Pan-international black metal duo Atramentum are rising from the depths yet again. The British/Egyptian combo — then only multi-instrumentalist Frater XI — found underground rabidity on their independently-released debut, Aischrolatry. Venomous, complex black metal swirled with occult and nefarious intent then, and this continues unabated on new album, Through Fire, Everything is Renewed (Invictus Productions). With new collaborator Jehannum (Pensées Nocturnes, Imha Tarikhat), Atramentum sounds even more twisted and arcane. Tracks like “I,” “II,” and “IV” pour forth upper-lower stratagems of hate and loathing.
Indeed, fans of Ondskapt, Ascension (Germany), and Mgła will find inky solace in what Frater XI and Jehannum have brewed on Through Fire, Everything is Renewed. Broken out in eight rituals — via Roman numerals –, the fanged and labyrinthine affair is designated as the first “true” Atramentum expression. As for what that means, it’s likely that whatever transpired on Aischrolatry has been transcended by new Atramentum constructs. This sentiment is confirmed by Frater XI, of course.
Says Atramentum’s Frater XI: “Through Fire, Everything is Renewed is the first fully substantiated vision of the band. Eight songs of black/death mayhem spawned of gnosis divined via invocations of the Great Red Dragon and the cohorts of entities encountered through Da’ath; each song a ritual ode to gods of the nightside and scribed with the goal of evoking the eternal black flame in the hearts of those that carry the torch within or in need of a spark to ignite their inner divine flame.
“Of Through Fire, Everything is Renewed marks the abasement of the Nazarene and all that the demiurge represents, the gnosis grasped by man many years ago – I.N.R.I’s true revelation – ignis natura renovatur integra; Through fire, everything is renewed. Hark the dragon’s call…”
Strike while the iron is hot with Atramentum’s Through Fire, Everything is Renewed!
