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 Ars Veneficium

“The Reign of the Infernal King” (Immortal Frost Productions, 2016)

Immortal Frost Productions is well known, on this side, for the music that they release. 2022 and 2023 are great examples of quality Black Metal, and hopefully 2024 will go down as a great year. The man behind the label, besides being a businessman, is also a musician, and Ars Veneficium his vessel. I had never – and still do not know why – up to this day, checked his music, and with so many daily releases one gets lost in all the music and this and that. Today, I have decided to have a listen to his 2 releases, and judge by myself if his music making quality aligns with his label signing qualities.

First off, they have been around for almost 11 years! Bloody Hell, that is remarkable in today’s artistic reality. And very consistent they are in terms of releases: few, but solid. Their 2nd release was a split with Finnish beast, Azaghal, who would later sign, in 2015, with Immortal Frost Productions. “Alttarimme on Luista Tehty”, the band’s 4th release on said label, out in 2023, was a powerful expression of the band’s Black Metal.

“The Reign of the Infernal King” is a great debut album, in my opinion. It holds that powerful rendition of a melodic, yet strong and furious, Black Metal. The Belgium quintet brings forth their vision of what Black Metal should sound like, grabbing onto sonorities from the North of Europe, adding melodic details that balance their music quite well. There is no reinvention of Black Metal, but I, for one, do not wish bands to “modernize” or “adapt” Black Metal to today’s way of looking at the World. Honestly, I want powerful melodies from the Past, and I am more than happy to adhere to the ritual. I like the pace the band goes for. Not immensely fast nor slow. At times, yes, they do speed up the tempo, but those guitars are so good, so clean! “Thy Will, My Hands” is a great tune, and I just love the way the guitars play a major rule in it. They never loose sight of melody, and with thundering drums and raspid vocals, the guitars keep it melodic.

Once the album ends, and it stops playing, you clearly recall that the overall atmosphere was of Hate and Anger; both feelings were wrapped in melody and prevailing killer guitar riffs. On a side note, guitar player – Ronarg – is the man behind another exquisite rendition of melodic Black Metal: Bloedmaan (“Castle Inside the Eclipse”). All in all, Ars Veneficium’s first LP is a solid and consistent piece of Melodic Black Metal that never loses an ounce of Power and Aggressiveness.

“Usurpation of the Seven” (Immortal Frost Productions, 2020)

And 2020 marked the return of Belgium act Ars Veneficium. After their 1st LP in 2016, the band set off to go back to their Black Metal sound. The band’s sound was never a primal one in its entirety; the band was always able to add plenty of melody to their compositions, which makes for a perfect approach to Black Metal, and I have been getting back to that specific sound, so my ears are, once again, ready to absorb well-produced and well-sounding Black Metal.

And the band’s sound could never be worked differently, as it would lose all its details and intricate structure. Intricate not as in complex, calm down! We do not want complex Black Metal. My point was: Ars Veneficium’s sound lives within a frame of Melodic Black Metal with sporadic moments of a controlled violence, which is very cool. Do they sound Finnish? They might have a moment or two, but their sound is not enrooted into that specific Black Metal scene. Their 2nd release does not part much from their 1st, which is good, in my opinion, so we get, once again, this blend of sounds, harsh and melodic. Interesting.

Is their music more mature? Yes, I believe it is. They have solidified their music, which is what you expect from a band in their growth process. The cool guitar riffs are there, Surtur’s vocal approach now has more dynamic, and I like that. I have been going through Rotting Christ’s discography, the albums I ignored for years, and finding moments I also find in Ars Veneficium’s music, which is great! “Under the Wings of Beautiful Darkness” is s great example of creative growth, and a superb Melodic Black Metal tune. It has all the “components” you want to find in such a tune. Powerful.

And this is it. Two equally good releases, two examples of a solid and consistent Black Metal sound. Waiting for a 3rd one…

Ars Veneficium Official Bandcamp

Immortal Frost Productions Official Bandcamp

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