Review: “Viaticum“ by Darkend

It may have seemed that the time would never come but the five year wait for a follow up to 2019’s very well received “Spiritual Resonance” from Italian Symphonic Black Metal act Darkend is finally over. A fifth studio album in “Viaticum” described as “enlightening an immersive and cathartic pathway towards the deepest hidden fields of who we really are” with shades that span from Mercyful Fate to Dissection calls us to the void, the liner notes indicating that the record has been in the works for some considerable time. References to contributes from former lead guitarist Paolo “Nothingness” Marani before his departure in 2022 on “An Ancient Plague Has Silently Worn Our Garments As Its Throne” that have been built upon with embellishments from the man who replaced him in Gabriele “Acamar” Lazzerini are a testament to that.

As with their prior works “Viaticum” comprises a collection of longer cuts, culminating in the magnum opus that is “In Your Multitude“, a fifteen minute and fifteen second affair that serves as a finale of epic grandeur. Themes of Philosophy, Spiritualism, Death and Occultism once again cloak the burnt offering as the band approach their 20th anniversary and continue to tread where Gods fear to, dungeon synth ambience creating a sulphurous mist sliced through by riffs sharper than the blade of the Grimm Reapers Scythe. The forty one minute affair begins with “In My Multitude“, a track which pushes the boundaries of Black Metal further into Extreme Metal territory with vocal from Luca “Animae” Gregori being distinctively reminiscent of Dani Filth of Cradle Of Filth fame minus those infamous shrill shrieks. Sonically bordering on the cinematic with a concerto like depth, the track has a spellbinding nature and epic grandeur to it as well as a performance of colossal magnitude from drummer Riccardo “Valentz” Valenti. That’s followed by the shortest trick in the book in “An Incautious Exhumation Of What Lies Beneath Forgotten Ground“, a cut that layers together a gracious clean sung male vocal against a shriller harsh one that is so sharp it threatens to burst the ear drums. The contrast is part of what makes the track sound huge while the solo from Gabriele “Acamar” Lazzerini is as virtuoso as they come. As fretboards smoulder in the heat of hell, the pummelling drums pound like an artillery shelling with ethereal moments building a captivating soundscape.

The hatchet which splits the record clean in half is “De Masticatione Mortuorum In Tumulis“, a track as enthralling as those which came before it with a melancholic lament in the lead guitars rooted in the black forests of Scandinavia. The synths and orchestrations are stunning, embellishing rather than overwhelming the sonic abrasions which Darkend create. Luca “Animae” Gregori is a storyteller of the finest order, the depravity of each of his tales worthy of comparison to the works of the brothers Grimm. A hypnotic seduction with sumptuous leads and a delicately balanced spoken word, “An Ancient Plague Has Silently Worn Our Garments As Its Throne” speaks of total annihilation in fires of hell with a fierce intensity, the true power of Darkend captured in one single piece. The musicianship is impeccable, each rise and fall an invigorating and uplifting experience in spite of the savage vocal performance as the band leave no stone unturned in their pursuit of Black Metal perfection and find it with consummate ease.

That of course sets the stage for the grand finale of “In Your Multitude“, a track with a call to prayer like introduction that stretches on into the night sky before setting the World ablaze with an piercing demonic roar. Nuances in orchestration, synth and guitar rise to the surface over the longer duration to keep the discerning listener wondering what will unfold next as the War drums pound and the plague winds roar. Another powerhouse performance that doesn’t outstay its welcome as it builds the mountain only to collapse it with an evil grin, a false ending used to usher in an urgent virtuoso solo before a final chorus and verse. How they have managed to piece this together is unfathomable, the time and energy put into it obvious with how effortless it seems [9/10]

Track Listing:

1. In My Multitude
2. An Incautious Exhumation Of What Lies Beneath Forgotten Ground
3. De Masticatione Mortuorum In Tumulis
4. An Ancient Plague Has Silently Worn Our Garments As Its Throne
5. In Your Multitude

“Viaticum“ by Darkend is out 14th June 2024 via Time To Kill Records and is available over at bandcamp