Celestia, Frigidiis Apotheosia - Abstinencia Genesiis
Created in 1995 by Sir Noktu Geiistmortt, Celestia has proven through the years that they have succeeded in their goal of creating unique, innovative and disturbing black metal. With a heavy melancholy in the air, the band rips through dark not after dark note, incorporating dramatic keyboards, string orchestration and theatrical elements with devastating effect. After five years of honing their craft since their last release it would be hard to expect anything less.
Frigidiis ApotheosiA is a tortuous black metal ride with a foreboding atmosphere and without sacrificing the albums production as some bands have done to great effect with lo-fi albums. Celestia take that abrasive groundwork and build on it with harshly screamed vocals interwoven amongst somber tones and well timed acoustic interludes.
She’s Dead
The opening track starts off with a typical black metal riff before slowing to involve some orchestrated keyboards and a memorable bit of guitar work. The tortured vocals come in at just past the one minute mark. The pace shifts a couple of times through the song, but is smooth and allows the listener to keep up nicely. This one ends in a flurry of screams and pummeling drums.
A Plaintive Cry Merely Echo
The second track on the album starts off with thick, distorted guitar work that has a wickedly evil rock vibe to it. After that brief lead, the band picks up the pace with mid tempo rhythms and memorable riffing. Ambient vocals work accompany acoustic guitar at the 1:20 or so mark for a little while before the band gets shifts into their black metal groove and back again for more acoustic work. I like the tempo shifts on this one — it’ll keep you on your toes that’s for sure.
Admirable Eros Abstraction
Thick drum work, driving riffs and ambient keyboard work get this one moving along at a nice pace as acoustic guitar is overlaid atop the churning metal. The vocals on this one are pretty damned evil.
A Regrettable Misinterpretation Of Mournfulness
One of the longer tracks on the Frigidiis Apotheosia, this one starts off slowly with acoustic guitar. Light drum work accompanies the guitar to the two minute mark before a memorable riff jumps in to pick up the pace. The groove continues as the vocals come into play. This one has an interesting mix of churning black metal riffs, with slow rhythms and light acoustic guitar — yet it feels completely whole and well structured. After a brief interlude in the second half of the song, Celestia explode with more screams and driving riffs to end out the track.
Death Of The Lizard Queen
A melancholy bit of riffing starts this one off with mid tempo drums. As the vocals come in, the pace quickly accelerates to typical black metal speeds. As the longest song on the track, this one flies by surprisingly quickly with plenty of driving riffs, tempo shifts and vehement vocals.
Morbid Romance
“Morbid Romance” has a great groove through it with mid tempo drum work that’s punctuated with thundering blasts to accentuate the vocals. The riffing is consistent with the rest of the previous tracks with an air of melancholy. Just before the 2:30 mark the vocals take on a moaning, ambient feel that’s sort of disturbing in a good way. The pace slows so as to not drown out the altered delivery. Celestia finish up the song strong with a quicker tempo and driving guitars.
The Seed Of Negation
Churning guitars and ambient keyboards accompany creative drumming at the start of “The Seed of Negation” as vocals are spit out violently. I love the vocal work at the three minute mark.
Frigidiis Apotheosia
Ending out the album with the title track, Celestia start off with light acoustic work before the vocals and drum work ooze out of the shadows. This one is a much slower paces bit of metal when compared to the rest of the album. It’s got more of a doom feel to it that’s a nice change up, yet still retains a nice groove. The song ends just as quietly as it began.
~ ~ ~
It’s been quit a while since the last Celestia release, but now they have returned in full force with driving black metal and a superb production. Smoothly combining acoustic elements with raw black metal, the band has succeeded in surpassing everyone’s (at least my own) expectations for their second release.
Favorite Tracks:
A Plaintive Cry Merely Echo
Admirable Eros Abstraction
Death Of The Lizard Queen
Morbid Romance
Additional Notes:
N/A