bartosso Eradication of Self

I hereby announce that Maurice "Mories" de Jong is a warped god of madness, instilling awe and terror alike in all those who dare venture into his realm. And let's get one thing straight, it doesn't get more intense than this. Trust me, I've heard my fair share of crazy stuff. If anything compares, it can only be Merzbow or another Mories' project like Gnaw Their Tongues, Cloak of Altering or Aderlating. There is, however, something utterly fascinating about this abyssal poetry, and despite its painfully cathartic impact on my psyche, I keep listening.

The fourth album by De Magia Veterum is another experimental black metal journey through the realm of unfathomable darkness. Ear-splitting production underlies discordant glissandi and sonic outbursts of soul-stirring madness, but wait, there's more! With sinister sampling and breakneck rhythm patterns, Mories intensifies this, already extreme, experience. The Deification is in many ways a blend of Migdal Bavel and The Divine Antithesis. It's dense and soulful as the former and dissonantly chaotic as the latter. And there's also what's always been setting Mories apart from other fairly similar artists like Deathspell Omega and Blut aus Nord. I'm not trying to belittle their status in any way, but unlike De Magia Veterum, you can still follow their reasoning. Here, it all sounds as if it already existed as some boiling plasma within the creator's subconscious, and he simply converted it into sounds no man could normally conceive. Despite being consistent and meaningful, the notion of structured chaos doesn't really apply here. Structured chaos is liable to deconstruction and analysis. The Deification is rather a poetic depiction of chaos as it really is.

In many ways, this is a masterpiece and an unbearable sonic assault at the same time. Let's just say it's a great addition to your metal collection as it may expand your horizons to the extent you would never imagine possible. Remember though, no matter what kind of extreme music style you're a fan of, De Magia Veterum may be just too much for you, or something you will love with a bizarre, ravaging affection.