ARS VENEFICIUM – The Lurking Shadow of Death

Ars Veneficium is about as trustworthy as a dark roast coffee on an early Sunday morning, which means fucking excellent, solid, and massively potent in every sense of the word. While I have enjoyed their previous albums and outputs immensely, their latest offering is undoubtedly their most remarkable and accomplished slice of majestic metal madness yet.

The Belgian black metal horde recently unleashed their third full-length opus via Immortal Frost Productions and the result is not only satisfying but also gripping and full of atmospheric flavors that stir the senses and conjure up unearthly visions. The Lurking Shadow of Death is appealing for several different reasons, be that the crisp and powerful production or the excellent musicianship, but the almost kaleidoscopic feel of the album is what truly pulls the listener in and keeps one engaged from beginning to end. The dynamic interplay between the instruments and the brilliant decision to push the magnificently varied vocals of S. to the front add a booming and almost confrontational vibe to the music. It just works – is as simple as that, really.

Abstraction and melody sit side-by-side and there is hardly a single trace of dissonance to be found here. The compositions paint vivid portraits of a terrifying sense of the sublime and are packed to the rafters with evocative qualities and great riffs. My admiration for this disc essentially boils down to the fact that these chaps have managed to craft a muscular-sounding record that holds emotive resonance to these ears. On top of that, the digipak version is absolutely stunning with respect to the artwork, the layout, and the poster, and a lot of thought and care obviously went into the packaging. This is a perfectly accessible record to be treasured and a must-have for fans of quality black metal, and the tracks “De Glorie van Dood” and “My Tomb Under the Stars” are fucking unbelievable and deserve a huge audience!