Eligor
In Nomine

I stumbled upon this Roman band almost by accident. While tidying up my room, I came across an interview with them in a well-known Metal magazine regarding the making of this album and the sad story that accompanied them during its recording. But let's start from the beginning.

Eligor formed in 2000 with Jacopo Teodori on vocals and guitar, Alessandro Nesci (1985-2003) on keyboards, Francesco Ziello on drums, and Fossimer on bass. Their offering is a melodic black metal of Norwegian inspiration, drawing from bands like early Dimmu Borgir and Emperor. This album was written between the summer of 2000 and April 2003, coinciding with the death of keyboardist Alessandro, who took his own life on 21/05/2003.

Alessandro had been suffering from an incurable heart condition since childhood, which forced him to spend much of his adolescence in and out of clinics and hospitals. Towards the end of 2000, he was told there was nothing more to be done and that his condition would only worsen, leading to certain death. Such a heavy burden was something a young person could never bear or accept. One day, he sent an email to his great friend Jacopo (vocals and guitar) with all the keyboard parts necessary to complete the album in question, plus a message of well-wishes for him and the band. After that, he decided to end his life and his pain by jumping into the void.

In this atmosphere of anguish and sorrow, this album was conceived. As I mentioned before, their music is almost comparable to the band of 'Shagrath', but do not think for a moment that you are facing another carbon copy band. Instead, it's a very personal offering, with a warmer sound and some songs sung in Latin.
After an "Intro" led by Alessandro's spectral and ethereal keyboards, we delve into the dreamy atmosphere of "Immobilis Novembre" with lyrics in Latin, starting slowly with beautiful guitar riffs and then exploding into a powerful blast-beat gallop. "The Path of Frozen Lakes", my favorite, begins with a whirlwind of intricate guitar riffs. The middle part is very captivating, with almost muted guitars intoning slow and sinister riffs and, of course, those ever-present but never too invasive or pompous evocative keyboards. "Frozen Tears" is a dynamic, vigorous, and punchy track with liturgical organ keyboards. Even the lyrics are very touching, especially the last part where it says: "So die by my hands! The black rain continues to wet my corrosend body by pest" (those who have read my reviews know how much I enjoy quoting a phrase) exclusively composed by Alessandro Nesci.

"Arbor Autumni" begins with organ pipes, developing in all its facets, at times epic and at times gothic. The mid-song Thrash metal inclusion is excellent. The following "Southern Shadows" maintains the same tones with haunting, swirling riffs that immediately leave an impression and with keyboards that give you goosebumps. The concluding "Auster" also features lyrics in Latin, while the drums keep pounding, the keyboards indulge in quick arpeggios, and the guitar is a succession of melodic black thrash.
After listening, I felt satisfied because I had finally found an Italian band that knows how to blend melody and sonic violence in such a perfectly balanced way. The entire album is imbued with this sense of anguish and melancholy, yet it manages to captivate you from the first note to the last. One final noteworthy point is that none of the keyboard parts were retouched or modified in the studio, at Jacopo's request in memory of his friend, so what you hear is originally played by Alessandro. On their official website, you can download some tracks, purchase, and gather more information.

The only thing I can tell you is to give this band a chance, as they truly deserve it.