Melencolia Estatica
Letum

 The Melencolia Estatica project originates from the mind of Climaxia, guitarist of the Italian band Absentia Lunae, who with Letum comes to the second release after a remarkable debut. For those unfamiliar with the group in question, it should be mentioned that the musical offering can be traced back to raw and melancholic black metal, drawing inspiration from both the depressive scene of the genre (the more melodic one of Nocturnal Depression and Nargaroth’s "Geliebte Des Regens") and from the faster, more uncompromising one. And it is the speed that starts the show: "Letum I" kicks off at full throttle, with the guitars creating the splendid opening riff, then evolving into a dark chant, marked by the voice of Solitudo. While the next two tracks keep the discourse almost unchanged, it is with "Letum IV" that the album reaches its peak, a mid-tempo marked by acoustic guitars and brief outbursts capable of conveying an atmosphere of spatial beauty to the listener.

What sets the entire work above average is the extraordinary compositional talent of Miss Climaxia (author of all songs and lyrics in Italian), songwriting that is never banal or boring, endowed with an uncommon freshness and energy for these times. Another noteworthy aspect is the production, very raw and sparse, capable of recreating an hermetic and deep atmosphere.

Ultimately, an excellent underground album capable of satisfying not only regular black metal listeners but anyone attracted to strong emotions made into music. Highly recommended.