Review: Vicarivs Filii Dei “Intra Ecclesiam Salus Non Est” [Darker than Black Records]

Intra Ecclesiam Salus Non Est… this particular album really caught me massively off guard. So much so, it was actually a very distressing feeling. When I had listened to Vicarivs Filii Dei‘s first two albums Index Librorum Prohibitorum and then Non Cogitant Sed Tamen Sunt, those were some vastly jarring experiences in themselves. As never in my entire life had I ever heard anything so fucking beautiful, as this album genuinely is. This man, Antimessiah… just fuck. His music is just so endearing and delightful. I think I may be the exception to the rule to find honestly music such as this, as I have just mentioned. While I had fallen madly in love with his first two albums, I was very much so highly anticipating this one. As I was anxiously awaiting this album to come in the mail, I kept on wondering ‘How can this one possibly top his first two? There’s just no way that it can. How in the hell!?’ Took about a month for me to get it, and when I got it, I was sincerely dying to listen to it!

Now, first I must mention something… Intra Ecclesiam Salus Non Est is everything the first two albums are, but at the same time it is in a world all its own… as well as being absolutely nothing like the first two, respectively. Unless you’ve already heard the album, and if you have, you will know exactly what I’m talking about. If you have not well let me tell you, you will be in for quite the unique listening experience. This is an album unlike anything you’ve ever heard. Sincerely, I fucking mean that. This is an album that either you will love it completely, and fall in love with it so hard; or you just will not like it at all. This album I have come to find, is that of a love divided amongst fans of this project. When I carry forth with my review, I will of course mention what all I love about this album, why I feel how I do, and why I mark it so high above everything else. It is just that desiring to me. It is certainly not my place to speak for anyone else as to why they do, or do not like something. I personally find absolutely nothing wrong with this album, so I will write my review accordingly. Only reason why I even mention anything at all about this, as this was not commonplace with the first two albums, but seems to be with this one.

Now this album has the same running ‘theme’ as the first two albums, as all three begin and end exactly the same way; with haunting, melodic riffs leading into instant heaviness… but, then ending exactly in the same respective manner. However, the tone of the melody sounds so much different on this album, but most definitely not in a bad way. But, the tone is a lot more ‘tinnier’ than previously heard before. The melody is solid, but just has a somewhat slight, hollow sound to it. Now what is unique about “Der Letzte Gottesdienst” (well most of the album in general, actually)… but the majority of this album sounds like a fucking train chugging along on the tracks. Really, I’m not kidding. A most unique sound, and the very first time I heard this I was seriously taken aback, as I don’t think I have ever heard drums being played in such a manner. Very striking, and I was just in complete awe. See, this is all part of why this album has hit me so hard as it has… I have a captivating love for trains, and I just love that “chugging” sound, so insanely much! This song just amazes me… this whole, entire album just amazes me. And of course, Antimessiah‘s screams just fucking pierce right through my soul and crushes it; genuinely devastating me completely… every single fucking time. Just his forced passion… Goddamn!

“Die Engel Des Teufels” is my second favorite song off the album. The “chugging”, that glorious train sound of the drums carries forth extensively, heavily. Especially in certain parts. And, when that happens, it just makes this song Goddamn epic! Just a bit past the middle of the track and then towards the end (however, with a slight bit different pace)… A. Goddamn. Fucking. Masterpiece. Locomotive train sounds run fucking epic, rampant! Absolute, pure brilliance. And, I’ve got to mention Antimessiah‘s vocals, basically on the entire album, his vocals sound immensely forced. Excessively more than on the first two Vicarivs Filii Dei albums. But this most definitely works in extreme, high favor to the album, as a whole. And, as just with the first two albums, the use of reverberation of his vocals… on this album… the intensity levels of this effect are through the Goddamn roof! The true passion and the feelings just of all of this combined, heightens that ‘intensity’ of this effect, in colossal excess! Need I even mention the heavy cymbal clashing… on the level, this just brings all of it home. It’s almost like you feel as if you’re at a train station; I am so serious, I swear. You’d just have to hear this one, as no matter what I say, I do not think I can describe “Die Engel Des Teufels” well enough. And, yeah, this is a song that gets repeated heavily before I am able to even move on to the next track. While I say all this, you’d think that I would have forgotten to mention the riffs. No, not really. Now I again, when I say this, I am saying this very respectfully; as I honestly mean this in a good way. Now, while the riffs are heavy and very present, there is no denying that… but with the drumming on this one; this sorely overpowers everything else, asides from Antimessiah‘s voice. And, I can’t help but to fall both into the voice, as well as the drums. Truly, one of the most epic songs in all existence. Black metal, or otherwise. Period.

While the third track “Unkirchliche Sakramente” sounds nothing at all like the rest of the album, it is still just as beautiful. It’s almost like a break from the monotonous train “chugging”, as how the whole album mostly dominates as. “Vernichtung Des Reiches Gottes” brings that drumming effect back in… leading into the second to the last track “Die Arche Des Unheils”…

…“Die Arche Des Unheils”, is as insanely epic as the first track. That train “chugging” at the start… I just love this so much! It’s just so relentless on this song! About halfway through is the absolute, best part! It’s so crazy! Just so much of it! It’s completely nonstop, all the way through; but the song is just too fucking short, though. But, the drumming and Antimessiah‘s vocals overpower everything else a second time around (on this). The riffs are minutely melodic, but more droning than anything; which of course gives way as to that I have mentioned above, with the drumming effect as well as his vocals. The guitar melody does push through in a couple of instances, but those instances do not last long at all. For the reason is well, you know… So much force and passion I feel in this one, so much. Anything else I want to say about this will only be repetitive; as well, as it’s just everything that “Die Engel Des Teufels” is, twofold. Yet another extensively repeated track before the most epic song of all-fucking-time hits…

Ohhhh, Goddamn, Antimessiah… how he screams at the start with such impassioned pain! How it is, well… it’s just so beautiful. I feel this so much, when he does that, and when it’s a few times over… just, fuck. Now this song “Der Verkehrte Kreuzzug” is, no matter what all else I have ever said before about anything concerning Antimessiah‘s music… this song, IS, it IS the most passionate, the most beautiful, the most everything of any song ever, on this whole, entire planet. This song is immensely everything to me! This song is the definition of “perfection”. Absolute. It’s like how everything on this album is already… just magnify that 100 times over! Not even remotely kidding, at all. Again, starting off with intense, passion-filled, elongated screams that just move me so, emotionally. The riffs have the most harrowing melody, even the droning parts. Need I even mention the “chugging” train!? And, that melodic riff is even more prominent just slightly over halfway through. How Antimessiah sings on this one feels just a bit more forced, more loud, and just Goddamn, more lovely. Seriously. And, then as I had mentioned at the start of my review… it ends just as beautifully as it had begun.

Intra Ecclesiam Salus Non Est, genuinely just has so much illustrious charm to it. So much so, I can honestly give it the gesture of “chef’s kiss”. This album is THAT good. I have never used that gesture for any other album that I have ever listened to, in all my life. Intra Ecclesiam Salus Non Est honestly deserves that, in all sincerity. And, I mean that with all of my heart. Again, I need to stress that this is an album with love divided amongst anyone who is in love with Vicarivs Filii Dei. However, I will say this, if you are moved passionately by the music that you listen to; I can almost assuredly bet that you will fall in love with this album, in that very instance. This album is a definite must-have. Absolute pure, brilliant perfection; and most deserving of a double “chef’s kiss”.

Release date: May 2020

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