At the witching hour, ritualistic bells ring and gentle harmonious chants rise into the space, and around them the crackle of a raging pyre can be heard, inviting the invasion of demonic forces around the coven bonfire. With a similar atmosphere begins the debut odyssey of Ignis Mortis, „Hæresis Maleficarum“, consisting of three brutal tracks, unfolding in about 20 minutes duration.
Resurrected from the dust of cult Finnish black metal band Evil Might, Ignis Mortis are masters of the genre who definitely know how to create whole soundscapes in the listener’s mind and provoke them to the limit.
With that being said, „Hæresis Maleficarum“ is one of those titles that grabs you by the throat from start to finish and you can’t catch your breath for even a moment between the ferocious blasts, furious vocals, always well detailed ambient elements and towering moments like powerful ritualistic choirs. Listening to the record, you can’t help but get a huge rush of raw energy and fervor – the authenticity of the musicians will easily transport you into a state of weightlessness and provoke pleasant shivers on your skin.
After the  ambient-oriented introduction to its occult landscapes, in „Noitasapatin irstaat søjättäret“ – the first track of the album –  expected demonic whisperings are heard and after a beautiful atmospheric prelude of a more ethereal instrumental, the song explodes into a relentless and obsessive black metal opus – fiery vocals, in places multi-layered, fly through cold beautiful tremolo and smooth drums, delivering a mystical and obsessive atmosphere you can’t tear yourself apart from.
Amidst the veil of mysticism and aggression mixed with demonic possession and ritualistic blood, beautiful synths and other ethereal elements shine through, adding depth to the record. I especially like the slower tempo of the song, which in this case has a special attraction and helps to sink into even more unfathomable depths of the music.
The second track from the album – „Kali Yuga Mysticus“ is categorically a passionate, fiery and defiant song with a wild temper and a huge amount of boiling energy that builds up more and more as the song goes on. And when the blinding fury is joined by moments of ritualistic male choirs soaring into space, the song takes on a particularly mysterious and immersive path. A pure ritual honoring the Age of Darkness.
Finally, „Sanguine Luciferian Vampirism“ hits the audience with the screams of victims terrified from the coming evil and outlines a bloodthirsty and merciless attack. This is probably the most traditional track of the three on the record, featuring the genre’s typical fierce guitars and drums, high pitched and powerful traditional harsh vocals, and of course, last but not least, the typical medieval synths that always  refer to the  fascinating dark dark ages filled with mysticism, violence, blood and magic.
„Hæresis Maleficarum“ fascinates with its ability to hold tension and paint blood-soaked mystical pictures through a ritual of raw and, in these times, detailed music scorched with hellfire. With such a strong and thought-provoking debut, I can only tremble in anticipation of what lies ahead for Ignis Mortis…

Listen the full album premiere prior to release date here:

 

Album: „Hæresis Maleficarum“
Band: Ignis Mortis
Release date:  Ferbuary 9th, 2024
Label: Hammer of Hate
Order: https://bit.ly/49qcGXZ или https://bit.ly/3uA5tWu.