Today is Halloween, the pinnacle of the spooky season, the day witches fly, demons roar, and Victorian-era houses endure their obligatory visits from unfriendly ghosts. This year, the spirits have come to tell us of The Haunting, the latest emanation from the mysterious collective, Ordo Vampyr Orientis. Operating under the name Bad Manor, our chief narrators are Stephen R.C. Sicreeve and Monsieur Malediction, assisted by a cast of other contributors from the order (including one named Phallus A. Blaze, ha ha ha).
The Haunting is composed of five raw black metal tracks, consumed by the eerie aura of synths, ghastly shrieks, and dizzying riff-work. Upon first listening to the release, the first bands to pop in my head where Lamp of Murmuur and Akasha. However, a little crow came to me one night and assured me that the seance was in fact directly inspired by Mütiilation and Deep Purple. For those of you who appreciate a fully immersive experience, the album is accompanied by a book of the same name (written by one Rada S. Lazarescu, apparently deceased), with a page of storytelling paired with each song. The book is adorned with thought-provoking images, drawn in heavy detail and providing a fitting atmosphere for the melancholy waves of guitars and snare hits.
Check it out below via Ordo Vampyr Orientis, where you can find the digital version of the album and PDF version of the book. Avantegarde Music will be selling a CD and physical book, and Labyrinth Tower will be selling an LP and physical book.
Happy Haunting!
