Wardaemonic hail from the firey plains of Perth, Western Australia. Even amidst this blazing part of the nation they manage to present a delightful display of Nordic influenced black metal. Today I have their album 'Echoes Of Ageless Flames' for review. This was released back in June 2010. Their bio states they rely heavily on tremelo picked fast riffing and consistent, relentless blasting. Let's now discover my own impression.
Vigil Tenebrae I: The Precepts Of Salvation - The introduction to this album is eerie as the effects set a dark and chilling scene. As your goose bumps start to appear, so does the first guitar. Its continuous sound acts like a knife cutting through a bone. A scream soon appears. You try to focus and look around the room. You see a person on a table surrounded by blood. Another stands beside them, cutting into their flesh. The music is much like having just focused on seeing the blade cutting through that other person and only as you come into focus do you suddenly hear all the reality which surrounds you. This entire track is atmospheric and daunting.
"Through the eyes of the departed, I behold humanity's ignorance, The profane search for salvation, Experience of enthroned abandonment..."
Vigil Tenebrae II: Thrones Of Possession - Straight into this next track and it is filled with an ensemble of drums and distorted guitar. The black metal vocals are clearer to their purpose this time and not merely set in the background as atmosphere but as a confronting force upon the listener. Should we keep with the story, this track seems to represent us, the listener, being gazed upon by the murderer. It is like the kind of look which insinuates, "You're next!" The madman then continues with his sordid display before you. Each hammering of the drums amidst chorus represents the struggle you find yourself in as you realise you are tied and cannot release yourself.
"He who mantles the Earth, And covers the shrines with dark, As fire burns with us, Forever enraged..."
Vigil Tenebrae III: From The Ancient Depths - The music continues as does our story. We are now focused on trying to release ourselves from this madman's lunacy. The drums still representing the struggle, the guitar representing the chaos in thought, the vocals are the reality around you and the vile atrocity awaiting your turn. Frightened and panicked you realise there are others in the room also awaiting their brutal end. Most of these others look completely out of it. Drugged perhaps? You spot one other who seems conscious. Your heart races.
"From the ancient depths, Breathless he lies, And his unburied ghost, Deprived of funeral rite, Pollutes you host..."
Vigil Tenebrae IV: Dark Water's Confines - You try to get your fellow inmates attention without alarming the murderer to your actions. He turns and gazes upon you so you freeze. You act drowsy and docile. Like you are still affected by whatever this drug was which had you incarcerated in the first place. The madman walks by observing his victims. This track is slow throughout and truly is like remaining silent and hidden from others around you. He looks like he is choosing his next torture victim. You remain still and afraid. His hand reaches toward you...
"And so, The echoes scattered by winds, Disturbed the stillness of dark waters, Asleep for a thousand years..."
Vigil Tenebrae V: Fragments Of Dissolution - Your heart races as his hand reaches toward you, but you are relieved to see he grabs another from behind you. "How many are there?" you ask yourself. As the madman carries his to-be-corpse across the room, you find you can free yourself from your restraints. You get the attention of the only other conscious prisoner. You devise a plan for escape. Careful not to alarm the captor, you free the other and begin your quest for freedom. The music flows with a dark and anxious rhythm with a hint of hope within it. The drums are as your heart; racing. The guitars are as your thoughts; chaotic and scrambled. The vocals are of your desires; longing to be free.
"Where shadows now lie, I stood and stared, the rest of which remained, Fragments of that great power, Of creation's pride and arrogance..."
Echoes Of Ageless Flames - Your fellow inmate has spotted a stray blade upon the floor. You crawl over toward it and place it securely in your grasp. Your new friend distracts the madman on his left whilst you approach him from the right. Blades are cutting through the air as you lunge at each other. Portions of flesh are sliced amidst this frenzy. Your friend grabs an implement off the table of death and smashes the madman over the head. You tackle him to the ground beating him again and again til he struggles no more. A short silence to review what has been done. As you turn your head and look away, he arises and lunges back at you and the struggle continues. Your friend finds the door, unbolts it and provides escape for you both. The madman is again knocked back and this time you make a run for it. At 05:43 the getaway begins. The vocals like the heart and gasps for air as you run. The drums carry your feet. The guitars continue the chaos around you.
"As majestic nothingness, That reduced the stars to dust, Within the silence of death, Into the winds of desolation..."
The Incarnate Ethereal Of Nine - As we try to run and scramble our way through the maze of hallways and doors everything seems in slow motion. You realise how badly hurt you both are as you see the blood flow as you run. You are both in a state of panic. You don't know where you are nor where you are heading. You can only hope wherever it is, it leads to freedom. You come to the last door in the hall, could this be your freedom?
"I call forth the winds, The cold from beneath the stones, I hear the whispers of a dead age, As the trees sway to the mountains moan..."
Aeons Of Perdition - You open the door only to find you are back where you started. You feel a thump from behind and fall to the floor. You see your companion being dragged to the table; kicking and screaming. You struggle to your feet to try to save them when you feel a tug at your ankle. Another has come to their senses. Their hand however, is reaching through the floor. Carefully, you climb in through the trapdoor and greet your saviour. She hands you a screwdriver. I guess anything will do as weapon right now. She guides you through the darkness, ensuring your mouth stays closed and your breathing is ever so quiet. You can hear the slaughter above you and even feel a drop of blood reach your face from above. You are so numb right now you are without care for neither anything nor anyone other than your own survival. You continue to crawl through the darkened corridors and see a tiny shaft of light in the distance drawing nearer and nearer. The screams fade to the background; farther and farther. Just as you reach the light she grabs your arm and whispers into your ear, "Look!" An eerie silence unfolds.
"Cold chill rises as the sun sinks beneath the waves, Long overtones of drone, no angels dance above me, In vain I reach to find no save, Just bleak reach beyond the dark endless sea..."
Veils Of Winter Mysticism - You see quietly through the crack the outside world. But where are you? Can you break free from here? Can you make a run for it if you can get through this shaft somehow? You sit and contemplate your next move whilst trying to make sense of what is happening to you.
"Winter winds stir the quiescent fog..."
Paths To Silence - Your new companion helps you to unscrew the shaft and you both make a run for it. You find yourselves running over fields of green, through a carpet of logs, twigs and rocks. Every so often you trip over but help each other up and continue onward. The trees graze you as you brush past, but you've not a care for any pain right now and you continue onward. It is like you are outside of your body and watching yourself run. You are screaming to each other to go faster, but barely hear each other over your heart beat. You realise ay 03:08 he's seen you somehow and is coming after you! You pick up your pace, no longer helping each other as you fall. You are so tired and so worn out, but your adrenalin is high and helping you to glide through this forest with ease. You hear your companion scream out, "help!" You turn and look behind you, she has fallen and he is quickly approaching. You run back and help her up, she has hit her head and is bleeding hard. He is closing in on you. You sit her by a tree and cover her in the undergrowth. You wait patiently nearby for him to come closer. You arm yourself with a thick branch. At 07:30 he approaches, she lets out a loud scream; you strike him hard with the branch. Again and again you strike ensuring this time the job is done and he shall worry you no more. Everything around you is deadly quiet. He is dead. You look at her with eyes of relief. You help her up and stumble through the forest to freedom.
"Solemn, absent eyes, Lifeless, gazes of old, Howling sons of dawn, Take and embrace thy soul..."
Summoning Of The Muse - Here we have the final track on the album and it is a Dead Can Dance cover. Having heard the original I think it is a great cover. For those that don't know, Dead Can Dance create a more quiet and gentle style of music. Almost ambient and classical in their style. Some argue they are gothic whilst others argue they are more avant-garde. This is definitely a more brutal rendition in full back metal style. A nice way to end what has been a most inspiring black metal album.
In essence, this is a fantastic black metal album. It has all the distortion and drumming one could hope for. The vocals are perfectly suited to the task. The sound engineering is excellent. I like the way they have created all the song titles in such true black metal style. The CD cover bares a picture of a mist filled landscape with a shadowed figure solitary in the moonlight. The CD sleeve has all the lyrics and even individual band member pictures with corresponding names and positions. The back of the sleeve has the member info, CD info and contact details. The very back of the CD cover has the numbered track listings and is overall an excellent cover. It is definitely a CD which makes you grateful for the purchase and well worth the money. I urge you all to check it out and discover what imagery these sounds bring to you.
LINKS
Wardaemonic Myspace
Wardaemonic Website
Wardaemonic Facebook
Review by Déa di Morté © 01 April 2011
All pictures courtesy of Wardaemonic