Rockfreaks.net

Haemoth

In Nomine Odium

Written by: MGA on 20/02/2012 10:43:32

French black metal two-piece Haemoth has been churning out the darkess since their inception in 1998, and "In Nomine Odium" is the resounding verification that no, Haemoth still has not found the light. Their third full length and their first non-compilation release since 2005, "In Nomine Odium" is a 7-track seminar in nihilism and misanthropy.

Dissonant opener "Odium" offers a crawling, creepy riff accented by atmospheric feedback and audio samples, and it gives way into the absolute behemoth that is "Slaying the Blind", an album highlight to be sure. Haemoth doesn't break an inch of new ground on this record, but credit is deserved for taking an established genre that has taken to repeating itself lately and instead producing something that is still relevant. "In Nomine Odium" checks off all of the black metal boxes: tremolo picking, blast beats, shreaked vocals - but it does so in a way that gives added life to the genre.

Tracks like "Demonik Omniscience" are refreshing in that they skip the post-metal semantics their contemporaries have taken to and instead jump directly into the blast beat carnage. That's not to say the speedy starts lead into sustained songwriting quality, however; "Spiritual Pestilence" meanders around, searching for a decent enough riff to grab hold of and build off of, without ever quite getting there. It's the sound of the duo getting lost in the darkness they are attempting to harness, and while crushing bleakness is the allure of Haemoth, it's much more effective when the packaging is more organized and thought out. Similarly, "Disgrace" is a great slab for the nearly four minutes that it's an actual song, but it's bewildering why Haemoth would waste two additional minutes of track time letting the feedback slowly fade out. The same occurs on "Son of the Black Light", only Haemoth mercifully does rediscover the song and finish the track with it.

Such is the double edged sword of the band: when they actually play black metal, they do as good a job of anyone. And while it's a positive thing that they recognize the repetition of this genre and the need for their music to have some more dynamics, Haemoth has taken a misguided approach with their expanded sequences of atmosphere in the middle or at the end of songs.

Still, this isn't enough to nullify what is a solid addition to the black metal world. Haemoth will indoctrinate no black metal skeptics, but they also won't ostracise those that have already been initiated.

Download: Slaying the Blind, Demonik Omnisience, ...And Then Came the Decease
For The Fans Of: Myrkr, Aosoth, Spektr
Listen: Decibel

Release Date 11.11.2011
Debemur Morti Productions