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Sokrovenno: De Rerum Natura

Sometimes, there are albums that just feel right from the beginning, without the need of a "sink in" effect, so to speak. De Rerum Natura was right up my alley and it sure got lots of playing time.

This four piece act is offering their debut full length and they already sound great and mature. I can only hope for a long & successful musical journey to these guys. The artwork in the booklet is also very well done and attractive. They took their inspiration from Lecretius and the first page of the booklet contains a text (in Italian) regarding this philosopher. Musically speaking, Sokrovenno choose black metal to express their philosophical views; a wise choice I should add. This is not the blast beat festival /raw/ferocious type of metal, but a rather melodic and atmosphere filled black metal. No keyboards, at least not that I can decipher, but instead the organic textures of acoustic/classical guitar was choosen; again, a wise choice. To make matters even better, this cool instrument is being often used like in the short instrumental interludes, as well as in the longest compositions. Moderate tempos are ruling on this release, some with crunchy guitars, while a few faster times are also present. 'Very good musicianship' are the key words to remember here. Besides the always appreciated excellent guitar work, the listener can enjoy good rasps, fine drumming (more than just blast beats here), fine bass lines, and so on.

De Rerum Natura was a sweet surprise, and I can only recommend this fine opus of melodic black metal art.


Track listing:
1 – Brina
2 – Ineunte Hieme
3 – I
4 – Flammantia Moenia Mundi
5 – II
6 – Fragore
7 – III
8 – Sulla Mortalita Dell'Anima
9 – IV
10 – Vestigia Pressa Bisulcis
11 – In Ricordo

Added: October 23rd 2010
Reviewer: Denis Brunelle
Score:
Related Link: Band MySpace Page
Hits: 1997
Language: english

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Sokrovenno: De Rerum Natura
Posted by Scott Ward, SoT Staff Writer on 2010-10-23 05:36:36
My Score:

Labeled as black metal, Italian band Sokrovenino is pushing the boundaries of what that genre is. Other than the rasp of vocalist Autunno this band has its roots planted in a much more melodic and cerebral form of music. Sure, the foundation may be in the black/death metal field but the band evokes such raw emotion with their ability to create a musical landscape that thrills, enthralls and otherwise completely immerses the listener in a sound that is one of a kind.

It doesn't matter that you may not know Italian and all the lyrics are sung in their native tongue. It just proves the power of a voice as another instrument. It would be nice to know what they are singing but still totally unnecessary. This is a disc that can stand on the music alone or in conjunction with vocals.

Don't get the idea that this is a trippy or proggy album. It is as heavy as hell and this four piece band relies on a dual guitar assault to flay you with their captivating style. As I sit here and listen to the instrumental portion of the song "Ineunte Hieme" it occurs to me that you don't have to play fast or intricate to be good. You must have the musical savvy to produce something that catches the ear and this band certainly does that.

Sokrovenino's use of acoustic guitars such as the intro before the song "Flammantia Moenia Mundi" is one of the subtle ways that they set themselves apart. This is one of my favorite moments on the disc because if you took out the vocals on this song it would have a definite 80's heavy metal feel to it with a black metal twist. The band uses the acoustic intro on most of the songs on the album but I think that this one is the most effective.

Fans of black metal are going to gobble this one up. I also think that they are going to appeal to a much broader fan base too. People who like bands along the line of Crematory will also find much to like here. This is a dose of metal that hits you in so many ways it is impossible not to like it.



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