It’s time for Lumen ad Mortem to unveil their debut album.
Formed in Australia in 2019, the band composed of Gregor Pikl (vocals, ex-Deluge, ex-Slaughter Thou) and Aaron Tuck (guitar/bass/keyboards, Sarsekim, ex-Deluge) released a first demo the same year, before recruiting Matt « Skitz » Sanders (Diabolic Rites, Plasmodium, ex-Damaged, ex-Cemetery Urn, ex-Deströyer 666, ex-King Parrot…) on drums. In 2023, the trio announced the release of Upon the Edge of Darkness, on Bitter Loss Records.
The album starts with Infinite Resonance, a first composition which quickly reveals Atmospheric influences on the sharp and cold Black Metal developed by the three musicians. The haunting riffs wrap us in a veil of soothing dissonance before letting vocals appear to reveal the album’s more raw side which slowly leads us to Within The Smoke, a more aggressive and edged track. Much shorter than the others, it will also knows how to place impressive parts to stay anchored in majestic sounds before Ethereal intensifies them thanks to heavy keyboards and melodic leads. The contrast between slow moments and furious accelerations is striking, giving the track an unholy energy between rage and dark quietness which converge together towards epic tones before Thought And Memory takes over with visceral and aggressive sounds. Massive vocal parts are also answering the sharp screams, then we find an airy break quickly broken by heavy and gloomy tones to lead us to gloomy keyboards as well as to The Voices From The Stream, which highlights orchestrations before the rhythmic really comes into play. The combination of these two elements makes the sound as soaring as impressive, coupling transcendent leads, dissonance and unleashed screams before a mysterious final which leads us to Narrow Paths And Stony Ground, a martial composition which goes back to Old School Black Metal’s roots while keeping the more airy elements to close the album as it started.
Lumen ad Mortem’s universe is draped in mystery and majestic sounds. But Upon the Edge of Darkness also knows how to use more raw and aggressive elements to create a high quality and very rhythmic contrast that can be easily enjoyed.
85/100
