(written by Islander)
On November 1st the Monumental Rex label will release the second album by the Portuguese black metal band Everto Signum. Entitled Beastiary, it has an unusually interesting concept behind it, described as follows:
“The band stays true to their elemental background by writing an immersive story that guides the listener through a chain reaction of natural disasters. These calamities are beastialized – manifested as wild uncontrollable beasts exhibiting intrinsic animalistic shapes, traits and behaviours.
“The plot is comprised of seven chapters, each consisting of a contextual introduction that describes the scenery and sets the mood for the destruction to come, and an interpretation of the actual cataclysm. Written in English, the expressively poetic lyrical narrative portrays a journey from an ice-covered mountain top through a valley, down to the depths of a meromictic lake and finally into a perennial forest to witness the dreadful wrath of ancient forces.”
We’ve seen the lyrics for all seven of those chapters, and the quoted description isn’t an exaggeration. The words really are poetic and gripping, and the textual introductions that accompany each song, which set the stage for the disasters to come, are equally eloquent.
These recurring features of the album seem important enough that we’re going to give a complete example, focused on the song we’re premiering today, which is the new album’s second track “Colossus“. You will see the lyrics in the video through which the song is presented, and later we will also quote the introductory passage that appears in the lyric booklet.
But first we ought to focus mainly on the music, because for most people that’s still going to be the main test of interest.
To very quickly set the stage for this song, it makes a beast out of the natural disaster of a mountain convulsed by an earthquake that then discharges a devastating avalanche — an event also shown in the video.
In the music, it sounds like the violence of the earthquake is already in progress when we join the song, manifested by the heavy turbulence of the bass, the obliterating frenzy of the drums, and the slashing and smashing assault of the guitar. Gargantuan growls add to the devastating enormity of the event, and a searing lead guitar pierces through the tumult, adding to its terrors.
The song passes through other phases as well, slowing the music’s pace and intensity but also racing and hammering again, with unhinged screams and screaming guitars joining in. As if to capture the ruin left in the cataclysm’s wake, the melody also becomes dismal and stricken, and the lead-guitar wails in agony through the maelstroms.
Everto Signum also provide brutish chugging, giving listeners a chance to hammer their own heads, and they engage in head-spinning displays of rhythmic eccentricity and fretwork freakishness too.
Taking all of these changes together, the song makes clear that the band haven’t tightly lashed themselves to the mast of black metal but have freely brought in ingredients from death metal and even prog (you’ll discover even more free-wheeling stylistic amalgamations in other songs on the album).
For those who may be unfamiliar with Everto Signum (after all, it has been a dozen years since the release of their first album and a decade since their intervening EP), it’s a duo consisting of Nekruss and Æminus, both of whom are also the participants in Carma (and Nekruss is also the principal member of Lacrau). On Beastiary, they were joined by session drummer Diogo Mota (probably best known for his work as the drummer of Gaerea).
Beastiary was recorded, mixed and mastered by Nekruss. The accompanying artwork was created by RF Torres Valente, who made graphite and ink illustrations. Infected Minds then embellished those with arcane calligraphy and arranged them into a grimoire-inspired layout. As Monumental Rex describes: “Printed on rough texturized paper, the magnificent A5-sized 20-page booklet seamlessly depicts surrealistic concepts envisioned by Everto Signum“.
The booklet accompanies a limited CD edition of the album, which is also available digitally. Check the links below for more info.
Also below you’ll find a Bandcamp stream of “Colossus“, a video for the album’s instrumental opening track “Genesis“, and, as promised, the text of the introduction provided for “Colossus“.
PRE-ORDER:
https://evertosignum.bandcamp.com/album/beastiary
EVERTO SIGNUM:
https://www.facebook.com/evertosignum
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6yaEiM36ZHGwE7bSOzuqcw
“COLOSSUS” – Introduction
The majestic mountain, a giant from the ancient world. He stood here forever and forever will. The colossal monolith towering over a long sierra and up to the sky. The structure is immense and impressive beyond any perception.
The foot of the Colossus is covered with grass, trees and creeks. Green and brownish woodland brimming with animation. From the base to the middle is the belt of solid rock. The slope is steep and decorated with vertiginous cliffs and boulder figures. Only a few living beings have adapted to subsist here. From the midst upwards, the pale mantle is set. A heavy sheet of snow and ice, as old and magnificent as its possessor. Polished by sharp winds, the frosty summits rise high and mercilessly pierce the clouds. Cold and eternal, the ridge evinces grandeur and tranquility.
The Colossus’ heart rests within the terrestrial crust. It seems to be inert, for the stone has no rush. Through millennia it sleeps, for the stone does not fear time. Today, Nature decides to reshape the globe. An earthquake of unbelievable intensity and magnitude resuscitates the giant. The beats, potent and arhythmic, shudder Him from the foot to the top.
And so the madness begins…