Swords Of Dis - Melencolia - CD A5

Poised between majestic early 90s black metal and English doom, SWORDS OF DIS return to the scene with “Melencolia,” an album in which the duo from Albion has concentrated not only all their compositional skill and vocal mastery, but an entire cultural imaginary that intertwines mythology, religion, symbolism, magic, and spiritual research through bitter reflections on human nature.
“This album is an act of devotion to Our Lady of the Naked Flame, who is both light and divine darkness conjoined, the Morningstar, the embodiment of the primeval chaos, strength, order and justice of the cosmos, the unbridled beauty of femininity and power of women,” explains Alice Corvinus, SWORDS OF DIS’ singer. “We seek to burn a fire on the darkness that has and still is pervading in this world,” adds multi-instrumentalist Richard Corvinus. “We do not speak of the beautiful, divine Darkness but the one that is crafted by Man’s own hands through cruelty and brutality. This work is a plea to the Goddess of Eternal Holy Fire to wash the Earth clean of this vacuous scourge.”
The amazing album cover by David Glomba is the direct follow on to Albrecht Durer’s “Melencolia I” and depicts the events that proceed the original engraving. Melancholy is now akin to Lucifer enshrined, asking for guidance through ritual and worship from the Chalice of Eternal Fire.
Musically, all this translates into dense, sophisticated and layered songs that in their majestic progression seek the light in the midst of darkness. EMPEROR’s epic-symphonic nocturnal melodies driven by female vocals that have nothing to envy of those of the occult-rockers THE DEVIL’S BLOOD clash against the gothic-romantic bastions of bands like PARADISE LOST, for a compelling listening experience that is as immersive as profound.
“We are the Swords Of Dis,” Richard Corvinus concludes, “the weapon, the vessel to question, to rebel. To be the ones that do not just accept what is being told to them, not to swallow the bitter bread.”