As soon as I first saw the cover artwork of Embodied in Incense I felt touched by its obscurity and murkiness. Then I found out that the painting was created no more no less by Paolo Girardi, the Italian artist that has been flavouring with shapes and colours some of well know (and not so well known) metal acts. Cvinger is a band from Slovenia, born in 2012. This makes them a relatively new band, but between 2012 and 2016 they released a demo, an EP, their first full-length - The Enthronement of Diabolical Souls - a single and their second album Embodied in Incense. One word came to my mind – Marduk – and I’m sure that if you like this band you’ll also easily get into Cvinger’s universe.
Embodied in Incense is structured as a book. Three chapters, each with an atmospheric and liturgic edge introducing the aggression coming afterwards. The last chapter ends the album. “Beheading the Desert Prophet” resounded within me in a particular (good) way because of the vocal unexpected shift at the last minutes. What is Marduk-ish in fact does not strip Cvinger’s sound from their own approach. It’s noticeable the spiritual inclination of the lyrics but I’m not sure at what point. There seems to be some appropriation of Christian terminology in a twisted way but I don’t know if I’d call it “occult”. Though it shows that the band is not unaware of that field of experience, when there’s a shy atmosphere that can be traced back to it. Seems that the brutality is what drives this album, even when clean vocals temporality lead the way. Some mid-tempo moments, like in “Weak to the Gallows”, fill in with variation what could have been called a load of blastbeats. Don’t be deceived, there’s much more to it than it shows at first listen. “Enchanted Conclave” is the best example of what was intended with the album as a whole, or so it seems.
After traveling into the world of Cvinger what’s left from the flavour can be translated by a band that’s still looking for a true sound identity and I hope time can be a key, since their intentions with this album are driven towards the path of finding themselves in a saturated metal scene.
Note:
CD released by Art Gates Records on May 23 2016.
Tracklist:
1. Chapter 1: Conjuration of the Dead God
2. Psalm, of a Hollow Man
3. Beheading the Desert Prophet
4. Enchanted Conclave
5. Weak to the Gallows
6. Chapter 2: Eye Carved upon the Serpents Stone
7. Martyr Shrine
8. Infinity of the Black Flame
9. Embodied in Incense
10. Chapter 3: Amen III
Personnel:
Lucerus - Vocals
Bagot - Guitars
Obscurum - Bass
Morgoth - Drums
Text by Vetrarnót
Embodied in Incense is structured as a book. Three chapters, each with an atmospheric and liturgic edge introducing the aggression coming afterwards. The last chapter ends the album. “Beheading the Desert Prophet” resounded within me in a particular (good) way because of the vocal unexpected shift at the last minutes. What is Marduk-ish in fact does not strip Cvinger’s sound from their own approach. It’s noticeable the spiritual inclination of the lyrics but I’m not sure at what point. There seems to be some appropriation of Christian terminology in a twisted way but I don’t know if I’d call it “occult”. Though it shows that the band is not unaware of that field of experience, when there’s a shy atmosphere that can be traced back to it. Seems that the brutality is what drives this album, even when clean vocals temporality lead the way. Some mid-tempo moments, like in “Weak to the Gallows”, fill in with variation what could have been called a load of blastbeats. Don’t be deceived, there’s much more to it than it shows at first listen. “Enchanted Conclave” is the best example of what was intended with the album as a whole, or so it seems.
After traveling into the world of Cvinger what’s left from the flavour can be translated by a band that’s still looking for a true sound identity and I hope time can be a key, since their intentions with this album are driven towards the path of finding themselves in a saturated metal scene.
Note:
CD released by Art Gates Records on May 23 2016.
Tracklist:
1. Chapter 1: Conjuration of the Dead God
2. Psalm, of a Hollow Man
3. Beheading the Desert Prophet
4. Enchanted Conclave
5. Weak to the Gallows
6. Chapter 2: Eye Carved upon the Serpents Stone
7. Martyr Shrine
8. Infinity of the Black Flame
9. Embodied in Incense
10. Chapter 3: Amen III
Personnel:
Lucerus - Vocals
Bagot - Guitars
Obscurum - Bass
Morgoth - Drums
Text by Vetrarnót
