Thelésis Ignis

Tongues' debut EP Thelésis Ignis is among the latest in a recent trend of void-related observations in black metal. The nihilistic implications of a 'total emptiness' are unsurprisingly attractive to the murkier depths of the genre. Interestingly enough, whenever a image of a void or abyss is evoked, it usually manifests itself similarly in the music. For US harbingers Void Meditation Cult (I seem impelled to mention them, if only for their nomenclatorial similarity to one of the tracks here), it was felt in the unexpectedly resonant atmosphere behind their otherwise blunt wall of aggression. In most other ways, Tongues offers a considerably different approach in their music, but that empty-yet-simultaneously-vast atmosphere gives Thelésis Ignis a familiar sense of abandon.

Clocking in at just over half an hour, Tongues introduction via I, Voidhanger offers a substantive-enough taste of the band, without spoiling anticipation for lengthier works to come. Although drawing primarily from a well of twisted lo-fi black metal (think a muffled incarnation of some of the modern Mayhem's avant-garde passages, and you're close), with doomy stretches and (as seen most clearly in the EP's final track) ritual ambient music. The blend shouldn't be unfamiliar to those with a taste for this sort of left-of-field black metal, but Tongues pull it off with enough conviction to be worth checking out.

Thorbjørn's riffs are swirling and often atonal; I wouldn't hesitate to make comparisons with Si Monvmentum...-era Deathspell Omega, had Tongues had greater favour in sonic clarity. As it is, many of the guitar ideas here are fairly inventive within the prescribed limits of the genre, but I'm left thinking that some of the potential of these riffs has been lost in Tongues' lo-fi shroud. There's no doubt that a murky production ultimately works to the benefit of the album's overall atmosphere, but I'm sure the lo-fi authenticity could have been retained while paying greater heed to detail in the performance. For example's sake, Bölzer's Soma from earlier this year was similarly cavernous, but never let it impede the nuance and tone of the guitars. Thelésis Ignis is recorded and mixed with appropriate regards to the genre's expectations, but Tongues haven't quite realized the potential a more meticulous execution could have offered their style.

I'm still a little torn with regards to the quality of Tongues' songwriting as a whole. While Thelésis Ignis demonstrates internal coherence and is awash with individually solid ideas, the structure and flow of their compositions never seem to build impetus. The pace rises and falls between weirdly atonal and aggressive sections and their doomier counterparts, with varying success. The opener "Void Meditation" has a strong atmosphere (complete with ominous gong toll) but the mudded structure robs it of a lot of its potential catharsis and memorability. "The Will of Fire" is easily the best example of Tongues' black metal, with an addictive central riff that entirely warrants the aforementioned Deathspell comparison. "Last Grip of the Hand of Guilt" offers a much doomier side to Tongues' sound; while nowhere near as compelling as "The Will of Fire", it demonstrates a potential for patience that will work to the band's favour with their future ambient exploits. Lastly, but certainly not least of all is "Bloodline of the Blind", the album's closer and- without a doubt- the strangest, most unexpected offering on the EP. Thelésis Ignis' final episode is devoted completely to ambiance; a throaty monotone enunciates atop the minimal tones of an organ, all spruced by a cavernous resonance that completely pulls me in, in a way the rest of the album fell short of. The slow build of the organ is subtle enough to escape less attentive listens, but the gradual surge makes it all the more foreboding. Like an elegy to human civilization circa post-apocalypse, "Bloodline for the Blind" is an incredible ambient passage. For my sake, I hope they continue to make more ambient-oriented tracks in the future.

Thelésis Ignis is a strong EP, but there are enough faults and weakpoints to write up a considerable list of things I hope to hear improved on future releases from Tongues. All of the essential ingredients for potentially great black metal are already here, and if Tongues make that push to improve, they'll be a force to be reckoned with.

Originally written for Heathen Harvest Periodical