List season is upon us.  Depending on who you go to for your lists, list season has probably been upon us for a while now.  We have already had ours start to trickle out, and rest assured there is more coming, especially from yours truly.  I couldn’t resist one more chance at an upset, because while new releases might be few and far inbetween post-Thanksgiving, that doesn’t mean the albums that come out this late aren’t worth your attention.  See: Grave Gnosis, the USBM project known for warping the fabrics of black metal with psychedelia, and their third full-length Pestilence Crowned.

Grave Gnosis is primarily (although not exclusively) the work of frontman, author and multi-instrumentalist Ø, a.k.a. Caine Del Sol, whose personal occult grimoire “Codex Aversum” makes up the brunt of the thematic content of Pestilence Crowned.  Lyrically, the album treads heavily in “the fires of true, Satanic underground black metal,” with an obvious heavy focus on occultism, esoteric mysticism and rituals gone disastrously wrong.  This isn’t really a departure for those who know Grave Gnosis, as they have always been on the precipice of the darkness inherent in black metal.  Musically, Grave Gnosis expand upon their well-worn formula of atmospheric, psychedelic black metal by doing something contrary to what a lot of other black metal bands out there are doing: addition by addition.  Pestilence Crowned is veritably overflowing with collaborators old and new, as well as guests and cameos.  Founding keyboardist S backs up Ø’s guitar and bass with swirling, textural washes of synth noise, filling in the gaps and bringing the atmosphere of the music out into the foreground, while returning live collaborators A on percussion and guitarists E and Apophis lend a smattering of their talents to the record.  If that wasn’t enough, the inimitable Kakophonix guests on cello, Chris Cozzi of Resurrectionis provides guest vocals and Grigori of Teloch Vovin lays down a guest solo on closer “Lasciate Ogni Speranza.” Clearly we’re not just keeping it in the family here, but it shows what a labor of love Pestilence Crowned is that so many people have contributed to its birth.

I think it goes without saying here that the synths are the standout feature of Pestilence Crowned.  Few other black metal bands utilize them, and fewer still utilize them to the great effect that Grave Gnosis do.  Too often I find myself balking at the term “psychedelic.”  I can’t get over the feeling that there is something inherently cheesy about music described with that modifier, but Grave Gnosis are anything but cheesy.  The synths really do help take the classic black metal riffs and drape them in an extra layer of atmosphere that elevates them to a height above their contemporaries without overdoing it.  If the point of this album is to evoke mystical rituals, then Ø and Grave Gnosis nail it.  Between the layers of synths, the icy riffs, Ø’s barks and howls and the frantic drums, I feel immersed in some real-deal black magic here, and it’s a strong vibe that does not break through the whole runtime.  While that runtime is a little long for my taste, it can’t be said that Pestilence Crowned is wanting for variety.  There is so much going on here, and one thing that Ø and company know well is how to let a motif stick around for.  Nothing overstays its welcome, and there is so much depth that second and third listens uncover a wealth of new discoveries.

Just in time for the winter solstice, we have something that should tick the box of everyone looking for one more album to round out the year: underground black metal, released independently and with a unique twist on the formula and a dark, strange story to tell.  On that note, it’s about time I started working on my lists, but this is definitely a high note to have our album reviews go out on.  Stay frosty, quite literally.

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— Ian

Pestilence Crowned is available now on Bandcamp.  For more information on Grave Gnosis, visit their Facebook page.