PATRIA — Gloria Nox Aeterna (review)

PATRIA — Gloria Nox Aeterna album cover EP · 2010 · Black Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
Vehemency
Looking at Gloria Nox Aeterna’s black & white cover art and hearing the first sounds of shrilling coldness on this recent EP release, my first idea of Patria’s geographical origin was certainly not Brazil, but that is the case here. Delivering four new songs plus an obscure demo from 2008 and a few videoclips, this southern 2-piece horde convinces me with its simple style - reminiscent of the 90s classics - that is still somehow refreshing.

The secret lies in the guitarwork of Mantus: just the way a band like Mgła knows how to craft authentic riffs out of simple underground black metal ingredients, Mantus seems to have his own touch to making convincing riffs and melodies while still strongly retaining to the old school values and spirit. So we’re clearly not dealing with a simple Darkthrone clone when it comes to Gloria Nox Aeterna.

Sound-wise, the EP is harsh and dead cold, not quite something an audiophile could ever digest, but it’s more than fitting to the style Patria presents here. Three of the four new songs focus mostly on noisy and aggressive output in which Triumphsword’s upfront raspy screams do their job admirably. Some passages involving clean guitar sound are implemented to ”Shattered Silence” and it works well, and there’s also the droning instrumental title track that might not be as fierce as the other songs but even more oppressive in atmosphere.

Hills of Mist, the 2-track demo that is included to the EP as a bonus, begins with an ominous introduction ”The Origin” that is followed by the eponymous ”Hills of Mist”, an even more traditional song where the influence of e.g. Darkthrone shines through more clearly than on the newer tracks. It’s fortunate that Patria has evolved from its demo days because the worship of the influential bands is a tad too clear on the demo, but it’s nonetheless an interesting glance to Patria’s first steps.

Gloria Nox Aeterna inspires me to keep my eyes on the band that most surely has potential. I enjoy the tracks - especially the new ones - so that the EP is to receive more listens in the future. I’m not the biggest lover of EPs and that might reflect my rating: had this been a full-length of same quality minus the demo tracks, at least a half star more could be added to the final score. Now I’m really looking forward to the upcoming album this year.
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