VRNA - Cathedral Inside Me
Last year we reviewed VRNA´s La Vecchia Madre album on Old Europa Cafe and this time we are reviewing the latest Cathedral Inside Me released by DumpsterScore Home Recordings. Limited as 50 copies on black tape, and 25 limited on red tape. About 34 minutes with 5 tracks spread out on the two sides of the tape.
Really dig the groovy hippie-satanic vibe from the cover artwork itself, I read a bit about the album on Discogs and it was revealed to me that the artwork was based on some obscure us-horror porn flick called, High Priestess Of Sexual Witchcraft! (1973).
The first track Spiritual Fog starts the track with a heavily distorted synth, which almost sounds like a heavily reverbed and looped ambient-black-metal guitar. Mysterious chanting voices fade in and out, while a cavernous texture of sound lurks above the listener. Lovely kind of cosmic horror ritual-ambient stuff, very high to the ceiling with lots and lots of space for paranormal activities.
The second track Cave Eternal starts more as an industrial-noise-based ritual piece. The clattering and banging on metallic sheets, the flesh scraping wailing sounds of distortion pedals and a cool and pulsating death-industria bass as well. Close to early Test Dept and MZ.412 if you ask me. Love the metallic sounds, really lifts the ritualistic aesthetic. Another mysterious sound is present in there as well, hard to describe... could be the sound of some demon trying to push inside the recording itself.
The third track Mens Sana / Corpore Cruciati sounds like you just have entered a party for hardcore black metal and industrial fans. The whole beast of sound has been firmly melted together into... a huge machine of Satan! Organic machine sounds, post-rockish guitars, ritualistic beatings, and lots of echoes and reverb. I think this track contains two parts because the other one (Corpore Cruciati) starts now. More of a slow-paced industrial-rock and doom sound here. Sort of like Godflesh (debut) in slow-motion. And why not? Sounds excellent. The drums here sound like bombs exploding in slow motion as well!
The fourth track A Cathedral Inside My Body starts with a heavy and chopped-up helicopter sound, starting a very hypnotizing session here. Melodic monk-like chantings, and more of the satanic-industrial MZ.412 moods. Love CMI retro-feel here, also thinking bout acts like Archon Satani and Inanna here.
The fifth and last track The Keystone Ground To Ashes returns to that cosmic horror sort of feel (like the first track). A hypnotizing and flanged looped rhythm, guitar distortions, and a constantly looped screaming sound. The feeling of despair and utter doom are strongly at work here. Probably the most intense piece on the album. Love the almost desert-rock feel that the guitars have here, makes the stuff more unique.
A great album! Offering moments of post-black-metal elements, punishing and rusty industrial sounds, and pure esoteric mysticism. A worthy investment for anyone who is into pitch-black occultism with black candles, nude people, and everything.
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