Ordalium / Chambre Ardente

This anonymous German outfit sees both their demos, ‘Ordalium’ and the previously unreleased ‘Chambre Ardente’, compiled together on this one release from Amor Fati this year. ‘Ordalium’ is the chunkier of the two, consisting of five weighty tracks of solidly grim black metal. We are told that Trest are German, but the sound is very much Ukrainian, with Roman Saenko’s influence apparent all over these driven, trancelike numbers.

For the most part Trest keep things raw but immersive. The guitars are layered up to create an enveloping wall of sound, granting extra mileage to the simplest of riffs. Although drums are certainly unpolished, they present a full-bodied throb that works to fill out the mix, adding weight and gravity to the overall look of this music. Vocals opt for a lower register than is common for black metal, again solidifying the Hate Forest similarities, this also calls to mind Hymnr’s recent offering ‘Far Beyond Insanity’.

This is rainy day black metal that seeks to bring the listener’s mood down through a highly focused textural experience more than via complex riffing. There are moments of dissonance, basic tempo changes, the occasional arpeggio, but for the most part the riffs consist of rudimentary chord progressions orientated toward the depressive or sparsely grey mood palettes. Repetition is key here, as simple themes are driven home with subtle flexing up or flexing down of accent chords, additional textures, and only very minimal development required to make us feel like the music is progressing toward its goal.

Although the literal interpretation of this music – at least for me – is one of motion and progression, a lengthy journey covering vast distances of imposing woodlands and open plains, the actual shape of the compositions is more cyclical. There is one chord progression that seems to anchor each piece, with rudimentary variations taking it only a short distance away before returning us to the central motif. We are circling round a resolution that we know consciously will only be reached at the track’s conclusion.

The two tracks that make up the ‘Chambre Ardente’ demo add elements of more traditional melody which are almost pleasant by comparison, but the same overall ethos is pursued with rigour. Although fans of Hate Forest, Walknut, or Ygg may find these demos a promising little holdout for this epically grey style of black metal, Trest are yet to quite stand up to the considerable legacy of these artists. The demos are yet to define a character of their own despite their qualities. As it stand this is a competent interpretation of a style, but is yet to be stamped with an identity that would set Trest apart. To put it another way, the style defines the lifeblood of the music, rather than the music defining the style. We await this difficult next step for Trest with interest

Originally published at Hate Meditations