Tenebrae in Perpetuum / Krohm – Split (2010)

Today we got a very raw and nihilistic split from Debemur Morti. Featuring two of the best Atmospheric Raw Black Metal bands of the recent years (unluckily Tenebrae in Perpetuum has decided to split-up). Clocking over 42 minutes of pure unadulterated atmospheric brutality, this split release features three songs from each band, and interestingly enough, almost every song is 7 minutes long (give or take).

Kicking off the proceedings, we have Krohm and their three songs of very atmospheric and darkly constructed blasphemy. We particularly like how this one man band creates buildup in the first few minutes of each song and then it keeps the tension throughout the end. The vocals are a bit raspy and not extremely raw for us (unlike Tenebrae in Perpetuum), we also like that the music has many ‘traditional’ elements and keeps things on the Black Metal side of things but with a tick atmosphere.

Tenebrae in Perpetuum features a sound that is less atmospheric, but equally effective in creating a dark and cavernous atmosphere that will send chills to your spine. The vocals of this band are way better than on Krohm, since they sound more raw and full of hate and despair. However, Tenebrae tends to be a bit more repetitive than Krohm, but it’s also more brutal and aggressive. Our favorite song of this band in track 5, titled “II”. In this song, Tenebrae in Perpetuum, starts things very ‘calmly’ just to quickly escalate into an all-out onslaught to your ears and emotions.

We think that this Split release features the perfect balance between the atmospheric elements of Krohm and the true rawness of Tenebrae in Perpetuum. Both bands manage to craft chilling songs that will surely give you nightmares for months, and the difference of styles is greatly appreciated when switching from track 3 to 4. From Krohm we have to say that we loved “Toccato Dalla Desecrazione”, a total emotional ride packed in one brilliant song.

In general, if you like Atmospheric Raw Black Metal you need to add this brilliant release to your collection. If you are the occasional Black Metal listener, you might appreciate the raw brutality behind Tenebrae in Perpetuum tracks, but will need to be patient since there are plenty of build-up sections that might get boring for people not used to the genre.

Release: October 26th, 2010

Country: USA / Italy