Antiversum - De Nemesis Omnes et Omnia

Antiversum is an extreme metal band from Switzerland who formed in 2010. Their latest release, “De Nemesis Omnes et Omnia,” is their second full-length album; they have also released a demo and a split.

The band combined black, death and doom into a mix that is alien—and frightening as hell. Words like “cosmic” or “spacey” could be applicable here but this album is so much more than that.

There is the atmosphere “endless void of horror” and this is basically the metal soundtrack for Event Horizon. But as atmospheric as the album is, it is still very grounded in its extremes. This isn't the type of album with a lot of long ambient passages or lush soundscapes. It is very much riff based and leans on each of its elements to create the harrowing feeling each song gives.

Each of the album’s five songs are long but they are also distinct from each other enough that the length isn't an issue. The tempos are handled very well, the album having a decent amount of both slow and fast parts. Each moment has what is needed, so the tempo changes don't come off as disjointed.

It's a quite focused album anyway. The songs may be sprawling but they are also dense and zeroed in with a special sort of hammering—it pulverizes and pummels but each song still feels like being lost among some starry void. 

“Pulsar Feralis,” has a brief intro but otherwise focuses on meaty riffs and speed. It's a perfect melding of black/death but it has the aesthetics of doom. The first two minutes or so are absolutely crushing before slowing down to a behemoth dirge that crushes as well but much more potent and intricate. Parts of the song, especially after the 8 minute mark, are unhinged and more than a little maddening. This starkly depravity adds to the gravitus of the song's nature.

“Scudo-Nero,” begins with dismal riffs and I like their subtle progression that pushes the music to a blazing passage of raw-ish black metal. It's a wonderful moment, a feeling of visceral darkness that is as gripping as it is scary. The death growls echo out from this dimensional shift as the song grows more rabid. The middle passage is riffs on riffs with a particularly stellar performance from the drums. The last few minutes are primal, a scream from the stars.

The title track is up next and it is straight forward in the beginning, intent on grinding out extremity like ringing blood from a stone. The doom oriented parts are great, cold and shadowy notes that bridge the song together. Many of the riffs are hypnotic, very easily trapping me within its gaze. The bass and drums in the later half of the song claim a heavy piece of the song's density. 

“Qbism,” is the shortest song here at under 8 minutes but it is as important as the others. The ominous tones in the beginning are chilling to down to my bones. The way the song builds up is both horrific and majestic. The vocals are deep in the mix, acting as a part of the instrumental experience like some unseen deity in total control. This song just washes over, leaving behind bruises and a battered psyche. 

“Vuoto,” ends the album strongly because this song sounds dangerous. What's lurking around the next cosmic way? Riffs for sure. Dark, blackened riffs that have a sullen grip on melancholy but quickly choke it down to impossible levels of hopeless thoughts. The last five minutes or so are probably the most atmospheric moments on the album and the drumming is clever. Fantastic ending for a fantastic album.

All in all, Antiversum's “De Nemesis Omnes et Omnia,” is a profane album that embraces a dark sound that is startling. Even with such elements, it's still full of expert songwriting and listenable songs. 

Rating: Great