Ten days ago, during one of my MISCELLANY excursions, I came across a just-released EP entitled Mysterivm Magnvm by a one-man project from Serbia named Temple of Gnosis. At that point I only wrote about one song from the album — its title track — and not long after, the stream of the EP disappeared into the mists. But today we’ve got the pleasure of bringing you the resurrection of that stream as we premiere the entire EP.
Temple of Gnosis is the creation of someone who calls himself H.M.T., and Mysterivm Magnvm is the project’s debut EP. It’s being released by Goathorned Productions and it’s described as a concept work based on the “alchemical process of Enlightenment”, and specifically on the initial step of “deconstruction” along the path toward “transformation of mind and spirit”:
“Philosophically, this is the first process of transformation of mind and spirit, and it consists of catharsis (discharge and purification) and the destruction of the original structure in order for the new one to be built upon its ashes. In alchemical tradition, this is the first, most essential and necessary step that leads to the transmutation of the spirit….
“This is to say that there is no enlightenment without traveling through the darkness and the depth of your mind and spirit; deep in our subconscious is where the wisdom is and the singularity of our spirit waiting to be released and developed; light and darkness are not essentially different phenomena, they go together and act as a single dimension of which they are only the poles.”
Musically, the EP is one of those listening experiences rightly described as “immersive”. It incorporates mysterious ambient sections that conjure images of vast and foreboding darkness, joining to them enormous groaning/pounding riffs and methodical drum blows, along with gargantuan death-metal growls and ghastly, distorted spoken words.
The sweeping keyboard overlays and droning tones signal mystery — and doom. Great banks of roiling sonic fog enshroud the music, hinting at the presence of unseen but powerful forces moving in the murk. It’s an uneasy feeling, as if you’ve stepped off a precipice into the void, with damned little to light your way on the endless trip down into the earth, and only specters for company.
As a work devoted to the creation of dark, arcane atmosphere, the EP is a compelling creation — enigmatic, thoroughly grim, and often frightening, but well worth your time.
Mysterivm Magnvm is available as a digipack CD or as a digital download. It can be ordered from Goathorned Productions HERE, or via the Bandcamp link below.
http://templeofgnosis.bandcamp.com/releases
https://www.facebook.com/templeofgnosis
4 Responses to “AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE: TEMPLE OF GNOSIS — “MYSTERIVM MAGNVM””
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This sounds killer, very dense and heavy 🙂
It was a pleasure!
it’s intresting to learn these ideas about alchemical tradition, as they so ressemble the early christian communities initiation before baptism for catecumens; the purificative waters of baptism virtually rest between two sets of seven stairs, seven descending of the seven radical sins and seven ascending ones for their opposite graces
This album is very atmospheric, very slow and very dark. Great vocals, they match well with the music. I love the sensation that this album gives. Great piece of music.