Deletere - Per Aspera ad Pestilentium
Sepulchral Productions
Ritualistic Black Metal
5 songs (26')
Release year: 2017
Sepulchral Productions
Reviewed by Alex

I am not an expert in Latin, but if a famous expression Per Aspera ad Astra is translated as "through the obstacles to the stars" then Québécois Deletere is taking us on a journey to pestilence in their most recent EP Per Aspera ad Pestilentium.

Made up of two Quebecois black metal veterans, Deletere announce their path right off the bat and you know there will be hardship and unpleasantness along the way. They actually do it right from the cover art, from the moment Incipit: Noster Fructus Irae begins. Incipit: Noster Fructus Irae is merely a procession to the sacrificial pit, full of ritualistic low drums and lashings falling upon doomed voices. What's awaiting us there? A grinding cauldron where all those pour souls are thrown into a relentlessly churning pit, which is Le Lai De La Vermine. Swinging between blast and thunderous double bass, with some prominent melodies and towering voices embedded therein, Le Lai De La Vermine mixes exalted trademark Québécois black metal of Forteresse or Grimoire and Finnish bestial grind of Satanic Warmaster. The glimmer of hope does not even surface until Horae Leprae: Cantus IV: I.N.O.P.I.A E.T. M.O.R.B.O. or Milites Pestilentieae II: De Violatione Ciutatis Febilis Dei. Horae Leprae gains dignity and epic angle while soaring cosmic with somewhat cleaned up guitars and an occasional synth touch. The faster parts of Horae Leprae is where melody is concentrated, but then leprosy filled middle drowns it. Only Milites Pestilentieae allows for a full moving rousing melody to take a complete reign. Milites Pestilentieae and Ordo Regis Caedis is a final judgment moment, the arrival of the end, and as miserable as the journey was, the angular dissonant notes heard in Milites Pestilentieae still cannot detract from the feeling of penultimate resurrection. Deletere uses a lot of circular songwriting on the EP often closing a song where they started it, so wrapping up Per Aspera ad Pestilentium on the same moving note is symbolic.

Short but focused Per Aspera ad Pestilentium straddles the line between mysterious and grinding, checking off all boxes when it gets to excellent ritualistic black metal.

Killing Songs :
Horae Leprae, Milites Pestilentieae
Alex quoted 78 / 100
Other albums by Deletere that we have reviewed:
Deletere - Theovorator : Babelis Testamentum reviewed by Alex and quoted 82 / 100
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