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Album Review – Ecclesia / Ecclesia Militans (2024)

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Chasing the heretics since 2016 anno Domini, these French Heavy and Doom Metal inquisitors are back with their fantastic sophomore album, armed with purifying fire, blessed swords, and Holy Rage.

Chasing the heretics since 2016 anno Domini, French Heavy/Doom Metal inquisitors Ecclesia are back with their sophomore black mass, entitled Ecclesia Militans (or “the church militant” from Latin, an expression traditionally ascribed to Pope Clement V, who used it in his letter to King Philip IV in 1311 to indicate all living Christians), the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2020 opus De Ecclesiæ Universalis. Armed with purifying fire, blessed swords, and Holy Rage, the band currently formed of Frater Arnhwald on vocals, Julius Accusator and The Witchfinder General on the guitars, Frater Ignis Sacer on bass, Pater Walkelinus on organ and keyboards, and Pater Hexenhammer on drums will convert fans of Candlemass, Solstice, and especially Tony Martin-era Black Sabbath as well as anyone who can feel the righteous fervor of medieval brimstone with their new album, demanding us to confess our sins to the sound of their perfect syncretism between traditional Heavy Metal and Epic Doom Metal.

The irreligious intro Vade Retro (from the admonition “vade retro me satana” or “get behind me, Satan!”, from the Gospel of Mark, 8:33, spoken by Jesus to Peter) will invite you to join the black mass conducted by Ecclesia in the rockin’ feast titled If She Floats, where the striking riffs by Julius Accusator and The Witchfinder General will slash your ears mercilessly, setting the tone for the soaring vocals by Arnhwald, all boosted by the song’s phantasmagorical background keys. Then we have Et Cum Spiritu Tuo (or “and with your spirit” from Latin), keeping their mass-infused sound reverberating to all four corners of the earth, in line with the excellency of their 2020 album by presenting a solid fusion of Heavy and Doom Metal with poetic lyrics (“Fear not my friend / For I have come to relieve you / Wherever you hide / You shall be found out and snatched out of misery / A gang of priors is waiting for you / We’ve had enough / The chalice is broken / Are you ready for a wild holy ride?”). The howling winds will bring to our avid ears six minutes of heresy and doom in the form of Antecclesia, starting in an enfolding way to the bass by Frater Ignis Sacer and evolving into a lecture in Heavy and Doom Metal in the vein of Mercyful Fate and Candlemass; and it’s pedal to the metal in the breathtaking title-track Ecclesia Militans, showcasing the band’s trademark heaviness accompanied by their church-like background sounds, or in other words, it’s an incendiary Rock N’ Roll party led by Arnhwald’s striking vocals.

The second half of the album kicks off with the keyboard-infused aria The Exorcism, a headbanging feast spearheaded by the heavy and groovy riffage by the band’s guitar duo, always supported by the metallic bass by Frater Ignis Sacer, whereas more of the hammering drums by Pater Hexenhammer will hit you hard in Ereptor Verae Fidei (or “redeemer of the true faith” from Latin), sounding haunting yet captivating at the same time. Redden the Iron is the perfect hybrid of Heavy Rock and Doom Metal, with Arnhwald sounding flawless on vocals once again while Julius Accusator, The Witchfinder General and Frater Ignis Sacer bring the noise armed with their thunderous axes, and Ecclesia still have time for another Stygian aria entitled Harvester of Sinful Souls, with the keys by Pater Walkelinus sending shivers down our spines while Pater Hexenhammer blasts sheer obscurity from his drums in the most Doom Metal of all songs, living up to the legacy of such brilliant genre, before the otherworldly outro Quis ut Deus (a Latin sentence meaning “Who [is] like God?”) puts a stylish, grim and ethereal ending to another successful black mass by Ecclesia.

If you consider yourself a true heretic, it’s time to confess all your sins and grab a copy of Ecclesia Militans from Ecclesia’s own BandCamp page as well as from the Aural Music webstore as a CD, a black and gold LP, or a heretic blood LP, and don’t forget to also follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and other nice-to-know details about one of the rising forces of the European metal scene. Just like the Catholic church, Ecclesia are increasing their dominance all over the world with their first-class witchfinding doom, and their new album Ecclesia Militans will certainly convert more and more heretics to their cause in the coming years. Amen.

Best moments of the album: Antecclesia, Ecclesia Militans, Redden the Iron and Harvester of Sinful Souls.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2024 Aural Music

Track listing
1. Vade Retro 1:41
2. If She Floats 4:35
3. Et Cum Spiritu Tuo 3:58
4. Antecclesia 6:13
5. Ecclesia Militans 3:48
6. The Exorcism 5:19
7. Ereptor Verae Fidei 4:49
8. Redden the Iron 4:07
9. Harvester of Sinful Souls 7:02
10. Quis ut Deus 1:50

Band members
Frater Arnhwald – vocals
Julius Accusator – lead guitar
The Witchfinder General – rhythm guitar
Frater Ignis Sacer – bass
Pater Walkelinus – organ, keyboards
Pater Hexenhammer – drums

Album Review – Ecclesia / De Ecclesiæ Universalis (2020)

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Showcasing the perfect syncretism between Heavy and Doom Metal, this army of French inquisitors stands strong on their crusade against every doom heretic with their incendiary debut album.

Playing what they like to call epic and dark Doom Metal-influenced Heavy Metal since their formation as a trio in 2016, the now fully-formed army of French inquisitors known as Ecclesia (the Latin word for “church”) unleashed upon us sinners this Friday the 13th their debut full-length musical mass De Ecclesiæ Universalis, which is Latin for “the universal church”, following up on their highly acclaimed 2017 demo Witchfinding Metal of Doom. Armed with purifying fire, blessed swords and Holy Rage, the band currently comprised of Frater Arnhwald on vocals, Julius Accusator and The Witchfinder General on the guitars, Frater Ignis Sacer on bass, Pater Hexenhammer on drums and Pater Walkelinus on organ and keyboards deals with the 12th Century dark medieval age of Holy Inquisition in their lyrics, showcasing the perfect syncretism between Heavy and Doom Metal in their music and, therefore, being highly recommended for admirers of the music by Candlemass, Cathedral and Solitude Aeternus, among other giants of the 80’s heavy and doom scene, standing strong on their crusade against every doom heretic and urging us all to confess our unholy sins.

Gregorian chants and the always tenebrous sound of the rain ignite the album in the bold intro Excommunicamus, before the strident riffage by Julius and The Witchfinder General dictate the rhythm in the hybrid of classic Heavy and Doom Metal titled Vatican III, a superb song to start the album where the rockin’ vocals by Arnhwald truly enhance the song’s impact and blasphemous feel, whereas their Black Sabbath vein beautifully explodes in Ecclesia Sathani, with Walkelinus’ phantasmagorical pipes bringing a touch of evil to the overall result, blending the glory of the 70’s and 80’s with their modern-day Doom Metal. Then get ready to crack your neck headbanging in the name of the unholy church of doom ruled by Ecclesia in Montségur, where Hexenhammer and Walkelinus are in absolute sync with their respective beats and keys while Arnhwald continues to fire his ass-kicking, King Diamond-inspired vocal lines. And never tired of hammering their sonic weapons, Ecclesia deliver another amazing tune entitled Behold the Heretic Burning, feeling like it was taken from one of Dio’s classic albums (which obviously means excellency), while Ignis Sacer makes sure the earth shakes to the sound of his menacing bass.

After such amazing first half of the album, how about seven minutes of a fusion of classic Doom Metal with Stoner and Southern Metal, spiced up by epic keys and soaring vocals? That’s what you’ll get in the Stygian hymn Antichristus. Needless to say, the band’s guitar duo will pierce your skin deep with their venomous riffs, ending the song in the most visceral way possible, and you better prepare your ears for another round of slashing riffs in Deus Vult, where the church-like organ pipes by Walkelinus will captivate your mind, opening it up for the slamming Rock N’ Roll crafted by his band members while sounding as harmonious and thrilling as it can be. It’s time to go full doom in the cryptic God’s Trial, with the sluggish beats by Hexenhammer walking hand in hand with the riffage by Julius and The Witchfinder General, being tailored for admirers of the most primeval form of Doom Metal (albeit not as powerful as the rest of the album). Before all is said and done, we’re treated to their cover version for Venom’s classic Burn The Witches (actually, the original song is titled “Don’t Burn The Witch”), from their 1982 cult album Black Metal, and you check the original version HERE, with Ecclesia’s version being absolutely awesome from start to finish, morphing into the stunning church-inspired outro Ite Missa Est to put a proper ending to their metal mass.

In case you’re considering joining a church for any given reason, I suggest you go check the services provided at the temple of doom ruled by Ecclesia on their Facebook page, and purchase your copy of the sensational De Ecclesiæ Universalis from their own BandCamp page, from the Aural Music webstore, from Season of Mist, from jpc.de, from Best Buy or from Amazon, proving to those French metallers you’re not a doom heretic and that you’re worth their mercy. Put differently, why not confessing your darkest and most impure sins to the sound of the ass-kicking metal music blasted by Ecclesia in their flammable newborn spawn? I’m sure both God and the Devil will love to witness you succumbing to their visceral, damned creations.

Best moments of the album: Vatican III, Montségur, Antichristus and Deus Vult.

Worst moments of the album: God’s Trial.

Released in 2020 Aural Music

Track listing
1. Excommunicamus 1:07
2. Vatican III 4:44
3. Ecclesia Sathani 5:26
4. Montségur 6:03
5. Behold the Heretic Burning 4:57
6. Antichristus 7:11
7. Deus Vult 5:33
8. God’s Trial 6:32
9. Burn The Witches (Venom cover) 3:25
10. Ite Missa Est 1:39

Band members
Frater Arnhwald – vocals
Julius Accusator – lead guitar
The Witchfinder General – rhythm guitar
Frater Ignis Sacer – bass
Pater Hexenhammer – drums
Pater Walkelinus – organ, keyboards