Second ceremony for Modern Rites.
Created by Jonny « Archytekt » Warren (bass/keyboards/vocals, Kuyashii) and Berg « Katalyst » (guitar, Aara), the duo who have already offered us a debut album in 2021 renew their partnership with Debemur Morti Productions to unveil Endless.
Prelude captures our attention very slowly with its soft soothing keyboards, but we feel that the intensity gradually rises to finally explode all at once on Endless, bringing a heavy dimension to the melancholic flow. Screams keep the fury alive, creating an interesting contrast with the calmer elements, such as the break where a few murmurs appear before letting the wave of darkness carry us through to Lost Lineage, where we discover a distinctly more aggressive approach. The drums lead the tenebrous river, offering interesting rhythmic changes and a real calming before the final blaze, closely followed by Veil of Opulence, where the two musicians unleash their fury while feeding the airy atmosphere with steamy harmonics. Outbursts of fury set the pace for the rest of the composition, before Becoming takes a more ominous tone, creating palpable tension from the very first moments, which never subsides with its heavy, majestic riffs. We note the powerful strikes that fit perfectly with the track’s imposing approach, then brighter tones on For Nothing, where the band continues its virulent, menacing approach with particular care given to dissonance and contrasts between the various instruments. Vocals change on Autonomy, anchoring themselves in a sometimes more visceral dimension, which once again accentuates the difference with the few more playful leads that float in this ocean of anguish, throwing themselves wholeheartedly into Philosophenweg, where the haunting ambience returns despite the power of saturation and keyboards within which vociferations and disquieting harmonics constantly wander.
Modern Rites know how to create an oppressive environment, to say the least. Endless suffocates us from start to finish with incredible intensity, playing with darkness as if it literally belonged to them.
95/100
