Band: Filii Nigrantium Infernalium
Titled: Fellatrix
Label: Osmose Productions
Release Date: 25th May
2018
Country: Portugal
Format reviewed: 320k/bit mp3
Filii Nigrantium Infernalium (referred to
as FNI for simplicity) are well known in the home county’s underground scene,
formed in 1992 from the ashes of Batcherion and a reshuffling of band members
decided upon by Belathauzer. They have four full length albums, a few EP’s to
their back catalogue and the curious claim to fame of participating in the
adult film Phallusifer - The Immoral Code [NSFW], billed as the world’s first
black metal porn movie. For
the most part in mainstream metal circles they are completely unknown, but such
things are frivolous minutae as increasing fame often leads to a dilution of
their music and art.
First of all,
FNI’s ‘Fellatrix’ is a reworking of the demo album ‘Fellatrix Discordia
Pantokrator’ released in 2005, something that clearly bothered Belathuzer as it
appears (on the basis of the press release) he wasn’t entirely happy with the
original recording and that it had much more to deliver. Clearly, FNI have been
very busy as they’re due to unleash ‘Fellatrix’ onto the world; as well as the
brand new studio album ‘Hóstia’ which is due on the same day: Friday 25th May
2018 – to be released on CD and limited edition cassette and vinyl runs.
So, for those who haven’t encountered FNI
before – what’s to be expected of them musically? A huge. unique sound of their
own making that’s best be described as ‘Party Black Metal’. Imagine, if you
will – your neighbours are Impaled Nazarene and Venom, who had a vodka and Columbian marching powder fuelled jam session; stimulated by a weeks worth of
binge listening to Bathory, Sodom, Motorhead and Judas Priest with Varg
Vikernes tripping his tits off on vocals. Yes,
dear readers – it sounds completely insane but works beautifully. ‘Calypso’
kicks in with huge overly indulgent guitar solos courtesy of Iron Fist and
Belathauzer, and thrash metal inspired riffing that instantly drags the
listener by the scruff of the neck and insists you to “Thrash it like it’s
‘86”; but at the same is typically black metal. ‘Bordel Vaticano’, and ‘Exos De
Chaos’ opens with melodious guitars reminding the listener of what Skid Row
would sound like if they came from a parralel universe where black metal
supplemented hair metal and is distinctly “black and roll”; while the latter
track goes for a distinctly thrash flavoured attack, with Belathauzer’s
shrieking pipes sounding like a deranged madman over the top of a delicious
slice of noise. The rest of the album is extremely top notch, continuing on
with a mostly thrash-centric black metal attack, giving nostalgic nods to the
influences outlined earlier while the bass guitar work of Helregini and the
drums of Maalm add as the perfect underpinnings to a glorious wall of noise.
Usually,
reboots are a cynical ploy for the band to cash in on long deleted albums and
often dismissed as ‘money for old rope’, while they’re remastered to an inch of
their lives and polished beyond all recognition. A ham fisted producer mashes
his meat paws on the mixing desk, hositing everything up to 11 in the empty
fallacy of ‘louder is better’ - for tone deaf root vegetables listening to
terrible freebie earbuds plumbed into their smart phones. Not so in the case of F. Matias
who produced this album, as the re-recording adds a much needed dimension that
the original didn’t have – breathing renewed life into the album. The guitars
are fleshed out, with crisp drumming, and clearly defined vocal and bass parts. Therefore,
the original objective of the album is restored for existing and new fans -
that would’ve otherwise been left as a curious footnote in extreme metal
history. A band worthy of far more recognition, in an otherwise ignorant world. 7/10 Goth Mark
Band:
Label:
7/10
Victory is Possible
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