Diabel

Faith, beliefs and spirituality have been linked to music since the dawn of human culture: sounds were, and still are, used by shamanic tribesmen and organized religions alike to open the portal to the world of the spirits that possess, guide and reward mortals with a sense of eternity that only musical ecstasy can provide, regardless of whether we believe in spiritual transcendence or not. Black metal carries the legacy of our primitive ancestors with its hypnotic cadence and a sense of impending evil conceived by the Adversary’s devout followers.

Polish black metal band Non Opus Dei (Not God’s Work) released their album Diabel, which means Devil in Polish, in 2015 following a trajectory of 19 years. This album manages to bring the listener to the dark depths of hell with a dense, doomy and honest succession of songs that will push fans of black metal as well as fans of other genres out of their comfort zones.

Diabel feels evil from the first notes of the album in the track Milk of Toads. This suggestive song title is pronounced by the vocalist’s first scream, letting us know that they mean business. The doomy cadence, led by a very audible bass and darkened by guitar arpeggios, progresses into a faster riff of the more familiar black metal aggressive style, and they go back and forth between the two, grounded by flavorful and creative drums. The next tracks are faster and more aggressive, but the pattern of alternation between slow and fast pieces with smooth transitions is constant throughout the album. The vocalist imbues this mix with feeling, guiding the audience through seas of anguish and passion with his demonic screams.

Non Opus Dei has always been innovative within the black metal sphere, with song structures and lyrics that are hard to assimilate for someone with expectations regarding how black metal should sound like. However, for the unconditioned listener, their music reaches a familiar place in the mind of any metalhead who carries the black flame within. It is important to note that some of their lyrics are in Polish, which sounds great given the overflowing amount of consonants, but leaves us wondering what message they are trying to send if we do not understand that language. Considering the band’s long history of interesting and unusual black metal, this album is the perfecting of their previous work, with more organized songs and a distinct style that sets them apart from any other band.

Diabel is a wonderful album which combines slow and fast riffs, keeping a raw and warlike sound while sticking to the mysticism of the diabolical occult, shrouded by the denseness of doom and crowned by the rhythmic sensuality of a death metal hint. It is a mysterious journey through the unknown and feared doom of our humanity as symbolized by the Lord of everything that is forbidden, and it will resonate with that aspect of those who dare listen to it.

Milk of Toads official video:

Release date: 18-09-2015
Reviewer: Isabel Osanna Andujar
Score: 9