) Swamp that Shame
4) There is But One Light
5) My True Essence
6) In Every Grief-Stricken Blues
7) Nox Illuminatio Mea
8) The Blazing Darkness (Of Luciferian Skies)
9) Fivefold Thought
10) Fires of the Sitra Ahra
11) Meet Us at the Southern Sign

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

France

"Billed as a black metal band, there's actually much more going on to simply tag them with that genre label."