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Arcana Coelestia - Nomas review




Bandcamp music player
Reviewer:
8.0

23 users:
7.26
Band: Arcana Coelestia
Album: Nomas
Release date: October 2014


01. Nomas I
02. Nomas II
03. Nomas III
04. Nomas IV
05. Nomas V

Funeral doom has always seemed to me to be split into two distinctly different camps. On the one hand, you have bands that are absolutely dark, desolate, and ominous with their sound, such as Evoken or Wormphlegm. And then, on the other, you have bands that prefer to take more of a relaxed approach, making things a bit brighter and epic in the process. Bands like Arcana Coelestia.

The third effort from this Italian duo sees them naturally building upon ideas that have already been established with their previous material. The music on Nomas is heavy and crushing, as is typical of the funeral doom style, but also with some beautifully melodic undertones, such as towards the middle of "Nomas II," or the acoustic guitar and impressive clean vocals on "Nomas III." Though sometimes minimal, these little touches of harmony here and there contribute greatly to the overall majestic feel of the music, and this helps Arcana Coelestia out a lot with feeling like something more than your average grim and gloomy funeral doom band.

In addition, Nomas is (much like the band's previous material) as much of a blackened doom album as it is a funeral doom album, and the line between the two is blurry, and often hard to pinpoint. With "Nomas IV" especially, tempo picks up, blast beats enter the picture, and the guitar technique takes much more of a traditional, tremolo picking BM approach. Despite these splashes of black metal being subtle, much like the band's melodic touches, they work well towards creating their own distinction of sound.

With Nomas, Arcana Coelestia seem to have found a territory that they're comfortable in, and if things weren't exactly working for them previously, they certainly are now. The various blend of influences makes this album enjoyable from many different perspectives: the fact that it's alternatively crushing, beautiful, and aggressive from the black metal side of things makes it highly alluring, and it's good to know that these guys are anything but one dimensional with their composing. Add this one to your extreme doom picks of 2014, you won't regret it.

Stream it on the holy Bandcamp.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 9
Songwriting: 8
Originality: 7
Production: 8





Written on 16.11.2014 by Metal Storm’s own Babalao. Comforting the disturbed and disturbing the comfortable since 2013.


Comments

Comments: 5   Visited by: 113 users
16.11.2014 - 18:21
Rating: 7
Alex F
Slick Dick Rick
I agree with the rating and the fact that they seem to have found a specific style they're comfortable with. Unfortunately I'd say this is definitely their worst full-length, simply because it lacks the (1) innovation the last album had and (2) doesn't have quite the same emotional response with me. Still a great album though
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16.11.2014 - 18:25
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Still don't get why anyone could find Evoken "dark, desolate, and ominous", especially compared to Wormphlegm, but there we go Haven't heard this album as yet. Their sound never did that much for me though so probably not worth my time.
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16.11.2014 - 18:42
Urs Blank

They definitely have established their own sound with this one but they flirt with boredom at times. Their worst, but still quite enjoyable. I'd rate it somewhere between 7 and 8.
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17.11.2014 - 15:33
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress
Written by Alex F on 16.11.2014 at 18:21

Unfortunately I'd say this is definitely their worst full-length, simply because it lacks the (1) innovation the last album had and (2) doesn't have quite the same emotional response with me. Still a great album though

The only other one I've listened to is that past album, and yes, I'll agree that it's better. Not by much though
----
I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go.

~ II. VII
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02.01.2015 - 07:50
Susan
Smeghead
I heard this album when it first came out and just loved it; I wasn't able to give it the proper attention until now and I must say, it's better than I remember from a few months ago. It's my first exposure to the band, so the fact that several people have called it their "worst yet" makes me eager to hear the previous works.

I agree with the review as you point out the underlying melodies, as well as the blurred line between black and doom. I'd easily rate it an 8 as well.
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"A life all mine
Is what I choose
At the end of my days"
--The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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