STREAMING: De Magia Veterum “The Deification”

Maurice de Jong (aka ‘M’ or ‘Mories’) must’ve lived a tortured life or have continually horrific dreams, ’cause his musical output is absolutely disconcerting. I would point to his insanely prolific (and celebrated) outfit Gnaw Their Tongues (or Cloak of Altering), but this time it’s his near-decade old project De Magia Veterum, an industrial-powered, chaos-inclined black metal-ish machine. Having been birthed in 2003, De Magia Veterum is from de Jong’s other mind—he seemingly has more than one—but is nonetheless connected both in theme and approach. Whereas “bands” like Thorns or Mysticum come off as cold and calculating, de Jong’s musical output is (sort of) real and unhinged. Like a beast plugged into Hell’s outlet, pulsating, frothing and electric with malign intent.
With four full-lengths, the most recent of which is the saturnine The Deification, De Magia Veterum isn’t “music” for commuting to work or a pre-meeting hype-up. It’s intense, almost nonsensical. Entropy for losing one’s collective shit or delving deep into personal calm waters. In fact, even for the most metal (or sonically intrepid) among us, De Magia Veterum’s The Deification will get a Bolt Thrower-played-for-grandma response, for it has no true relational center.

Normally, Mondays are for soaring, inspirational sounds, but not today. No, sirs. De Magia Veterum is about to disrupt your precious little Ki. To take the comfort out of your blindingly banal routine.

** De Magia Veterum’s new album, The Deification, is out now on Transcendental Creations. It’s available HERE. Or you can try to get the In Slaughter Natives discography on eBay, which might cost you an arm, a leg, and your first born rugrat.