Glorior Belli - Manifesting the Raging Beast Review
by Mark Hensch
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Upon reading the press release for this new album courtesy of Southern Lord Records, I was expecting great things. Said press release trumpeted Manifesting the Raging Beast as a modern BM masterpiece, the kind of album which redefines genres and turns convention on its head. The clipping even went so far as to state that Southern Lord Records was putting its full power behind exposing the world to its newest BM signing. With my expectations raised and my interest peaked, I was naturally expecting the best of the best. With all this in mind, how did black metal's latest buzz boys fare?
The answer lies somewhere in the middle of the road. Manifesting the Raging Beast is an at times solid, at times underwhelming take on black metal; despite this, it would be outright falsehood for me to claim that Glorior Belli is without any merit on this album. The eight songs on offer here are mid-to-faster-paced black metal, with the guitars often possessing a hollow, mesmerizing tone. This aural hypnotism is deeply rooted in the band's crystal-clear, subtle melodies, the likes of which utterly drive Glorior Belli's sound. Beyond that, the band sports a competent if largely humble rhythm section, and the kind of primal vocals that sound alright with the music but unfortunately fade out of one's consciousness.
The aforementioned guitar melodies, however, thankfully do not. Glorior Belli have few releases under their belts, and as such, they are still fermenting a more mature version of their initial sound as well as mastering a greater grasp of black metal's atmospherics and dynamics. For the most part, the songs all have at least one or two extremely memorable parts; sadly, some of the overall songs seem a bit bland or monotonous overall.
"From Darkness There Springs Light" establishes this duality immediately. A well-plotted guitar melody instantly begins to hover over the proceedings, but the song quickly loses any sense of momentum gained from it and falters. The vocals (though hate-filled and primitive as befitting this genre of music) are constantly one-dimensional, and because of this, the band's reliance on their one single melody (and slight alterations thereof) soon feels a bit too well-trod. A dirty ethereal portion soon adds a bit more spice to the pot, and the song's eventual pounding climax saves things a bit, but it is already apparent this is not in the same league as other frontrunners of the Third Wave of Black Metal.
"Deadly Sparks" begins with a dusty, whirling riff that totally ignores the above, a bit more fury making this song feel like the album's proper beginning. It just feels that much more right; the riffs ebb-and-flow out of blasting sections and back again, the tremolo-lines are icy and menacing, and the vocals feel like they possess an ounce or two more of spontaneity. "Sinister Resonance," meanwhile, is probably my favorite song on the album, and with good reason. "Resonance" attacks with a sickened, reeling riff; from here, the song collapses into an increasingly violent freakout. In what proves to be a unique, inspiring twist, the band begins a massive blasting portion only to fade out into a fist-pumping run of tribal-influenced percussion. It all feels very raw and gives things an unhinged feel.
"Severed from the Self" is a twisting holocaust of frenzy and another strong song from Manifesting the Raging Beast. Not sure why, but something about it reminded me of recent Gehenna. The guitar lines are razor-wire sharp, and the blitzkrieg of drums will gloriously sand faces into dust. Of particular note is how Glorior Belli often plays the signature melodies on offer here higher and higher, given the song an increasingly manic feeling. "Manifesting the Raging Beast" starts with a dank, hollow riff, the likes of which is soon heavily distorted and crashes into one's ears like a mortar on an enemy encampment. From there, the album's decent title track is essentially naught but driving, solid black metal. I'd label it somewhere between "run-of-the-mill" and "squarely groundbreaking."
"Said Lucifer in Twilight" makes a noble effort at proving me wrong, the song's buzzing firestorm of sound obliterating all in its path. The song flip-flops between lightning bolts of rage and malicious, filthy dirges that sway grimly in the wind; though not my favorite track, this one is probably the disc's most fluid and organic tune, showcasing the easiest transitions in tempo and speed. "Serpentine Admonition" has a large, dark, but fairly bland intro riff and immediately confrontational roars. At first mildly so-so, the song soon injects some blood into its own veins by adding eerie, slick wisps of melody to the increasingly deep riffs. The final track, the disc's longest, is entitled "Altered Verses." It spotlights both the best and the worst of Glorior Belli on this entire album. The guitars are nightmarish and hypnotic, but sound similar to the other songs in overall tone; ironically, it is these same aspects which allow the individual melodies (rather than the riffs themselves) to stand out so prominently on this song (as well as the others). Once again, the percussion has decent range but nothing else about it is that gripping, and the bass is low in the mix. The vocals by now have established themselves as the weakest part of the whole album, and a bit more life would give Glorior a much-needed edge.
All-in-all, this is a mixed bag. With such remarkable works from bands as diverse as Blut Aus Nord, Watain, Xasthur, Deathspell Omega, and the like in the last few years, something this straightforward and generic in terms of experimenting simply won't compare. As much hype as there is here, this is simply catchy, drifting black metal, low on atmosphere and high on vaguely sinister riffs. There are few (if any) solos besides the one on the last track, and though the band can clearly write hook-laden material, there is nothing here that puts Glorior Belli in the upper-echelons just yet. A few of the riffs have a polluted, wafting sound to them that is mildly interesting, and the aforementioned tribal beatdown was out of left field. Beyond this, the band can clearly shred, and as such, I wouldn't mind more intricate fret-ripping on the next album. To sum it up, Glorior Belli does not reinvent the wheel but they are damn good at spinning it---for the extreme black metal enthusiast only folks.Glorior Belli's Manifesting the Raging Beast
1. From Darkness There Springs Light
2. Deadly Sparks
3. Sinister Resonance
4. Severed from the Self
5. Manifesting the Raging Beast
6. Said Lucifer in Twilight
7. Serpentine Admonition
8. Altered Verses
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Glorior Belli - Manifesting the Raging Beast
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