Negation; The: Memento Mori

Memento Mori is the second album from nihilistic black metal outfit The Negation. Bleakness abounds, matched by the sheer ferocity of the rush of sound that arrives to suck the life out of all it touches. The quote in the accompanying press blurb sums up the lyrical ethos, 'No God, no Satan, just plain misanthropic chaos'. It's hard to argue. Unfortunately the promo version of this CD I received doesn't come with the booklet purchasers will get their hands on when they buy it (the first 1000 come in an exclusive digi-pack), however checking the online version reveals that the detail and imagery tie in perfectly with the album's atmosphere of hopelessness and despair and add to the experience hugely. In the wrong hands the subject of extinction being the only way to cure the human disease could be hard going, if not pretentious, however The Negation manage to convey their lack of belief in fellow man with such angry enthusiasm that in truth, it's hard to believe they aren't crammed full of hope for their own futures…

Musically everything locks in place, the anguished screams emanating from vocalist A.S.A. enthralling in their extremes, as the surprisingly controlled guitars lay down rapid forays that hit their intended target over and over. "A Prayer For The Ones I Will Have To Kill" (gotta love that song title) is a prime example of how to make all out assaults feel controlled and pin point accurate, while the atmospheric "Résistance" illustrates a more even handed side to the band. However with spoken word sections lifted from Charles De Gaulle's WWII speeches, this track becomes both the most effective and mature offering on the album.

Like all music, extreme metal is at its best when delivered with a true understanding that simply ladling on more and more in the hope that the end results will be heightened, results in caricature and cliché. With Memento Mori The Negation prove, with startling ease, that they both know and understand how to avoid this pitfall, making for an impressive album that continually satisfies the imagination.

Track Listing
1. Intro
2. The true Enemy
3. Sacrifice the Weak
4. Parasite Fall
5. A Prayer for the Ones I Will Have to Kill
6. Faith in God's Corpse
7. End of Cycle
8. Visions of Doom
9. Résistance
10. Outro

Added: April 24th 2016
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: The Negation on Bandcamp
Hits: 1689
Language: english

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