LUX DIVINA : FROM THE TOMB TO NATURE’S BLOOD
Ars Magna Recordings
Lux Divina are a Catalonian band who demand my attention simply because their line-up past and present includes members of the wonderful Foscor. Having honed their own sound over a number of demos and a lengthier debut release, “Occasus Caeremonia”, however, Lux Divina forge a path that is wholly their own, a driving, gutsy, rich pagan black metal style full of the mystery of Mother Nature. “From the Tomb to Nature’s Blood” is a an ambitious and memorable album, well worth exploring for a chance to lose yourself in the band’s dark yet beautiful world.
There are so many powerfully evocative tools at Lux Divina’s command that it’s difficult not to be instantly overwhelmed by them; the contrast between racing, majestic black metal riffs and the looser clean layers and acoustic breaks seems calculated and inspired rather than generic, whilst Norax’s easy switch between a rasping, intense growl and soaring clean vocals brings an unexpected air of the sublime to many of the tracks. At times showing a clear line of descent from bands such as Dissection, Lux Divina also bring to mind some Solefald, Borknagar and, for me at least, the earlier outings of Pantheon I. Like these bands, feeling and spirit does not diminish intensity, and the unfettered blasting on one hand works oddly but perfectly with the rousing, melodic atmosphere on the other.
The album is well-structured as a whole, moving through various moods and moments and drama, but some tracks stick with you immediately; the beautiful, looping “Praised Hymn to the Horned God”, with its dynamic blend of cleanness and roaring, yearning chaos, the cleverly penned “The Oracle of the Funeral Trees”, fraught but melodic with gorgeous layers of sound, and the slower, bassier “Black Goddess’ Mountains”, which stalks mysteriously through a wilderness we inhabit but do not understand. A lot of Lux Divina’s writing feels warm and organic, well-suited to their undomesticated and savage preoccupations, and the combination of the natural and the occult in their lyrics gives the impression of true belief and respect.
In all, this album presents the listener with a full, textured sound that offers plenty of memorable moments alongside some really imposing climaxes. The weaving through of melody and aggression is of course nothing new, but Lux Divina are successful in bringing their own flavour to proceedings, and the quality remains high due to the wealth of ideas on offer, and the pronounced skill of each member. “From the Tomb to Nature’s Blood” showcases one of the ways in which black metal can truly be called beautiful; I will be listening to it for a long time to come.
86/100
ELLEN SIMPSON
