Hellveto - "Damnaretis" (2012)

Hellveto

"Damnaretis"

Pagan Recs.

2012

Hellveto is a one-man project, founded in 1995 in Ostrołęka (Poland) by L.O.N., and is playing black metal with orchestral elements and lyrics about paganism. "Damnaretis" is it's (let me count...) 15th full lenght album. 

It took two years for L.O.N. to transform his visions into another dark soundscape. Normally he is known to record even two orthree albums a year! But to be honest I am glad that he took a break. The previous opus, "Wiara, Nadzieja..., Potępienie" was simply very weak. Instead of good ideas we had there only insipid, blurred riffing with tiring, overused orchestrations. Luckily "Damnaretis" is different (and better). Although the music hasn't change very much - it's still very dark black metal with epic atmosphere - it's again more powerful. I have an impression that orchestral parts are fewer this time, and more place is filled by pure metal section and more melancholic parts. Thanks to that the album isn't tiring like the previous one. Moreover - it sounds fantastic! Also camparing "Damnaretis" to last albums, the music is much slower. But it's great, because I've always more like those slower, atmospheric moments than fast ones. The riffs are really good, and the atmosphere is often highlighted by some relishes - strange noises, wind effects, desperate clean singing etc. Oh, and about LON's vocals - there are perfect! The guy knows how to use his voice - he screams in very dramatic way which is hard to mistaken with anyone's. Taking it all together we receive something unordinary - because it's hard to compare Hellveto's music to something else. Maybe Limbonic Art or Summoning? But even it is far from this polish (one-man, hehe) horde...

The sound has power in it because of a great production. LON accustomed fans to the exellent level of his albums and "Damnaretis" is not different. Really, no reproaches here. The orchestral parts sound very epic, while a metal section has gloomy, dark feeling.

To sum up: it's good to hear a new Hellveto album after a small break. It's not a revolutionery thing, but it's defenitely a good piece of epic black metal art. If you like darkness and grimness in music, "Damnaretis" will be something that you'll enjoy very much.

Rate: 8/10

Vladyka

Unofficial videoclip:

Tracklist:

1. Damnaretis

2. Żałobny Taniec

3. Właśnie tam...

4. Syreni płacz

5. Sznur odkupienia

6. Grudniowy zmierzch

7. Krocząc ciernistą aleją

8. Konający anioł 

9. Bez odwrotu

10. Nefaria