Rex Mundi
IHVH 

Debemur Morti Productions 2011

I put this album on and it was immediately clear that Rex Mundi were from France.  That distinct orthodox experimentalism that is so prevalant in that scene was unmistakably emanating from my speakers as IHVH spilled forth hate-filled spiritualism.  J'Imagine (Be -reshit) hummed and simmered through its initial stages, like Samael meets Deathspell Omega.  The cold, crisp guitar tone resonated with occult intent before the track delved into realms of adventurous industrial noise and sermon-like black metal shrieks.  This stretched outwards until it met the lumbering stride of Naphtali's opening section.  The track then exploded into blasting black metal, malicious and cruel.  And the cycle repeats.  The Flesh Begat rises from the ashes of the previous song with a halting main riff that leaps into hyper intense pacing.  The song sways from periods of speedy blasts and rhythmic bounds.  Islamic prayer samples (Allah Akbar!) summons the track, Pious Angels.  A midtempo rumble and mildly melodic riff permeate the song's core as it fills the void with a hint of forlorn emotion.  The songwriting continues to utilize samples for added depth and texture creating a sense of age and nostalgia.  That is until Pious Angels erupts into volcanic blackness once more.  Patrimoine Genetique opens with a bombastic death metal passage that then evolves into disharmonic riffs and upward arcs of dissonance.  The varied vocals further serve to disorient the listener.  For some reason I also hear some Secrets Of The Moon influence on this album.  IHVH is an album that drinks from the well of occult black metal and casts musical spells that are caught somewhere between the French avant-black metal scene and such mystical explorers and Secrets Of The Moon.  This album is a spiritual journey.