This week, Egyptian black/death metal band Hecate releases the band’s second studio album “In Nomine Artem Blackium .” This album comes after few years of the band’s absence away from the music scene. Rock Era Magazine had the chance to listen to the album exclusively and review it! Hope you enjoy our journey with the album!
As for me, I am somehow aware of the different musical backgrounds form the ideology of Hecate’s music: there is “Lord Mist” the main composer of the band, and the one who takes the responsibility of the whole instruments except the drums, in addition, Lord Mist is the main founder and composer of various black metal bands such as Frostagrath, Hateful Desolation and Astray.
Another shining name gives Hecate more power and heat, Zander Adam who is known for his successful Destiny in Chains glorified the scene with the band’s influential performance and sets one of the most successful corporations in the scene with Sinprophecy’s Sayed Ragai. Adam is not a strange name in the local black/symphonic metal world as he has previous experience of Zatreon.
The final member of the band is Mohamed Hesham Al Assaal who is the demonic force of drums, Al Assaal is also a member of one of the most successful death metal projects in Egypt which is Al Azif. All those various experiences are outstanding reflected in the music of the album.
It’s the first time for Hecate to produce such a symphonic black metal release that carries death metal tendencies, there are well-composed and outstanding orchestral lines well mixed with the heaviness of death metal riffs and the harshness of black metal melodies. “Naamah,” the intro of the album is a very good way to introduce the mood of the album through a brilliant fusion of orchestral sounds and horrifying spoken vocals.
While “King Ov the Underworld” is somehow colored in the same mood of the previous track with more dynamic death metal lines backed by richer epic symphonic sound; in 2:30, the mood of the track turns to be closer to atmospheric/depressive style with darkened clean vocals, this atmospheric/depressive style continues till the end of the track! Closer to the outro, you can recognize minor instrumental vibes appear from the heart of the major ones as if there is a parallel orchestra. Moving to “O Aollyen, O Azael,” it looks more dynamic and heavier, there are various orchestral moods in the track as if it is a soundtrack of the Inferno. The outro of the track carries a riff closer to the depressive musical tendencies of Frostagrath’s last album “A Defective Incarnation.”
Reaching the main track of the album “In Nomine Artem Blackium,” in my opinion, this track is the most track carries the whole influences of Hecate’s members’ influences: blackened death riff calling the mood of Hecate’s “The Order of the Black Light,” well-organized vocals calling the glory of Zatreon, dynamic black/death drums expressing the moods of Al Azif, and depressive black metal lines representing Frostagrath’s soul especially in 5:09. The symphonic lines also somehow carry the oriental mood of the orchestral lines used by Orphaned Land. So, I can say that it is the richest track of the album. Here we reached the middle of the album. The second half carries a new musical atmosphere.
“Into the Ultimate Void” is like a short interlude to another phase of the album as if you are inside the center of the hell! “Sons of Hecate” represents another phase of the music, closer to the style of Septicflesh with outstanding soprano vocals performed by Italian soprano Sarie, it is not the first time for Sarie to cooperate with Lord Mist as they both participated before in a symphonic black metal project called Oreb Mavet. There are various vocals pitches represented in the second half of the album, it seems like calling Zatreon‘s classic work! The part starts in 2:40, it is like the instrumental part of Zatreon’s “Unleashed the Mankind”.
The same mood increased through the following track “ Surrealistic Ressurction”, I need to praise Sarie’s performance as it gives the music more epic and orchestral beauty, her vocals are so catchy and magical, it really carries the glory of the Italian orchestral heritage!
The last two tracks are “Sorrow” and “The Ocean ov Hell”, I think “Sorrow” is closer to the blackened death style, I like how feelings of rage and regret explained in such a rhythmic atmosphere, more feelings of hell, while “The Oceans ov Hell”, gives us the slightest idea about the upcoming Hecate‘s stuff. It’s more creative, handles more extreme music with a great mix of symphonic touches along with the excellent usage of the chorus. You can easily witness the progress in Hecate through this track.
Finally, Hecate succeeded in introducing a vivid musical combination to the local scene, the harshness and melody of the music are magical, the symphonic music and usage of the chorus are perfectly implemented. High Harmony and accuracy, excellent quality with perfect expressions about war mixed between English and Latin, which presented the album with the colors of epic mythology, and high philosophy. I should praise the excellence of symphonic and orchestral composition outstandingly reflected especially in the second disc. The work of vocals are really impressive, despite his absence away from the scene for years, Zander Adam proves that there is no limit for his skills and talent! The final rate of the album is 9/10! Make sure guys of listening to the album especially if you are a fan of Septicflesh! “In Nomine Artem Blackium” is out on the 6th of August.
For ordering the band releases click HERE.
