Rigor Sardonicous - Ridenti Mortuus (2018)
Though it's been six years since their
last album, the long-running Rigor Sardonicous are back with a new EP
as they approach the quarter-century mark for their first release.
Ridenti Mortuus features half an hour of seeping funeral doom,
divided between four tracks. Leading with “The Smiling Dead”, a
chilly atmosphere of ragged guitar, booming drums, and voluminous
bass presence is established with low-key flair, and the instrumental
dread creeps on with heavy pressure for its full ~9-minute run. Some
vocals are present, but as a low-pitched growl, wedged deep in the
mix, they come off as extra atmospherics, instead of trying to
overwhelm the slabby circling doom riff.
“The Hound” picks up after the
first song fades into silence, bringing the vocals to higher
prominence while also introducing some slow-ring cymbal action. Some
shifts in other specifics are used, but for the most part, it's more
of the heavy doom grind, keeping the slow flow going while the bass
thrums out of your speakers. “The Unsepulchred Dead”, at five
minutes, is the EP's shortest track, and it steps up the tempo
slightly, while keeping the weight and gloom firmly in place while
brandishing the guitar buzz a bit more.
Lastly, “Intereo Parum Infantia”
comes along to close things out with twelve minutes of further
crushing, and with the expanded time, the band finds more room for
bridges and incidental touches, letting the sprawling song take on
more personality. The way the guitar springs to life for the
lead-out riff is a particularly nice touch, serving to break the
spell of slow pressure built by the rest of the EP. Something to
keep you grim through those long winter nights, this will be
releasing on November 11th, though you can go ahead and
pre-order your copy through Rigor Sardonicous' BandCamp. Since it's digital-only so far, that's probably your best option, unless you've got a thing for being real punctual with your purchases.
~ Gabriel
For Fans Of; Heavydeath, Jupiterian,
Ommadon, Thergothon, Wizard Cult
~
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