Daemonium Regni - Daemonium Regni

Daemonium Regni is a blackened doom metal band from Sweden, who are making their debut with their self-titled full-length album.  Well, I shouldn't say 'their" because it is actually a one-man band, with the musician Micke Jansson (Unanimated, Contempt of Light, Born for Burning) handling everything.

This album is put together very well. One-man bands are very common in the scene but this album in particular feels like a full-fledged band/project.    There isn’t any filler—-the album consists of 8 songs across a runtime of just under 45 minutes. No intros or outros to be found…. just a man, his vision and glorious blackened doom.   

The atmosphere is perfect for the style too.  It is, obviously, a dark album but it isn’t what I would call cavernous or overly depressing.  The doom elements meld perfectly with the black ones so well this album truly feels like a mix between the two styles, rather than an album that lends to one side or another.  The songs have a stalking, lumbering sense of dread but the unmistakable aggression of black metal is in full force as well.  

The production and mix are spot on.  The clean vocals in particular find the sweet spot in between the carnage, highlighting rather than distracting.  The tone of the extreme growls/screams is pure and raw—this is what I want to hear.  The instruments themselves have a lot of space to interact with one another, resulting in songs that feel fresh from one to the other.

Check out the opening moments of the first song, “Mater Daemonium,” and tell me they aren’t the perfect marriage between doom and black metal.  If you say otherwise, I’ll call you a liar.  This is a great opener for that reason but also because it sets the tone and expectations across the album…which the band exceeds time and time again.  The clean vocals sound so organic and naturally, a contrast to the extremity that also compliments. 

One of the (many) things I love about doom is how simple yet intricate the genre can be.  To play slow music and be able to keep the drums interesting has always astounded me.  On the flipside, the often hurricane drumming found in black metal is equally as impressive.  I don’t know if the drums on this album are live or programmed but, regardless, they hit the sweet spot.  The oppressive double base on “Silentium (Mors Itinerarum)" generates the bleak and overcast atmosphere of the song.   I like how oppressive the drums are, yet they are never in a rush—they do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done. 

I didn’t expect an album like this to take a respite or throw in a curveball (of sorts) but they do with the short song “Sacrificium,” which is most clean instrumentation and vocals.  It is very Gothic but also regal in its own way.  It’s sandwiched between “Spiritus In Flammo” and “Magica Cultus,” but feels right at home.  It’s a nice little trilogy.  As the final abrasive distortion fades away in the former, the gentle notes of “Sacrificium,” offer (almost) a soothing break.  But near the end, the distortion and growls kick in, which makes for a nice flow into the latter.   Clever and smart songwriting and track placement, to say the least 

The final song, “Damnationem,” is my favorite, which speaks to the quality of the album for the final track to be as good as it is.  It’s slow but steady, a buildup that pours over time like a rain that increases with intensity.  This song feels extra tragic to me yet also fills me with some horror that I can’t quite place.  I like the use of layered vocals at the halfway mark, and the blackened riffs that propel it all forward.  This song moves from aggressive to somber without missing a beat and never getting lost in itself or becoming long winded.

Daemonium Regni’s self-titled debut is an impressive first album and an education on how to present darkness in a smart, engaging way.  I can’t wait to see what the next album will bring. 

Rating: Excellent