Review Summary: SMRC displays the talent and strong musicianship that very very few Black Metal band possess.
On 5th August 1966, The Beatles released "Revolver" , an album that shook the world. It featured tape effects, reverse guitars, sampled vocals and even drone . It was much ahead of its time and still stands as a milestone album in musical history.
On April 14 1994 , Nas released "Illmatic" , an album that defines Hip Hop today . Its lyrics were honest and talked about street life , and is considered as one of the greatest Hip Hop albums ever recorded.
In 1999 , Opeth released "Still Life" . It was groundbreaking, in the sense that it had shown the music community that even a Death Metal band can create beautiful music.
Every genre of music , in its history , has an album that may represent it and display its style and talent of the musicians creating it . For me , and many others , "Si Monumentum Requires Circumspice" is a landmark album in Black Metal genre . It is unlike anything you heard from a metal band.
Everything about the album is unorthodox . From its guitar tone to its lyrical content , everything is unheard in Black Metal . It even inclines towards Avant Garde and chamber music .
The album starts with "First Prayer". I consider the song to be the most evil start to any album in the history of music . The song starts with a melodic tune , and midway , Gregorian chants start , creating an eerie atmosphere . The next two tracks "Sola Fide I " and "Sola Fide II" , are more straightforward , but are worth a listen . The next track "Second Prayer" , like the first , is eerie sounding , and is inclined towards chamber music.
The next track , "Hétoïmasia" , is also a good track .
"Third Prayer " displays brilliant use of time signatures and atonality . The songs suddenly silences , and then ............ BAM BAM BAM BAM . The title track "Si Monumentum Requires Circumspice" hits you , sorry , PIERCE your ears . It is the heaviest song of the album , and has insane drumming and riffage . "Odivm Nostrvm" is nothing special . "Jvbilate Deo (O Be Joyfvl in the Lord)" starts on a heavy note , but at about 4 min , a beatufil guitar interlude starts , dispaying their great musicianship.
"Carnal Malefactor" is the longest , and the best track of the album . The song starts with a melodic riff , gets heavy after some time . At 3:55 , everything stops , and then the gregorian chant soothes your ears . It creates an atmosphere that is beautiful , scary and hypnotising at the same time . It is truly an experience to listen to . I cannot express it in words how beautiful it is . The song ends in a heavy note , with crazy drumming and extreme riffage.
"Drink the Devil's Blood" is more Darkthrone inspired track and is very straightforward . The album ends with "Malign Paradigm" , the only instrumental , a good ending to an epic album.
PROS -
1.) Intensely Atmospheric
2.) Much ahead of "The Curve"
3.) Beautiful and Evil at the same time
CONS -
1.) Drumming
2.) Clocking at over 77 minutes ,some may not be able to digest its length.
With this album , DSO did to Black Metal , what Opeth did to Death Metal . This album is a bright spot in the otherwise murky world of Black Metal.
