Et Moriemur - Ex Nihilo In Nihilum (2014/2016) - Review

Band: Et Moriemur
Album title: Ex Nihilo In Nihilum
Release date: 6 December 2016 [Re-release]  6 December 2016 [Re-release]
Label: Minotauro Records

Tracklist:
01. Sea Of Trees
02. Dissolving
03. Norwegian Mist
04. Liebeslied
05. Angst
06. Nihil
07. Le Choix
08. Black Mountain
09. Below [Bonus]

Ex Nihilo In Nihilum is the second album of Czech, by some labeled as existential doomsters, Et Moriemur, it was originally released in 2014 by Russian label Solitude Productions and because it went by rather unnoticed by large doom community, now Minotauro Records re-released the album worldwide for the first time on vinyl edition. I can't go wrong by saying that Et Moriemur is another example of why doom metal is maybe the only genre that really has still something fresh to offer these days.

Hailing from Prague this doom band sure knows its roots, with the music being very resembling towards early black metal bands, one thing that I didn't expect is that they are going for a straight forward sound while adding loads of ambient and even partial black metal influences. Already with the first two tracks you'll be really embraced by the whole old school doom vibe, not so much modern death/doom which is played and replayed many times already, but more as black/doom.
 
Heavy guitar melodies and extraordinary harmonies are sweapt in a nice veil that sits tightly in the background while raging guitars leads the way, there's really a lot of excellent guitar work in the album.

As we all get used to the idea that most of gloomy doom metal is commonly known for mix between clean and growled vocals, and Et Moriemur is no different, although the singer has a total different style, I would expect more typical death metal vocals, instead of that he delivers some nice old school harsh vocals, which really works well in here, thus brings out the bands sound much more... powerful and mesmerizing, are the two words that describe this album in a best possible way.

The production is perfect. This album is a strong milestone for doom metal and it really defines the genre well. Parts of the album reminds me of Swallow The Sun's latest masterpiece Songs From The North, even though this was released before it. And as there are two types of doom metal bands, the more traditonal bands like Isole, Candlemass,... and the more dark gloomy death/doom bands like Saturnus, Doom:VS,... Et Moriemur is somewhere between everything. While it's clear that they have a more traditional doom sound and kind of a traditonal doom strucutre of songs they stand out by just having a different vocal style, the album is by all means a pure doom fest for all doom lovers out there. Another thing that I love about this album is the way how the sound is made, it actually sounds older than it is, it has a some kind of a vintage feel to it. It's like something you can find in an old vinyl storage box, hidden away for years and then digging it up for the first time after years to listen to it. I might just have to get the CD version and vinyl for christmas. Atmospheric and beautifully constructed, I'm more than sure that this album will be remembered for years to come!

Rating: 8/10