Black Infernal Divinity

A really raw BM act, Vomquisseron is a solo project formed by San Francisco musician Nachzehrer back in 2021 though the act only started releasing work in 2023, starting with "Out from the Coffin …" and following up with "Black Infernal Divinity". This second work is a mini-album running at just under 19 minutes with six short tracks featuring fast, energetic BM of incredible harshness, balanced by soothing if cold background synthesisers and shrieking phantom voices deep within another, more hellish dimension.

After a short intro dominated by Gothic organ histrionics, some of it verging on dementedness, Nachzehrer starts racing through the darkness with aggressive drumming and guitar work that throws out some very distinct headbanging riffs. At the same time an undercurrent of smooth, almost calm keyboard melodies follows the music closely, at once softening the music yet paradoxically by contrast heightening Vomquisseron's harsh, no-nonsense BM style. The percussion has an almost punkish air as it steamrolls and clangs its way through the music. Vocals steam away in an unreal dimension where the darkness is even more absolute than in our universe, and this adds a particular hellish atmosphere that highlights the music's aggressive and spiky nature.

The short songs are packed with plenty of riffs, varied percussion rhythms and layers of guitar grind and insistent noisy six-stringed melodies. Not a moment is wasted though the songs do tend to bleed into one another almost without pause. Out of the five tracks featuring raw BM, the outstanding track for me is the last one, "Entranced by Evil" which, while short, goes through some very heavy melancholy borne by series after series of sad riffs with doleful keyboard undertones. While the EP plays, listeners are confronted with a very black and bleak atmosphere that contrasts with and highlights all the music's elements: vocals, percussion and guitars.

At this early stage in Vomquisseron's career, this EP showcases what a raw and energetic act it can be, with the happy knack also of writing and playing strong headbanging riffs. Let's hope an album of similar harsh and energetic aggression isn't too far away.