Corpus Christii : “The Bitter End of Old”

The Portuguese black metal scene includes some of the genre’s favorite “blasphemers” and undoubtedly, Corpus Christii is one of the leading names , spreading the will of the Horned one through a powerful and terrorizing sound since 1998.

Guided by the second wave of black metal, the musicians present frantic vocals in each of their albums, emotionally charged with various nuances of malice and despair, threatening every listener with a fist of cutting guitars, wild drums and rage unable to be tamed.

It is no coincidence that this is a favorite band to many and I do recommend, if you have not heard their music, to change that immediately, starting with their demo from 98, “Anno Domini”.

Adhering to the old school sound from that moment on, the duo, led from the very beginning by Nocturnus Horrendus, still adheres to the simple way of composing and writing music, relying on pure ideas and inspiration, without any attempt at any modern techniques or sound.
That is why the music of Corpus Christii I would say will be relevant both now and in 20 years.
Pure black metal, pure inspiration, presented in an old school, well played manner, exciting to listen to.

“The Bitter End of Old” is the ninth full-length album of the Portuguese legends.
The record will be officially released on May 13th (Friday 13th, woo!) through the Immortal Frost Productions label, and will be available as a limited edition CD (1000 copies of Jewel Case) and 12 ″ vinyl, including a 12-page booklet & A2 poster in limited edition of 333 copies (122 x Black Vinyl + Silkscreen, 111x Opaque Mustard Vinyl + Silkscreen, 100x Opaque Mustard / Red Swirl with Black Splatter Vinyl + Silkscreen) and in digital format.

A delicate intro with an acoustic ambience introduces us to the album, in stark contrast to the subsequent song, “The Predominance”, which could only be described as unbridled chaos. A whirlwind of Nocturnus Horrendus’ primal vocals combined with fast tremolo and rhythmic drums delivers interesting black metal, intertwined with both the traditional sound I mentioned above and various elements presented with a tremendous amount of artistry.
I felt Beherit’s influence in this song, which is quite freshly served alongside the Corpus Christii traditional atmosphere.

“Under the unseen, under the unspoken
Let me fall, let me levitate”

The third track, “Unearthly Forgotten Memory”, immediately grabs with its metaphysical context and the crazy tremolo, which cuts like a razor and there is definitely no lack of dynamics. All in all, this is a song you can’t help but wave your mane with full force (if you have one) and headbang… a lot.

The situation is no different in one of my personal favorites from the album, “To the End, to the Void”.
In the song, the vocals of Nocturnus Horrendus are extremely fierce and convey the primacy we all need in a similar recording, again being presented in a unique way – in one song we can distinguish at least two different types of vocal performances and their transition may happen for fractions of a second. In this song I should also mention the great drums that stand out in the foreground all the time, the Scandinavian nuances and last but not least, the pleasant fast-paced riffs and beautiful lyrics.

“Twilight of an Inner Cradle
Invoke the Gleaming Thunder Bells
In an Endless Dying Unstable Void
Where I redeem myself.”

I immediately clung to the song “For I am All”, the penultimate song on the album, from the first listening.
The cold-cutting atmospheric guitars, along with the emotionally presented vocals through several different techniques, are simply catchy to listen to, and I couldn’t help but replay the song at least a few times in a row.

When the time comes, listen to the album in its entirety. Each of the songs follows the previous one, complementing it with its own unique elements, very interesting to follow. Whether it will be the interesting twist of a riff, appearing for an interval of time, some playful floyd rose moments, whether the vocals  or something in the drum transition or their interesting patterns and in general, their distinctive and independent composition… there is definitely something to hear and delight the ear, to create impression.

“The Bitter End of Old” is a blasphemous opus, radiating dissonance and chaos, in which we can enjoy for more than thirty minutes the traditional bursting old school black metal of Corpus Christii, complemented by  experimental elements that contribute to new nuances in the overall abyssal picture painted by the musicians. Darkness, primacy and sincere emotion, presented through the prism of black metal – this is what you can expect from this album, no less.

Score: 9/10 ????????????????????????????????????

Favorite songs: “For I am All”, “To the End, to the Void”

Corpus Christii : “The Bitter End of Old”
Label: Immortal Frost Productions
Release date : May 13th, 2022
Formats: CD, LP, Digital
Order here: lnk.to/thebitterendofold