Diabulus In Musica ‘Argia’

@planetmosh @diabulusinmusic @NapalmRecords

Album to be released via Napalm Records, on the 11th of April 2014

Now you’ll all have to please bear with me here as this is the first time I’ve ever heard this group or genre of music. What you’ll now read here is straight from me having not read anything about this group before. Any similarities are pure coincidence.

The only way I can try to describe the sound as I hear it, is a sort of Adiemus Cantata Mundi meets Lordi via Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s ‘Phantom Of The Opera’ mixed in with a touch of Salvador Dali for colour and effect ! In short, Symphonic metal ! I’ve heard it’s been done before, but I’m not sure whether on this scale? 

The opening song ‘Et Resurrexit ‘ has a really distinctive medieval atmospheric semblance about it. With the beautifully sung solo, Gregorian choral chant style vocals, and the use of traditional and modern instruments, the band creates a stunning opening performance worthy of any major film score. It feels a bit like an experimental mating of different genres of music. Most of the time you’d just get a mongrel, just occasionally but only rarely you might get that golden child birth, and a new breed of musical pedigree is born!  Track two is called ‘From The Embers ‘ which explodes from the CD, an epic hard rock mix of musical eclecticism bringing the operatic voice of Zuberoa Aznárez together in an unusually pleasant combination with the deep growl death metal style of Gorka Elso, a little reminiscent of beauty and the beast perhaps?

I,ve felt with this album that at times I was being told a story of an epic journey, like in a film, but with music ! A strange analogy I know, but the music stirs your mind and you ( well, I could anyway ) can actually see some gothic type fantasy scenes being played out here in the minds eye. Not unlike something from a Lord Of The Rings or Underworld type movies.

‘Furia De Libertad ‘ although sung in the regional Basque dialect it has the unmistakable feel of the proud Spanish region and deep passion for everything Spain has to offer. It works very well within the album, the opening section sent a shiver down the back of my neck, and when the powerful male voice joins Zuberoa I just thought of perhaps an Andrew Lloyd Webber west-end show ! Zuberoa Aznárez said about this track, “The song is dedicated to all the victims of the political and economical crisis (and also crisis of values) in our country.”

‘Encounter At Corono’s Maze ‘  features guest singer Thomas Visktröm, whose wide and varied singing style seems to fit nicely into this album.  A very dark mysterious and haunting opening ensemble of a church organ, then joined by drums, bass and one of the heaviest sounding guitar riffs I can only compare with Led Zeppelin’s ‘Kashmir ‘. Then follows a modern operatic duet accompanied by heavy rock and orchestral instruments I had never thought would work this well together, and not to forget once again Gorka Elso’s deep death metal growling’s. I can’t explain how or why, but it actually does work really well!!

Two slightly different songs ‘Indigo ‘ and the penultimate ‘Healing ‘  carry you through to the short but still very beautiful instrumental finishing act, ‘Horizon ‘.

So, in summary, would I personally go and buy this new album? Plus recommend it to my friends? Definitely !!  I think this is an album that will stir emotions even in the hardest of metal hearts, and if you have any slight interests in, dare I say here? Opera! You’ll feel quite at home listening to this Symphonical musical extravaganza!

Band Members…..

Zuberoa Aznarez – Vocals

Gorka Elso – Keyboards

Alexey Kolygin – Guitars

David Carrica – Drums

Odei Ochoa – Bass Guitar

Guest singers….

Ailyn Gimenez of Sirenia  (Furia De Libertad)

Thomas Visktröm of Therion  (Encounter at Chronos’ Maze)

Song List……

Et Resurrexit

From The Embers

Inner Force

Furia De Libertad

Maitagarri

Sed Diabolus

Spoilt Vampire

Eternal Breeze

Mechanical Ethos

Encounter At Chrono’s Maze

Indigo

Healing

Horizons

All Photographs are by the Kind Permission Of Diabulus In Musica 

Also available to read on Planetmosh is this interview with Zuberoa Aznárez

Diabulus in Musica interview, March 2014