Militia Christi
Ordo Militia Templi

After ten years since my first review on this site, I now reappear on "Deba." Feeling, somewhat, like agent Phillip Jeffries in Fire Walk With Me, I am about to review Ordo Militia Templi, the first work of the Italians Militia Christi, released in 2003 through the label Decadance Records. Already the name of the band might be a source of confusion, leading some to think of associations detached from the Goth context. Instead, the creators of the album under review remain shrouded in anonymity and mystery, embodying what cannot be known. Trying to tear apart the Schopenhauerian veil of Maya, someone has ventured that Militia Christi are another identity of the Romans Theatres des Vampires, but such information has never been confirmed by the interested parties. We can then say that Militia Christi made their appearance on the Goth scene, giving birth to a spectrum that hovers over multiple atmospheres: dark wave, electro, ambient, esoteric, industrial. Contemplating the album’s booklet, we see symbols that might evoke the artworks of many black metal bands, although Satan does not appear in any way among the words and images that articulate Ordo Militia Templi. The authors of the album (perhaps two, perhaps more?) masterfully deliver sound blows to the Catholic Church and Christianity, without ever invoking Lucifer or referring to black magic. Rather, it is, among other things, the words of Hermes Trismegistus and the Apocryphal Gospels that spark the multiple voices that dwell in the album. Of the symbols and hidden meanings in this primal work of Militia Christi, however, I do not wish to speak, respecting above all their desire for privacy and discretion, as well as because: "… my knowledge will be given to him who already has it in his hand, and from him who does not have, even what little he has will be taken away", as announced in "Annus Domini," the first track that chisels this mosaic of voices, whispers, cries, laments, curses, samples of religious functions, and words in Latin. The album’s front cover depicts the crucifixion of Christ, the foreground of his left hand as it is nailed to the wood. What might superficially appear as an act of sadism instead immediately captures the user’s attention, making them choose to learn, to delve into the microcosm of Ordo Militia Templi. The front cover is the first and last clear, visible image amid the undefined mists of this dark and inaccessible original. After being welcomed by "Annus Domini," "Agnus Dei" takes us by the hand and, for over six minutes, presents to our ears the plurality of voices, even in scream, that bring it to life. A voice proclaims: "My hooked fingers will graze your bodies, leaving tears of blood. You will cry discovering the true face of the Lord...", just before allowing the listener to slip to the next track, one of the most incisive pieces of the album. "Processus Criminalis Pro Destructione Lamiarum," a very evocative title already, opens and closes with samples of mass fragments, also in backward masking. These intros and outros perfectly match the mood and content of the track, rich in Latin phrases emerging from a simple but incisive electro base. The organ notes of "Eresia Cristi," the fourth dark, yet oblique, personification of the night that this album is, nestle somberly and sternly in the listener’s mind, breaching the explosion of sounds and meanings about to happen. Even "Osanna," like the previous tracks, reveals itself in all its brilliant creativity, originality, and incisiveness, showcasing the success of the intentions it carries. "Tempestatibus Diaboli" is a valid intermission, the path to "Nigra Virgo" and "Rei Unius," indispensable dark pearls and perfect examples of dark wave. The last three minutes of the album unwind among the industrial samples, the dialoguing voices, and the ritual fragments of "Alleluia," the ultimate sense before the end.

Militia Christi – Ordo Militia Templi

1 Annus Domini

2 Agnus Dei

3 Processus Criminalis Pro Destructione Lamiarum

4 Eresia Cristi

5 Osanna

6 Tempestatibus Diaboli

7 Nigra Virgo

8 Rei Unius

9 Alleluia