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Deathspell Omega - Veritas Diaboli Manet in Aeternum: Chaining the Katechon

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 December 11 2008 at 01:04:23 AM



The Redeemer. Where Fas… thrashed impotently and unfocused through a lecture on sin’s nature replete with all the faux nuance and Calvinistic bleakness one could possibly stomach, Deathspell Omega’s (DsO) current EP, Chaining the Katechon, which fixates acutely on Pauline doctrine extrapolating the timely leavening of iniquity, penultimate apostasy, ultimate coming of the Son of Perdition, is a polished statement of unfathomable power, intent, and – at times – rather poetic erudition. Beginning, as it were, in medias res, DsO eschews its penchant for ambient interlude and bears its fangs. Jarring, for sure, but stunning – even magisterial – as atonal guitar, insistent bass, and tireless battery combine in ways that seem at once impossibly mechanistic and profoundly visceral.

Perhaps an inevitable effect of subject matter, orchestral leitmotifs provide brief repose from the churning violence; tenets growled and howled over the muscular din. This is the old craft – DsO’s patented form of music as system building, a clinical and unforgiving approach to “song” that demands its own genre pigeonhole, “technically progressive Black Metal.” Prowess provides a breaking point for those who persist with hard and fast rules of Black Metal consisting in ______ or ______. No matter. DsO not only renews its potent art once made manifest with Si Requires Monumentum Circumspice; it also disposed of its tendency to lapse into dulling excess. What is born of assimilation, process, and rendition – à la San Francisco’s Weakling – truly has no other origin other than sturm und drang’s very roots, a sort of inherently humanistic approach to impenetrable theology re-imagined via Schnittkean handling of tonal and atonal harmonics, which can – and should be – traced back to Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde. Therefore, in nuce: Very motherfucking far from Mars Volta. Then there’s the foundation from which the music is grown and powered upon: Viz., inexplicably rationalistic takes on inchoate theosophy. From Thessalonica to Gaul, I suppose, and no time like the present to ponder variform eschatology.

The End of Days shall not usher into being with seraphim trumpets. The Lord’s Day has a precursor. The Son of Perdition warms the throne and rules appropriately. Apostasy corrals former believers to the field from where they are ultimately led to slaughter. “How legitimate is the faith into despair?” The question, of course, remains rhetorical. Johannine opine is decidedly reified: Antichristos as “thing,” or to datechon, and then as thing-made-flesh, or ho katechon. Gleaned and preened from such subtlety is the notion of prevention – a formidable obstacle to the perceived Messiah’s prophesied time. “Still a temple stands. And a star shines.” For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way… Whether we agree the antichristos comes forth as event, idea, principle, man, or polity matters little. DsO ostensibly revel in the celebration of the throne’s seizure – the Beast’s reign – even if the Gospel characterizes this incremental period not only as fleeting, but a prelude to defeat. A great turning away: Summa Diviso – man’s ultimate exercise of freewill – is nothing so much but victory. Ho-sanna. Ho-san-na. Ho-san-n-a.

[Stewart Voegtlin]
Deathspell Omega
Veritas Diaboli Manet in Aeternum: Chaining the Katechon
http://www.noevdia.com/
type: reviews    keywords: black metal, dei carnifex, hermenuetics, italics,   

Comments (28)

  • 108 comments
    jniff
    12:53 PM on Dec 11, 2008 // reply »
    Thanks for the great review. I share most of your sentiments. I think Si Requires is a powerful album, but was let down by the subsequent offerings, particularly Fas. This is definitely a step up and has its moments (particularly the first four plus minutes and Mikko's vox), but I think I still prefer Si Requires.

    Glad to see that Noevdia is cranking out some releases again. The Ofermod CD gets my vote for metal album of the year. I've also heard rumors about a forthcoming Katharsis/Antaues split.

    BTW, the SVEST side of the split is also worth hearing, as is the Rebirth of Nefast/Slidhr split that EAL recently released.

  • 374 comments
    stew_vee
    1:51 PM on Dec 11, 2008 // reply »
    SRMC can't be beat IMO. Too solid. Nearly perfect. but this EP is stunning. Nothing to sniff at.
  • 108 comments
    jniff
    1:58 PM on Dec 11, 2008 // reply »
    Most true on both counts.

  • 1 comment
    bob
    9:47 AM on Dec 17, 2008 // reply »
    Incredible piece of music. I love Fas, too, but this is on another level. As much as I enjoy Si... this makes it sound skeletal by comparison.
  • 374 comments
    stew_vee
    12:03 PM on Dec 17, 2008 // reply »
    Reminds me of Bill Vollmann's idea of the perfect sentence: stuffing, packing word and idea one after the other until the whole thing bursts like popped corn. That's this EP.
  • 108 comments
    jniff
    12:28 PM on Dec 18, 2008 // reply »
    This beast grows with each repeated listen.
  • 64 comments
    neu konservatiw
    4:18 PM on Dec 19, 2008 // reply »
    Superb review - stunningly well-written. Upon learning of the demise of Stylus, I was immediately disheartened by the possibility of never again reading Stewart's reaction to a Deathspell Omega release. The caliber of Stewart's writing is such that it is uniquely capable of approaching the density of this material. I now look forward to reading your reviews with as much anticipation as I have for hearing the music itself. Hails.
  • 374 comments
    stew_vee
    2:57 PM on Dec 29, 2008 // reply »
    Your comments are extremely flattering. Thank you.
  • 5 comments
    Adamas
    10:56 AM on Feb 19, 2009 // reply »
    What exactly do you mean when you say DsO's fundament is an 'inexplicably rationalistic take on inchoate theosophy'? I neither see the influence of theosophy (unless you mean no more by it then a general speculation on the nature of divinity and intra-divine processes, which is properly called metaphysics - theosophy usually refers to the Boehmian-inspired systems that emerged in lutheran germany from the 17th century onward) on DsO's lyrics, nor what exactly is 'inexplicably rationalistic' about their supposed approach to it.
  • 374 comments
    stew_vee
    11:22 AM on Feb 19, 2009 // reply »
    Right, I'm not speaking to Theosophy proper (which is why the term remains in lowercase), but rather the coupling of relgious philosohpy and, yes, metaphysics DsO typically enagages.

    Heady stuff, sure, but DsO manages to effortlessly fold this with visceral exeprience usually associated with Hellenic rationalism. What we're left with is a conceptually heavy lyric sheet that doubles as an account - an understanding of the world around the one giving the account, and his/her understanding of his/her self in regard to that world. Works for me.
  • 5 comments
    Adamas
    4:01 AM on Feb 20, 2009 // reply »
    Thanks for the clarification. It seems the confusion arose from your use of the terms rationalism and theosophy. As it stands, I agree wit yhou, though one might argue that most, if not all, theosophical currents have to a certain extent been rationalistic in this sense, so the 'inexplicable' part about it still eludes me.
    What strikes me personally in particular about DsO though is their focus on early Christian theology, in particular that of Paul and St Augustine, and the absence of the cabbalist and hermetic references that form the basis of other bands from the NoED-label.
  • 374 comments
    stew_vee
    6:15 AM on Feb 20, 2009 // reply »
    Yeah, I think you're right on there. My experience - at least in school - with theological philosophy was less about the "agent" and more about the "holy" itself, as impenetrable as that may seem. Rudolph Otto, etc.

    DsO's primary focus is actually refreshing. Maybe they'll move on to Clement of Alexandria and St John of the Cross...
  • 1 comment
    Adamas
    3:55 PM on Feb 21, 2009 // reply »
    I wouldn't call Rudolf Otto a representative of a theosophical outlook by any definition. The main difference is that Otto's focus is not on the divine as such, but rather how this unkown 'holy' maifests itself in experience. Although it is an essentialistic approach, it is certainly not theosophical, which by definition speculates about the nature of the divine itself. Anyway, enough with the BS, I understand your point of reference, though I would've formulated it differently.

    DsO have mentioned an affinity with manichaean thought in an interview. In view of their approach to Augustianian theology I'm hoping they will elaborate on this in future works.
  • 374 comments
    stew_vee
    4:58 PM on Feb 22, 2009 // reply »
    Again, you're getting hung up on a reappropriation of the term.

    You seem well-read, and interested in philosophy/theology enough to challange liberty taken with terminology, which certainly leads me to beleive you could easily formulate your own interpretation of this recording. What a strange place this world would be if one highly specific reading of art held true for all...
  • 64 comments
    neu konservatiw
    10:33 PM on Feb 22, 2009 // reply »
    Stewart and Adamas - I enjoyed that exchange. Below are two "theory" blogs that often discuss black metal and a CFP for a journal called Glossator on the subject. (I imagine you both might already be aware of these!)

    http://thewhim.blogspot.com/

    http://surrealdocuments.blogspot.com/

    http://nicolamasciandaro.googlepages.com/Glossator-BlackMetalCFP.pdf
  • 5 comments
    Adamas
    12:07 PM on Feb 23, 2009 // reply »
    Stew_vee: That is one hell of a way of telling someone to write their own fucking review ;)

    Seriously though, I think you may have slightly misunderstood my point; I wasn't criticizing your use of terminology, but rather your frame of reference. Hence my criticism of the 'inexplicable' part, which, it appeared to me, was only inexplicable because your frame of reference was inadequate. To put it bluntly, you were comparing apples with oranges (or, to be more precise, you were trying to describe an orange as a very juicy, fleshy apple whith an inexplicably orange color ;).
  • 374 comments
    stew_vee
    1:13 PM on Feb 23, 2009 // reply »
    That would be a lovely, and even fantastic analogy if only you could help yourself from continually misrepresenting my frame of reference, which you've continued to do throughout your comments.

    Basing your argument on my use of terminology (see your second comment) and claiming, ultimately, to have no objection regarding my use of terminology, but rather my "frame of reference," renders your comments not only disingenuous, but the stuff of straw men.

    If you are going to choose a "screen name" that essentially means "invincible," I would suggest working on your logic. ;)
  • 5 comments
    Adamas
    2:52 PM on Feb 23, 2009 // reply »
    It seems we have ourselves a tower of Babel here. Let me be as explicit as I can possibly be; the reason I pointed out that Otto should not be referred to as a theosophical (in the broad definition used in this argument, not in the sense I referred to in my first post) thinker is not because I object to any alledged misuse of the term. Rather, it is because I feel that such a 'theosophical' (again, in the broad sense, by which I roughly mean a speculation on the nature of the divine and intra-divine processes) frame of reference (again, which Otto does NOT represent) SHOULD be used when interpreting DsO's 'helenic rationalism'. By this 'frame of reference' I mean looking at it in view of the history of western theosophical speculation. When approaching it from such a frame of reference, the rationalistic approach of DsO's metaphysics would be inherent rather then inexplicable, as most (if not all) of these currents are based on neo-Platonic philosophy. Which is why I considered your description of DsO's metaphysics as an 'inexplicably rationalistic take on inchoate theosophy' to be based on an inadequate frame of reference, for by approaching it as a mixture between 'theological philosophy' in the vein of Otto and metaphysics, you fail to grasp the long tradition in which these type of speculations on the divine stand (thus making qualities that have been an inherent feature in the directions in which these speculations have gone in western thought seem inexplicable). By describing it as an exponent of the tradition which i have just described (which could also have been referred to by the term 'theosophy') the addition of 'an inexplicably rationalistic take' would've been unnecessary, as this would not have been an oddity but a logical feature of theosophical speculation - hence my 'apples and oranges' analogy.
  • 374 comments
    stew_vee
    4:15 PM on Feb 23, 2009 // reply »
    I never claimed Rudolph Otto representative of "Theosophy." I merely mentioned Otto in an aside, where I said my experience with "theological philosophy" was more about what the "holy" consists in, and little about the "agent."

    If you were more interested in reading this piece and comments rather than finding what you perceive to be flaws, we never would have crossed pocketknives in the first place.

    Adieu...



  • 5 comments
    Adamas
    4:37 PM on Feb 23, 2009 // reply »
    You are correct in pointing out that I misrepresented your views in my previous post. I apologize. That is however slightly besides the point. My criticism was not aimed at a perceived flaw in your general perception of theosophy. It was aimed at the specific sentence 'an inexplicably rationalistic take on inchoate theosophy' and the inherent flaw that I see in your frame of reference here in that it fails to identify this Helenic rationalism as a logical feature of theosophical speculation (again, read my previous post). As I said, by approaching it as an exponent from the history of theosophical speculation, this aspect of DsO's metaphysics can be more properly understood.

    I fail to see where this leaves the header of constructive criticism and degrades into 'crossing pocketknives'. I am also slightly disappointed that you chose to ignore the contents of my criticism and only adress an ultimately irrelevant flaw in it.
  • 374 comments
    stew_vee
    4:44 PM on Feb 23, 2009 // reply »
    Nachos? So long as you do not insist on black olives.
  • 2 comments
    Name
    5:13 PM on Nov 01, 2009 // reply »
    How exactly does Adamas not have a point valid enough here to warrant fixing this blunder of yours?
  • 64 comments
    neu konservatiw
    2:06 PM on Nov 02, 2009 // reply »
    Name:

    There was no blunder.
  • 1 comment
    Abbath
    7:10 PM on Jan 29, 2010 // reply »
    The name of the album is "Si Monvmentvm, Reqvires, Circvmspice"! You all write it in the wrong order!
  • 374 comments
    VOEGTLIN
    11:44 AM on Jan 31, 2010 // reply »
    "You all...?" We "all" must have conspired, huh?

    There's a job out there for you in the copy proofing world of latinate Black Metal record titles, you know? Best of luck.
  • 6 comments
    bill@hotmail.com
    3:53 PM on Mar 12, 2010 // reply »
    haha, you got severely shown up here, voegtlin. Tail well an truely between your legs.
  • 1 comment
    VOEGTLIN
    4:50 PM on Mar 12, 2010 // reply »
    "Spot on," Billy.

    When "person" argues against a point I never made, then insists I made said point, and ultimately admits it truly was never the argument I made, my tail goes firmly betxit me legs.

    Reading comprehension: It's fundamental.
  • 1 comment
    .
    12:16 PM on Jun 10, 2010 // reply »
    betxit isn't a word, maybe you meant betwixt? spelling/grammer police on the prowl, I'd expect more from you
 

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