Mons Veneris (Portugal) - Inversados d’um Abismo de Escuridão (Album 2022)

The return of the untouchable, heed the sound of the horns, a new Mons Veneris full-length is upon us. The 5th album by the portuguese tyrant, and already 4th release this year, 2022 is definitely shaping up as a very prolific year for this ghoulish maniac, his most prolific since 2016. If you’re familiar with Mons Veneris, and you should be if you properly explore the most twisted and righteous fringes of underground Black Metal of the past 20 years, you know to expect the unexpected, but still be presented by the most serpentine and twisted explorations of satanic adoration, always in Mons Veneris’ own degradating atmosphere and perverted ways. Featuring the mastering skills of Armin, one of the wizards behind the Bosnian Black Plague Circle, and with lyrics written by Kepler, Mons Veneris dedicates this album to the early portuguese Black Metal and proto-Black Metal underground, with special honors being made to Black Cross, Filii Nigrantium Infernalium and, most notoriously, Summum Malum, one of my old portuguese favorites. “Inversados d’um Abismo de Escuridão“ condenses what this pioneer of the Black Circle and occultist Raw Black Metal has been doing in the past few years. Guided by his trademark serpentine, oblique riffage, carrying as much of seductive venom as of hellish disgust, masterfully done with doubled guitars that carry enough difference between them, and enough rustic sloppiness to create a very dismal disorienting sense to the listeners, Mons Veneris always manages to create the most dense and intricate songwriting without having much preoccupation with technical prowes, but with creating a proper decrepit atmosphere instead. The percussion that marks the pace of the ritual omens is also very rustic and shamanic sounding, often even without sounding like an actual drum kit, but a more primitive assembly like that of the second track of the latest EP, or the mid-paced ominous percussion of Degredo. Nevertheless the toms and snare sound always remain remarkably grave and dungeon-y, giving a very tumultuous ghoulish sound to them. From slow and decrepit crawling moments, to vicious moments of addictive headbang, to parts of ecstatic chants in praise of the horned god, the portuguese shows once again why it remains the most remarkable and influential Raw Black Metal figure in this century. Released through Signal Rex on cassette, CD, LP and digital formats. Signal Rex: Tracklist: 1 Crueza Lúgubre 00:00 2 As Garras do Velho Escrito 02:48 3 Urna da Virgem Desalmada 09:58 4 Sê a Minha Morte 15:05 5 O do Fosso da Vida 22:37 6 Satanás Impera 28:06 7 No Trono do Desconhecido 31:32 8 Discípulo do Mal 36:18 All rights belong to Mons Veneris and Signal Rex. Uploaded with permission.