Lux Occulta
The Mother And The Enemy

Let me introduce you to Lux Occulta, one of the strangest and damn genius bands I've ever come across (though never quite like Samael). I would like to start by saying that I have no idea what genre these guys are currently playing: initially devoted to a distinctly symphonic/melodic Metal, a field already well-trodden by various groups but still personalized to their style, they have evolved gradually to become something literally unclassifiable; the album I'm referring to now is "The Mother And The Enemy", their latest (and excellent) work, so we are at the peak of their constantly changing career. So... What comes to mind is: where the hell does this group get their ideas from? The hyperuranion?! Or are all five of them so out of their minds to do something so risky and provocative that it turns out absolutely appreciable and innovative in the end? I wouldn't know how to explain it.

It might all seem so normal at first listen: an intro barely a minute long, "Breathe In" (we take a deep breath before embarking on this journey of pure madness), and a track that immediately attracts attention for its technical complexity; convulsive electronics mixed with a jumble of violent and intrusive riffs accompanied by a demonized growl that's not bad at all. And then with the song's progression arises the first sparks of madness, like the total invasion of industrial sounds here, ambient contours there, almost indefinable and vibrant keyboards that top it all off... This song, "Mother Pandora", is the quintessential proof of how madness can turn into an incomprehensible yet decidedly fascinating genius. There is no logic to support the biting composition which, despite seeming scattered, remains always compact and granite-like. After this episode that might probably leave many stunned, another surprising peak of the album glides through our ears (and our eyes, because music is not only listened to but also seen with the mind's eyes), called "Architecture"; the title tells it all, perfectly reflecting its content, characterized by implosions of sometimes aggressive and other times ethereal and delicate sounds... As we proceed with the listening, we can even notice... Jazz?! Who had the insane idea to put some jazz in an album where there isn't even a hint of reason? But I said "insane", that doesn't mean it's "bad" or negative at all, far from being seriously so. It is simply Genius. Besides the hopping and improvised (even joyful) guitar solos, we hear a phenomenal central break with saxophone accompanied by xylophone, then interrupted by the arrival of the lacerating voice and guitars ridden by carpets of crazy keyboards (forgive the excessive repetition of the term, but it's the only adjective that fully describes the complexity of the band and the album). The next track, "Most Arrogant Life Form", is the heaviest but the least interesting, as it is too repetitive and not very original compared to the astonishing twists present in all the tracks. Unfortunately, here Lux preferred to highlight their more "mean" side without applying the originality they overflow with and exude from every pore. Nothing alarming though, a fleeting three-minute moment that interrupts to make room for "Yet Another Armageddon". A female voice? And where are the guitars? But what we are listening to is a trip-hop track of excellent, sublime craftsmanship! It feels like listening to a completely different band, with a radically opposite sound to what we've heard so far; it's three and a half minutes of disconsolate sadness with a pulsing, electronic rhythm, a delicate and captivating structure, and the lyrics are just as good (This is the first day of our last days... No one cares anymore...). As beautiful as it is strange, unmissable.

But tranquility is broken by another song that has little of human: "Gambit" seems like it wants to break limits already forcibly and amply destroyed by Lux, limits now non-existent for them. I would dare to define this combination of perversion concentrated in six minutes as dangerous: a mix of dark and muddy sounds for the first 40 seconds and then... THE DELIRIUM. What awaits us is the obsessive and hallucinated repetition of riffs bordering on thrash, heavy throughout this wonderful pandemonium and alternated masterfully with a grip of delirious sounds with distorted, gruesome, amorphous voices, made inhuman by electronic contamination, for an outcome to say the least amazing. And once again we are interrupted by the second trip-hop track "Midnight Crisis", longer than the first and even more evocative and engaging; the excellent female voice sings a melody achingly sad and desolate that depicts the nighttime landscape of a sick and desolate metropolis shrouded in thick fog and agonizing in solitude, where the only thing that stands out from this gray and unhealthy picture is the (very talented) singer, truly very expressive.

Another abrupt interruption comes with "Pied Piper", perhaps the most ruthless (and also almost 10 minutes long) song with a central break in Spoken Words style: silence, then a man begins to speak, first whispering, then gradually the voice becomes increasingly perverted and malicious tuning a provoking chant that elicits unease in the listener; and this one is simply captivated by the last 3-4 minutes that follow, characterized by vaporous, hypnotic, cadenced sounds, where occasionally the previous voice peeks with its enticing yet sick and disgustingly dragged tone. Madness in its pure state.

The last two tracks may not be the best, but they are a joy to listen to, especially for the continuous and relentless experimentation that Lux exploit to their advantage to surprise every minute of their music; "Missa Solemnis" is excellently structured, consistent and at times "jazzy", while the last "Breathe Out" is the third trip-hop track -we exhale; 50 minutes of concentrated madness in a single breath.

I was undecided whether to give 4 or 5 stars to this anomalous jewel. Sure, there are 5-star masterpieces that everyone will remember in music history, and "The Mother And The Enemy" is certainly not among them, considering that yes, and no more than one metalhead out of a thousand has even heard the band's name; but although the album may turn out to be controversial and too experimental from certain points of view, I -an individual and personal opinion- appreciated it greatly and I would like to commend the courage and the surprising compositional genius that Lux Occulta have shown to have. Well done.

"And you will never learn...
And you'll never learn.
And you will never learn
And you'll never learn
Who is pied piper..."