Inquisition - Veneration of Medieval Mysticism and Cosmological Violence

During a recent listen of Veneration of Medieval Mysticism and Cosmological Violence (VoMMaCV), I recalled something that someone once said to me about my music tastes. "I don't understand that about your personality," she said. I didn't say anything back, perhaps I laughed or smiled. The comment wasn't a question, but if it was re-phrased into a question and I had the opportunity to answer it, then I'd be well prepared. It is important to be self-aware and to assess what it is about something that you find attractive. If you like an album, or even a song, there has to be something about it that attracts you to its atmosphere, lyrical content, performances or production. The very best albums (the killer ones) capture all of those things, and go one step further: they make you feel something; they can extract emotions, and when you listen to them months down the track, they act as a time capsule.

Dagon's throaty vocal has been described as Kermit the Frog, and it is objectively not far from accurate. Inquisition does not record bass guitar, and the rest of the guitar tracks on VoMMaCV are produced roughly, with a heap of reverb and distortion effects. VoMMaCV is not appealing to the ear, and there is an example on "Sorcery Through Crystal Eyes in Search of the Devil" that sounds like they have forgotten to master the track. So, what makes it one of my favourite Black Metal releases of 2024?

Inquisition's last album, Black Mass for a Mass Grave (2020) leaned into heavy rock territory, and it was a long album, reaching 65 minutes in total. There has been a shift in songwriting style and structure on VoMMaCV. The album has brevity. Most of the songs are 2-3 minutes in duration, and the album runs for 45 minutes. Everything hits quickly, and the impact is much more meaningful because of it. Like Black Mass for a Black Grave, Inquisition has continued to hone in on melody and atmosphere. Listening back to Black Mass for a Black Grave, in comparison, it is an album that introduced a change in Inquisition, and VoMMaCV has perfected it.

VoMMaCV is not just an extreme metal album. There is melody across the whole album, on every song. This commitment provides a settling point, or even a beacon for the listener. It also allows the heavier parts and vocals to be more creative because there is the settling point for the songs to refer or come back to. The melodies can come from every angle, and they are always presented differently, whether it be the Dungeon Synth overtones on the fantastic "Memories Within an Empty Castle in Ruins" or the radiant guitar solo in "Crown of Light and Constellations."

As is the case across most of their albums, there is no bass, however there is still a deep low rumble to the mix, which is a testament to the drumming of Incubus and the production job on the guitars. What is often overlooked is that Dagon's vocals has a quality to them that offsets the requirement for a bass guitar. It could be argued that if there was bass included in this, then it would need to be very low in the mix anyway.

There is a section in "A Hidden Ceremony of Blood and Flesh" where the drums are being hit in a certain way, and miked up to sound like there is a helicopter is overhead. It is these nuances that makes you want to return to the album time and time again. Dagon sings (or gurgles) that "darkness is purity, and wisdom is the light." Lyrically, this is Dagon showing us his deep respect and reverence for his love of the darkness, and musically this is a decent summation of everything that Inquisition has done in its career so far.

The album is killer, and it is consistently killer, but it is not complete perfection. The production can be discombobulating at times, with an almost swirling nature to the guitar feedback and distortion, and as consistent as the album is stylistically, the last 2 minute track "Lord of Absolute Darkness and Infinite Light" introduces a completely new tone with the keyboards, and it could have been left off. Never introduce a new concept in a conclusion.

Through the 45 minutes here, Inquisition take you on a journey, and with the balance of aggression atmosphere, and melody, they make you feel different emotions. They can be uplifting at times, poignant and sentimental at others, and consistently impressed the whole time. So, if I was asked why this sort of music is part of my personality, and why I love it? I would respond by saying that the darkness of it all makes me feel the light so much more.