SECRETS OF THE MOON „“Privilegivm” ”

Music: Black Metal
Country: Germany
Cool Songs: Sulphur, Harvest, For They Know Not
Web site: www.secretsofthemoon.org

Along with DESASTER and NARGAROTH, SECRETS OF THE MOON has proved Germany is not all about power metal and thrash. Since 1995, SECRETS OF THE MOON has released quality black metal records, mostly through Lupus Lounge Records, and now the group returns with another dark vision entitled “Privilegivm.”

The said album doesn’t reveal a type-casted black metal album, but definitely adheres to a dark sound that one would expect from a black metal band. Overall, “Privilegivm” brings to mind ”Beauty in Darkness” bands such as MOONSPELL (a band SOTM is currently touring with in the U.S), newer TIAMAT, SAMAEL and modern SATYRICON.

Instead of a blur of tremolo picking, SOTM guitarist, Shammash Golden (he also handles keyboards and vocals) produces chunky rhythms that range from mid-tempo groove to doom-metal slowness. Tracks such as “Harvest” and “A Million Suns” begin with bleak, clean-guitar melodies, which set the tone for large bar-chord sections. SOTM relies on ringing guitar melodies to carry much of the somber atmosphere, but the group does include sparse keyboard parts such as the Gregorian-like chanting on the intro.

T. Thelemnar’s drumming adds a pagan feel to some sections. His martial drumming combined with a buzzing loop instills a bizarre aura to “Descent.” The next and final track, “Sheppard” reveals more percussive sections of this sort. Normally, Shammash Golden’s voice is of the scratchy, throaty type that resembles SATYRICON’s Satyr, but on “Sheppard” and “For They Know Not,” he takes on cleaner, goth-like narratives. Besides the chunky guitar rhythms, these parts also bring to mind MOONSPELL.

Few bands from Scandinavia—the region with the world’s best known black metal bands—get the chance to tour the U.S., so SECRETS OF THE MOON’s current tour with MOONSPELL says this group has something special to offer. While the somber mood and atypical approach are of value, “Privelegivm” often loses this scribe’s attention. Part of the problem is the slow pace, which doesn’t touch the depressive mood of a great doom band, and the extended length of each song. Also, many of the guitar melodies tend to sound the same. For these reasons, “Privelegivm” is a descent record but nothing great.

note: 6/10

Tracklist

Privlegivm
Sulphur
Black Halo
I Maldoror
Harvest
For They Known Not
A Million Suns (Digipack bonus track)
Queen Among Rats
Descent
Shepard

Line-up

sG / Shammash Golden – Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards
LSK – Bass
T. Thelemnar / Thrawn – Drums