In the past at Soundscape, we’ve enjoyed releases from both Blut Aus Nord and Ævangelist, so surely it would be easy to come to the conclusion that Codex Obscura Nomina (a split release from the two bands) will be a stunning listen – and that is absolutely the case. The two bands’ styles complement one another’s perfectly and subsequently the flow of the release is fantastic.
The first four tracks of the split release are from Blut Aus Nord, and the black metal combined with ambience and electronics is sublime. The way the tracks flow is fantastic too, gelling seamlessly together into a piece that plays as a single track with four distinct sections, with a particularly strong finish – the fourth and final track entitled Infra-Voice is a seriously powerful inclusion with a lot of drive to it and it will have your foot tapping along before you know what’s happening!
The fifth and final track of the release is the Ævangelist track which is a 22-minute opus entitled Threshold Of The Miraculous and at first it’s a little more slower-paced than the Blut Aus Nord tracks, with a bit more of a doomier edge to it, but then it descends into a frenetic and energetic section. The track progresses in this way for the most part, with Ævangelist taking numerous different approaches musically and it’s great because it keeps you on the edge of your seat as a listener – you’re never quite sure what route they’re going to take next.
Codex Obscura Nomina is a great and immersive piece – both bands have really delivered here and as result have created a wonderful listen.
9/10
