By Lee Newman
Hail the goat and raise the chalice! Local black metal mainstays Inquisition have forged a new album in the eternal fires, entitled “Obscure Verses For the Multiverse”. Bringing precision assaults and mournful ritualism in equal measure, this anti-cosmic dyad has a sound all their own. However, Inquisition must have made some extra offerings to their master Satan during the recording process, because “Obscure Verses” is even heavier than the rest of their discography – yes, it’s possible! Dagon’s compact, high-treble guitar tone has been upgraded to a fuller sound this time around. The drums have more sustain than before. It’s a more mature and varied album than we’ve ever heard from them, and it is truly ablaze with esoteric might.
Along with the beefed-up production, “Obscure Verses” features the band branching out dramatically from their typical song structures. Amongst the blazing tremolo progressions we know and love, a tight, understated guitar solo appears out of “Darkness Flows Toward Unseen Horizons”, and it is a genuine treat. Dagon’s signature croaked invocations, despite being sadly low in the mix, have been roughed up for this album. He’s sounding a little more like Abbath and less like a wan amphibious creature – and we even get to hear some genuine death growls out of him. There’s also more variation in the use of effects, with high-register echo-laden picking and a thick washes of reverb making appearances at key moments.
This experimentation serves Inquisition well, adding a new layer of sophistication to their characteristic sound. There’s some cool time signature trickery throughout “Arrival of Eons After”, while robust ceremonial drums and the meanest damn stomp riff you have ever heard start “Spiritual Plasma evocation” off right. Do you feel that lump in your throat when “Joined By Dark Matter Repelled By Dark Energy” kicks into gear? That’s an ancient Luciferian chant. We don’t know how they do that either. Oscillating, delay-soaked chords, stark drum transitions and gritty vocals make this track soar the highest of all.
The bleating of a shofar (a traditional Jewish ram’s horn trumpet) and a dissonant violin pulls the infernal ceremony to a close, hinting at even stranger things to come. Inquisition have long held the title of local legends, and “Obscure Verses For the Multiverse” further solidifies their seat on the throne. It can be experienced here (and check out the box set with the goat leather keychain!)
www.inquisitionbm.bandcamp.com/album/obscure-verses-for-the-multiverse
