Mortifera
Complainte d'une Agonie Celeste

It can now be said that the French black metal scene has become one of the most important in Europe; in fact, in recent years it has even proven superior to the Norwegian and Swedish scenes. These statements are not something I made up last night due to a lack of sleep, but are actual facts! Bands like Peste Noire, Celsetia, Amesoeurs, Gestapo 666, Mortifera, Mutiilation, Belkeltre, the now defunct Legion Noire, etc., prove that (as the title of a Darkthrone album states), "The cult is alive!" Therefore, summing up, we can assert that those who say black metal is dead truly do not know what they are talking about.

After this necessary introduction imposed by my conscience, I finally arrive at the actual review. We are talking about one of the bands I mentioned above, that is, Mortifera with their first EP: Complainte d'une Agonie Celeste. The band is composed of two major figures in the French scene, namely: the notorious Neige, well-known for his two projects, respectively: Alcest (Shoegaze) and Amesoeurs (Black metal), as well as for having been part of the acclaimed Peste Noire; and Noktu, the brilliant leader of the "necroromantic" black metal band: Celestia.

But now let's get to the point. The demo opens with the song "L'influence d'Alhena," a splendid fully instrumental track used as a long introduction to the album. The song appears very dynamic in its evolution, preparing the listener for the subsequent "Sepulcre de Mortt - Vastiia Necroiion," a composition with a fast pace where the high-pitched scream intertwines with the majestic and emotional guitar riffs, creating a dark atmosphere, yet slightly touched by melancholy.

We then proceed to the second half of the album with the title track, which opens with a distorted and dissonant guitar arpeggio, eventually evolving into a guitar riff with a very sustained rhythm. Neige's vocals in this piece also play an almost constant presence, laying a carpet of vocal lines that are nothing short of perfect, rendering the song as one of the most blackened of the album.

We reach the final track "Abstracte - Negotion - Ressurectiay", a song with extremely fitting riffs and guitar textures that lay an immense veil of pure melancholy over the listener. Notable are the arpeggio and the two dramatic final guitar riffs of inestimable beauty, where Neige indulges in an almost whispered death chant, concluding this immense masterpiece.

With this EP, Noktu and Neige have demonstrated that the cult of black metal is still alive and kicking, and that this genre can still be improved, without falling into silly tricks and commercial sounds. I highly recommend the album to all true black metal lovers. It is a masterpiece that, together with the subsequent full-length, cannot be missing from the listening repertoire of a true enthusiast of the genre.

My final score is: 9