Review: “Black Star Gnosis” by Demoncy

It has been eleven years since “Enthroned Is the Night” the last confession of Demoncy but one should never mistake silence for weakness as multi instrumentalist, founder and mastermind Ixithra has been plotting their return to the throne ever since. He is joined by guitarist and drummer VJS (Adaestuo, Nightbringer, Sargeist) who recorded and mixed “Black Star Gnosis” at Dirge Forge, a fifth album in a reign of darkness that has lasted almost 34 years and makes the project one of the eldest in American Black Metal history. Mastered by Jeremie Bezier (Of Blood And Mercury, Khthoniik Cerviiks, Obscuring Veil) at Blackout Bruxhell the album is released via Dark Descent Records and will be followed by an EP “Diabolica Blasphemiae“…

Eerie and haunting, the funeral bell tolls as a demon growls in prayer during the atmospheric introduction piece that is “Across the Setian Planes“, a palate cleanser of pure evil that sets a dark and foreboding tone before the true face of the monster is revealed in “Ipsissimus of Shadows“. Primitive reverb-laden production is what fulfils the promise and takes us back to 1999’s “Joined in Darkness“, the opening cut sounding very much like it was recorded in a dark, dank basement torture chamber hell. Classic restless and relentless Black Metal drumming is accompanied by tremolo picked guitars and vocals that sound like an aging, beastly Darth Sidious ensure that not only is there no escape, but resistance is futile. The abject horror of the abomination continues into the title track “Black Star Gnosis” as if the pair were conjoined twins not separated at birth, the rumbling bass barely heard as harsh whispers call from beyond the abyss. Hypnotic rhythms become fearfully addictive as each song plays out with the cheerful dissonance of psychedelia echoing in the bowels of hell before the mantra is broken with some fleeting Death Metal riffs in “Cosmic Curse Invocation“. Purists will turn in their graves, shuddering at the thought but those moments elevate the cut and make real impact, their abrasive quality something that helps rather than hinders. An interlude piece that builds on the albums opening cut with an ethereal quality “Syzygy of Unholy Trinity” once again cleanses the palate but this time feels more mysterious as well as being a couple of shades darker, twisting and contorting the mind in the fear of what may follow.

Some blood gargling vocal moments rise to the surface during “De Mysterium Noctis“, another pitch black slab of polished concrete that reverberates around the skull like a piece of shrapnel trying to escape and leaving total annihilation in its wake. All the ingredients have been used to create the kind of sonic alchemy only known to the elders of the tribe and that makes for something that has a nostalgic quality to it. The work of bands like Profanatica, Archgoat or even Beherit spring to mind however Ixithra’s uniquely coarse vocal performances are another level of pain and anguish. Things slow down for the creepy opening passage of “Performing the Ceremonies of Tragedy“, the soundscape to a dungeon crawling nightmare before rising once more to the tempo of the eternally damned, fleeting moments of intricacy giving this one an edge over what surrounds it. It also sounds like a conjoined twin with not even a second before the vocals of “Cosmic Curse Expulsion” rise from the grave; a curious decision that works surprisingly well. A whirlwind of percussive battery drives this one forward with the power of a raging storm, the vocals continuing to burn the cerebral cortex like the unhinged voice of an inmate in Arkham Asylum. The final dance macabre is “Occultation of Typhon“, another dark and atmospheric piece that puts white noise together with what sounds like the ticking of a grandfather clock, harshly whispered vocals barely heard as the desert sands are sucked into the vortex. Cryptic and malevolent, as an album this one feels like the first part of a trilogy, as if merely the foundation stone of something darker to come, the prospect of which is terrifying… [7.5/10]

Track Listing

“Black Star Gnosis” by Demoncy is out 1st December 2023 via Dark Descent Records with pre-orders available over at bandcamp.