Welcome to Genus Ordinis Dei’s rebirth.
After three albums, the Italian band led by Niccolò « Nick K' » Cadregari (guitar/vocals) and Tommaso « Tommy » Monticelli (guitar/keyboards) recruited Nicola Pedrali (drums, Elarmir, ex-Helion) to perfect the creation of The Beginning, their fourth album, released by Eclipse Records.
Bass was recorded by live member Danilo Arisi (Avelion, ex-Embryo).
Aeternus, the first track, quickly confirms the band’s evolution with its impressive yet melancholy-infused tones: the solid jerky riffs are tinged with a recognizable Prog touch, strengthened by orchestrations. Groove/Metalcore influences are still present to create an effective basis, as are the mysterious parts found at the end of the track, before Changing Star comes in with its energetic melodies interspersed with more majestic passages. The track remains catchy and rhythmic, letting the different vocal parts appear in due course, even announcing that more tribal final before Genesis, a rather haunting track whose slow, heady march resounds beneath the more accessible cries and choruses, still supported by keyboards. The band gives us a moment to breathe with Chant Of The Water and its gentle melody accompanied by whispers, then The Divine Order takes up the charge with epic warlike tones, followed by a furious explosion, and the arrival of mysterious tones and enchanting dissonance. The musicians celebrate the return of violence after the middle of the track, but they lead us in a calming mood to Blackstone and its raw energy, contained by jerky patterns that remain effective, interspersed with airy passages. We find Pagan influences in the introduction to We Are The Strangers, but the band attacks with real power followed by intense choruses and a massive break, before letting Shaman take the pressure off with ritualistic sounds followed by a fairly calm, heady rhythm. The rage flares up again on The Dragon And The Sword, a solid composition with a catchy groove that lets saturated vocals lead the charge through heavy riffs before transforming into soaring dissonance on For A New God. The track adopts slower and calmer patterns while letting the vocalist run wild before orchestrations become more prominent as they integrate with the rhythmics, which eventually subside to accentuate the despair before Chant of the Wind, a rather gentle interlude. This quietness is broken one last time to allow The Fortress Without Gates to reveal its impressive sound, forged in effective riffs and solemn samples that stop only to allow the break to bring a brief moment of floating before setting off again for the final.
Genus Ordinis Dei took the three years separating The Beginning from its predecessor to build a sound of a completely different scale. Their basis was already very effective, but it is definitely more imposing on this album.
85/100