SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: REGNVM ANIMALE – IGNIS SACER

Regnvm Animale
Ignis Sacer
Deutsche Bulvan Bolag

‘Unchecked growth sees capitalist greed choking democracy, while global temperatures rise at an alarming rate.’ With such a pronouncement, one can tell that Ignis Sacer, the latest EP release from Stockholm’s Regnvm Animale, is not aiming to be the feel-good hit of the season.

In a year where the world has seen so much upheaval, the collection of songs on Ignis Sacer certainly reflects the times. The band tackles themes of alienation and oppression in the modern age amid global concerns, with the end consequence being a sacred fire across the land. This is heavy stuff, and the members of Regnvm Animale mean business.

This five-song EP starts off simply, with a spoken monologue – a sample from the Ingmar Bergman film The Passion Of Anna – over  an ecclesiastical-sounding organ. Part of this introduction translates as, ‘The daylight screams at me every morning to get up/Sleep is only dreams that chase me/The darkness rustles with ghosts and memories.’ This dark and existentialist speech sets the tone for the songs to come.

The following track, “Interregnum”, with its folk-inflected introduction, is delivered with punk intensity and urgency. Replete with impassioned vocals and classic metal changes,  title track “Ignis Sacer” rises to a great cacophonic crescendo. Intensity is the order of the day for this release, and Regnvm Animale keep the energy up throughout, with their impassioned pleas for humanity and for our planet.

The band puts forth a solid effort with this collection of songs, which sits nicely within the genre of black metal. Despite this, one cannot help but notice that musical themes and motifs tend to run on. The songs are well-produced and well-performed, but riffs are often belaboured for an ear that yearns for variety. Still, with their solid musicianship, great writing, and a thought-provoking worldview,  Regnvm Animale is on the verge of something great.

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