Tag Archives: tabula rasa

Album Review – Servant / Lux Ex Inferis (2026)

Posted on by
Reply

Balancing tradition and progression, this German Black Metal horde returns with their fourth studio offering, bringing the light from hell into our blackened hearts.

Balancing tradition and progression, German Black Metal horde Servant delivers a sound that feels both familiar and forward-thinking, uncompromising, powerful, and darkly captivating. Two years after their critically acclaimed third album Death Devil Magick, the band formed of vocalist and guitarist Farago, guitarist Samael, bassist Thanatos, and drummer Apophis returns with Lux Ex Inferis (a Latin phrase that means “light from the netherworld” or “light from hell”) offering more of their authentic-yet-modern approach to Melodic Black Metal. Recorded at Katzbach Studio, produced and Mixed by Farago, mastered by Dennis Poschwatta at Katzbach Studio, and showcasing a stunning artwork by Misanthropic-Art, Lux Ex Inferis sees the band once again combine intensity, atmosphere, and passion into a distinctive sound, turning it into a must-listen for admirers of the darkest side of music.

The whimsical, ethereal intro In Noctem will captivate our souls before we’re crushed into pieces to the sound of Tabula Rasa, a beautiful Melodic Black Metal aria by the quartet with the anguish and pain flowing from Farago’s scorching vocals sounding stunning, also featuring guest vocals by the one and only P.G. of Groza, followed by Glorification, spearheaded by the demonic drums by Apophis while Thanatos keeps hammering his bass in the name of absolute darkness. Thanatos, Embrace of the Night again presents the band’s trademark fusion of aggression, obscurity and harmony, leaning towards the Blackened Death Metal played by Behemoth, whereas De Profundis, or “from the depths” from Latin (a letter written by Oscar Wilde during his imprisonment in Reading Gaol, to his friend and lover Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas) showcases a phenomenal guitar work by Farago and Samael from start to finish, featuring guest vocals by Lethian.

Lux Fulget, which translates from Latin to English as “the light shines,” already starts in full force to the pounding drums by Apophis while Farago continues to vociferate like a creature from the abyss; and the strident guitars by Farago and Samael ignite another bestial Black Metal feast titled Of Stones, Sleep and Death, sounding enfolding, grim and vile, all at the same time. Then we face The Accuser, blending the obscurity of classic Black Metal with the depth and ferocity of modern-day Melodic Black Metal, with Thanatos and Apophis once again sounding thunderous armed with their respective bass and drums; while their last breathe of Black Metal magic comes in the form of Hypnos I See You, carrying a poetic name for an overdose of Stygian, sharp riffs and devilish roars, putting a beyond climatic and devilish ending to their black mass.

Expanding on the band’s established style, Lux Ex Inferis merges epic structures and haunting melodies, creating a multi-layered sonic landscape where passion meets grandeur, pointing to an even brighter (or maybe I should say darker) future ahead of those servants of the dark arts. You can get in touch with the band and stay up to date with their news and tour dates via Facebook and Instagram, stream their caustic music on any platform like Spotify, and of course, put your damned, dirty hands on their scorching new opus by purchasing it from the AOP Records’ BandCamp or webstore (or click HERE for all things Servant). After all is said and done, these German black metallers are among us to spread absolute darkness armed with Lux Ex Inferis, bringing the light from hell into our blackened hearts.

Best moments of the album: Tabula Rasa, De Profundis, Lux Fulget and Hypnos I See You.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2026 AOP Records

Track listing
1. In Noctem 2:14
2. Tabula Rasa 5:30
3. Glorification 4:38
4. Thanatos, Embrace of the Night 5:06
5. De Profundis 4:35
6. Lux Fulget 4:51
7. Of Stones, Sleep and Death 4:52
8. The Accuser 4:06
9. Hypnos I See You 5:47

Band members
Farago – vocals, guitars
Samael – guitars
Thanatos – bass
Apophis – drums

Guest musicians
Lethian – vocals on “De Profundis”
P.G. – vocals on “Tabula Rasa”

Album Review – Sanctvs / De l’Abîme au Plérôme (2026)

Posted on by
Reply

Always treading further towards the abyss, this Montreal, Quebec-based Black Metal entity returns with six hymns of devotion and transformation.

Vanity of vanities, all is vanity…

Always treading further towards the abyss, Montreal, Quebec’s own Black Metal entity Sanctvs returns with six hymns of devotion and transformation. Staring at the face of Death, De l’Abîme au Plérôme, or “From the Abyss to the Pleroma” in English, is an elegy to our own mortality, a dirge to the passing of time and the changes it inevitably brings. Masterfully crafted by the project’s sole member, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mortheos (aka Xavier Berthiaume), known for his work with some incredible bands from the underground scene like Atramentus, Gevurah, Oriflamme, Atonement, Down to Ruins, and Cauchemar, De l’Abîme au Plérôme is another beast of the always captivating Métal Noir Québécois scene, turning it into a must-listen for admirers of the darkest side of Black Metal.

A grim start suddenly explodes into absolute Black Metal violence in Rex Hominum, where Mortheos shows no mercy for his axe nor for his drums, also vociferating rabidly in the name of total darkness. Sacrifié sur l’autel de la rédemption, which is French for “sacrificed on the altar of redemption”, meaning something (or someone) is given up or destroyed for the sake of achieving salvation, atonement, or a greater good, already starts in full force to Mortheos’ carnivorous riffage, flowing majestically until its very last second; followed by Thrène pour un monde révol, or “a rouse to a bygone world”, with once again his devilish guitar lines setting the tone for his hellish vociferations and crisp, pounding Black and Doom Metal beats and fills. Tabula Rasa, the absence of preconceived ideas or predetermined goals, offers us all first-class, in-you-face Black Metal beautifully crafted by our lone wolf, whereas Tour d’ivoire, or “ivory tower” in English, referring to a state of privileged seclusion or detachment from practical realities and the common world (originating from French literature to describe secluded intellectual life), brings forward another overdose of violence ad hatred, with his desperate gnarls sounding amazing. Lastly, get ready for a descent into the underworld with La Lumière de l’infini, or “The Light of Infinity” or “Infinite Light,” referring to a divine, endless, or eternal radiance,  filling our avid ears with more of Mortheos’ chaotic screams, riffs and drums.

Following up on the releases of the project’s 2019 debut Mors Aeterna, and its 2025 split Inter Mortuos Liber (with French Black Metal outfit Sotherion), the caustic, harsh De l’Abîme au Plérôme can be purchased from the Osmose Productions’ BandCamp or webstore, and you can also click HERE for all digital links. Mortheos and his Sanctvs can also be found on Facebook and on Instagram, and you can also enjoy the album in full on YouTube and on Spotify. Pleroma (Greek for “fullness”) refers to a state of completeness or abundance, and that’s exactly what Mortheos wants you to feel while listening to the new Sanctvs new offering, an abundance of first-class Black Metal just before you’re dragged back into the abyss.

Best moments of the album: Rex Hominum and Tabula Rasa.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2026 Osmose Productions

Track listing
1. Rex Hominum 7:16
2. Sacrifié sur l’autel de la rédemption 5:54
3. Thrène pour un monde révolu 8:48
4. Tabula Rasa 6:22
5. Tour d’ivoire 5:46
6. La Lumière de l’infini 8:52

Band members
Mortheos – vocals, all instruments