When I received the promo for this Mcd I didn’t know the band and I went to do my homework and research a little about them. I was curious when I saw that the band’s lineup included bassist Vampyrum Spectrum, also known by the nickname of Lord Charon or Damien Lampierre, ex bassist and vocalist of the French symphonic Black Metal band Lord, who recorded an album that I personally always appreciated a lot. , I’m talking about the infamous “Behind the Curtain of Darkness” (an underrated album that deserved more recognition). With that expectation in mind I put “Nocturnal Demonic Visitation” on my stereo and I think I was only so surprised at the end of the first season of Game of Thrones. Sorry for the crude comparison, but what I mean is that what I heard blasting from the speakers was very different from what I expected and I say that in a totally positive way. Messe Mortuaire actually kind of continues what the defunct band Sepulchral started in 1989, the horde in question had the aforementioned Vampyrum Spectrum and guitarist and vocalist Veneficus Antropophagus in their lineup; the guys joined forces with drummer Filius Diaboli and guitarist Rex Funebre and in 2022 they released the first demo “Nocturnal Demonic Visitation” which was later released in official format by the Greek label Repulsive Echo Records. The band performs a putrid and powerous Dark Death Metal with a strong influence from that Black Metal old school that had bands like Blasphemy, Naked Whipper and Dead Christ. I particularly thought that the sound of “Nocturnal Demonic Visitation” in parts reminds a lot of what the also French Arkhon Infaustus did at the time of the first album mixed with high doses of Autopsy, especially in the slower parts. The vocals by Veneficus Antropophagus seem to echo directly from the catacombs, reminding me somehow of the vocals of the North american band Sadistic Intent in its classic “Ressurection”. The sound production and even the graphic work are very raw and primitive, perhaps because “Nocturnal Demonic Visitation” was recorded primarily as a demo as mentioned before. I hope the band keeps this direction and doesn’t look for anything too polished in the next releases because everything here sounds perfect to me, I love how powerful the bass is sounding, the extremely organic drums (The snare sounds particularly orgasmic), the guitars totally somber and devilish. The Mcd has five compositions being the title track “Nocturnal Demonic Visitation”, “Vampyrum Spectrum” and “Filius Diaboli” plus an “intro” called “The Devil’s Hour” and an “outro” that were composed by the legendary Ludo Lejeune of “Evil Omen Records” and also from the band Melek-Tha. I found it curious to say the least that two tracks have as titles the pseudonyms of two band members; I will interview the guys soon and I will try to find out why. For the Brazilian public the Black Metal Store will be releasing a national edition very soon so stay tuned because this is a band that as usual I highly recommend.
