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It’s been some time since the debut release from The Red King. Viterolvm was a welcome surprise from one of the minds from the short-lived black metal act Corvus Corax. Johann Bran Cleereman’s present project is far from being metal but since it’s got such an inherent appeal for metal fans I urge you to take a further look. This is not to say that only metal fans should take note however. This is truly a great piece of ritualistic industrial with hints of goth and heavy synths.
Where Vitreolvm offered incredibly long tracks that would ebb and flow in a dreamlike haze where atmosphere seemed to be of paramount importance; Somniferum is instantly recognizable as a Red King recording yet with a more rigid structure this time around. Seven tracks rather than four with generally shorter lengths allow a slight increase in focus. This is not a necessary change since I wouldn’t have Vitreolvm any other way, but it’s nice to hear a somewhat significant change for the new album. The last track is the exception to that rule at over thirty minutes, finishing the disc with a drifting ambient crawl On the other tracks vocals range from spoken passages to chanting to screams and wails but are rarely at the forefront of the song. The percussion is definitely more noticeable on this album and provides a steadier rhythm for most of the tracks. In a great deal of recordings the lyrics, track titles and album name have, in my view, very little to offer. This is not the case with The Red King. The title, Somniferum, references dreaming and poison in Latin. In the case it is with reference to the Papaver Somniferum, commonly known as the opium poppy. On The Red King’s webpage, details are given about the possibility of ritualistic ceremonies at live shows. It is a little too long to fully explain in this review, but rest assured this is all taken very seriously and I would imagine practiced regularly. And just as special care has been taken with thematic and theatrical elements of the actual recordings, so too has extra effort been put into the packaging, The DVD sized digipaks are graced with stunning artwork and come with extra cards inside. This promotional copy is a little different (yet no less elaborate) so I can only describe the actual case from the photographs available. The artwork was provided on a postcard though and is a breathtaking painting of the Papaver Somniferum. If you liked the first one or are a fan of bombastic industrial music you should really look into this. The music contained on Somniferum alone is easily worth a purchase but the packaging make it a must buy and a really nice collector’s item. | |
