Ignis Haereticum roughly translates to Heretical Fire or Rejection of Fire–Latin scholars weigh in, please. Whatever its scholastic definition, it’s fairly evident what Colombian black metallers Ignis Haereticum intended. Nestled far away near the Venezuelan border, the duo, Fr. M.H. DCXVI (vocals, bass) and Fr. D.M (vocals, guitars) have had plenty of isolation to craft their labyrinthine black metal. Closer to Deathspell Omega and Inferno than, say, Darkthrone and Marduk, the Colombians relish in complex, Schoenberg-style bursts. Over the course of their musical career–new album, Autocognition of Light, is out now on Colombian indie Goathorned Productions–they’ve matured, their statements, in music and text, increasing in sophistication and nuance.
Says Fr. M.H.DCXVI in 2014: “We have not drawn any goal, we are not interested. This is not about satisfy the ego or for quest for fame or some material recognition. Our only purpose is to bring this message to those who are ready to receive it.”
That mantra persists today with new album, Autocognition of Light. The Colombians aren’t interested in notoriety. They aren’t concerned about crowd-level acceptance. If anything, Fr. M.H.DCXVI and Fr. D.M want to ensure their message is heard, via tracks like “Glorious Wounds” or “Mors Mystica” or the title track, and then understood, via deep learning into the occult and its adjacent interests. That Ignis Haereticum purvey a multiplex style of black metal is merely the product of their ingenuity. From titles (English is a second language for the Colombians), artwork (think medical textbook illustrations mixed with Metastazis craziness), and music, Autocognition of Light is an illuminated scroll, advising on and guiding through the transcendence of black metal as an artform.
Join them or ignore them. Here’s the spell-binding mind-fuck of Autocognition of Light. Revere!
** Ignis Haereticum’s stunning new web of dissonance, Autocognition of Light, is out now on Goathorned Productions. The label has CD digipaks and LP boxsets available HERE through Big Cartel.