DEATHSPELL OMEGA — Paracletus (review)

DEATHSPELL OMEGA — Paracletus album cover Album · 2010 · Black Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Time Signature
Have you beheld the fevers...

Genre: avant-garde/experimental black metal / extreme noise rock

Deathspell Omega is considered a groundbreaking black metal band in many ways, and there certainly are black metal elements on this album - namely, the use of blast beats and the harsh vocals, and there is also a general darkness to this album that is probably inherited from the band's black metal roots.

But other than that (and perhaps the lyrical concept), and I hope I am not offending any black metal fans here, there is not a lot of black metal to Deathspell Omega's fifth studio album "Paracletus". With its not extremely distorted guitars, it is more an avant-garde type of extreme metal meets noise rock, as Deathspell Omega make extensive use of dissonant chords and generally unusual harmonies (or disharmonies). There are hardly any breaks between the tracks which segue into one another seeming more like movements of a larger musical opus. There is not a lot of distinguishable melody on this album, but some of the riffs do have built in melodic elements. What is interesting is that, although this is essentially rhythmic music, the liquid nature of the tracks and performance almost makes this album have an almost soundscape-ish effect on the listener.

As a piece of art, "Paracletus" is a very interesting release, but as a piece of music, it is a very, very, very challenging listen which requires a lot of attention and effort from the listener. But I think that this is the whole purpose of the release.

Recommended to fans of avant-garde music who are not afraid of blast beats and dissonant chords.
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