Review: Anguis Dei “Ad Portas Serpentium”

Anguis Dei “Ad Portas Serpentium”
Svart Records

Now I always thought that I reviewed music. But clearly I’ve been getting it wrong for a while now, as I’ve just discovered that my latest absolute favourite band aren’t producing music at all, but “an audible form of Black Magick for Satan and Satanists, than other flooding commercialised music products”. Well, that’s the genre done then: black metal.  Country of origin: Japan. Yes, Japan – which is possibly the last country (after maybe Vanuatu) that I’d ever have guessed at.

I will however make an educated guess that Anguis Dei is a modification of the Catholic liturgy Agnus Dei and that Ad Portas Serpentium means something like “To the Serpent’s Gates”, but as my knowledge of both Catholicism and Latin is approximately zero, I could be way out.

OK, so let’s deal with the stuff that I am qualified to make a judgement on: the music. It’s one of the most unusual (in a very good way) EPs that I’ve ever come across. The opening track is a prime example of how black metal can trace influences back to classical music, along the lines of Aussies, Virgin Black. It starts with almost operatic singing, and then quickly morphs into black metal (that well known commercialised genre) with a good bit of screaming thrown in. Very Norwegian.

I’ll stick with the idea that it’s all Satanic, as I can’t even begin to work out what the meaning of “Angela Krudeliis Ambitiosa Nokturniis” is (I’m guessing not “Angela tries to be cruel every night” which is Google’s best effort). It all sounds very heartfelt, though. Then there is some very nice piano (and it sounds like a real piano) for third track Origin, reminding me a bit of another classically influenced band, Anorexia Nervosa.

Finally, back to black metal for final track “The Lionel” and it’s all out screaming and bashing of instruments and even the odd pig squeal. Can’t wait for the full length album due out at some unspecified future date.

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