Occulta Veritas - Irreducible Fear of the Sublime (2024)

Unleashing an excruciatingly atmospheric release, today we have Occulta Veritas and their full-length “Irreducible Fear of the Sublime”. With a highly dissonant style, this outfit delivers six tracks and over 33 minutes of chaotic Black Metal with tense atmospherics and ravaging brutality. Like a mixture of NONE with Déhà and Acathexis, this release is violent, contrived, and yet extremely punishing and brilliant.

Opening with the dissonance of “The Mirror Stage”, the mood is set with chaotic guitar work alongside furiously aggressive harrowing vocals. The song instantly creates a sense of desperation and uneasiness that is nicely flanked with a hefty dose of melancholy. The madness continues with piercing tracks like “The Sacred Horizons of Totality” and “Metonimia”, two songs that deliver intense guitar work alongside crafty drumming and hellish vocals.

Exploring a calmer and more ethereal opening, “S(Ⱥ)” changes things up and focuses on delivering a slow building creepy atmosphere were one if left to wander when things are going to escalate. The last two tracks, “Bound to Incompleteness” and the album title track give way for some more subtle masterful guitar elements alongside a more restrained pace and the occasional brutal onslaught as good measure.

Overall, “Irreducible Fear of the Sublime” is one of those releases that grabs you more, the more times you listen to it. At face value it might seem a bit too chaotic, but there is a ton of beauty within Occulta Veritas madness, so be sure to not give up on it and give it a full try. Most stuff out on I, Voidhanger Records is challenging and genre bending, and this one is certainly not an exception to that rule.

Label: I, Voidhanger Records

Release: July 19th, 2024

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal

Country: Italy