Wrach - Quae Infra Volo Videre
It is exciting when I come across new one-man Black Metal projects, because they tend to place value in certain principles that are common with the styles of Black Metal that I like. Those principles being, rawness, atmospheric, passionate, organic, esoteric, intense and cinematic. It must be something to do with not needing to answer to anyone, or needing to play live. It is purer than some of the principles that exist for a band of musicians. In Wrach's case, it is about the process of creating an uncompromising piece of art, and nothing else needs to cloud that process. It is fascinating that bands (extreme or not) have different reasons for existing, with some openly admitting to the creation of an album as merely a vehicle to play live. Whereas, one man projects such as Wrach have a singular focus, to channel everything into the creative process, and if the chance comes at some stage to play it live with other musicians, then that's a bonus.
Listening to Quae Infra Volo Videre, I considered how different the album would have sounded had the influences, opinions and styles of two or three other bandmates been incorporated into the songwriting and recording process. There would have been many sacrifices and compromises made. It is also an interesting point to raise the history of one-man Black Metal projects, noting Bathory, Burzum, Leviathan and more recently with Matt Priso's SIK. They all have a creative energy, almost tunnel vision that would have been near impossible to pull off within a collective. Is it the personal and insular element of writing Black Metal, or the esoteric and spiritual (often satanic) side that promotes one man projects, rather than a genre like Death Metal? which is a more extroverted and social genre as a whole. It is an interesting question to raise, and there are no doubt plenty of benefits with having a band when it comes to Black Metal as well.
There is an energy that emanates through Quae Infra Volo Videre that is rare in modern extreme metal. The atmosphere is intriguing and mysterious and it goes further than just the weird track names and cover art. Quae Infra Volo Videre has been carefully crafted to ensure that the atmosphere is integrated seamlessly into the fabric of the album, rather than the soundscapes or samples being tacked onto the beginning, middle or end of the tracks. You can feel history seeping out of this. Opening track, “(The Altar of Tarren Deusant) Ghæstan Sathanical Semilanceata” begins with a ritualistic ceremony, precipitation flowing down a stone face, ghostly and eerie echoes and sinister percussion that guides the listener into a traditional Black Metal onslaught. It is great to hear the confidence of Wrach to open the assault with an elongated and anguished scream, coupled with intense low fi drumming and tremolos played with true meaning. A curious listener will seek out Tarren Deusant on Google, and there won't be definitive answers about the site's history, but what you will get from your research is that it is the perfect Black Metal backdrop, and one that Wrach has used to perfection here.
“(The Call of the Carnyx) The Abyss, The Seven Pillars and The Gift of Annwn” opens with the psychological weapon of war, the Carnyx, a wind instrument that further deepens the relationship you will have with the setting. Musically, the pace drops a little here, but the impact does not. Every second sounds tortured, it's harrowing and contemplative, but very powerful in its delivery. The drumming is a highlight, adding a little more bottom end to the mix which is important to balance the tremolos. The track lifts off in the back end with a memorable guitar line that twists and turns, pulling you through the woods, to a cliff face, to the ultimate Telos. The first three tracks resemble a triptych. The third part opening again with soundscapes, crackling fires, voices and hell on earth. Musically, things kick off much like track one. The drum sound is raw and vital, and the guitars and vocals take their turn to bring the satanic experience to life. The track lengths are long across the whole album (averaging 7 minutes), and while there is not a heap going on within the mix in terms of tracking, the album requires some patience for the passages to grab you, which are led by the guitar riffs, refer the 4:43 minute marker on “(The Throes of the Covenant) Born from the Womb of Chaos.”
It is not all Black Metal savagery. “Hail Death!” brings a sludgy doom quality that has a nice Neurosis trance like edge to it. The guitar buries itself into your bloodstream through reserved chaos. The track is a slow build, but it gathers momentum as the second half passes, and it is a sign that Wrach are not prepared to let the pace rest in one pocket. There are amazing passages all throughout the album, weaved together with the unforgettable and chilling atmosphere that have the ability to seep into your consciousness. The galloping riff at the 3 minute mark of “(LI.B.C. MMXXI) Ignis N.O.X. Delirium” comes at just the right time. It is an example of Black Metal songwriting perfection. The songwriting is very good, all the guitar hooks are well timed and leave you wanting more, all sections lead into the next seamlessly. Things move quickly and passages are engaging. Just when you think that Wrach has shown all their cards, the title track brings with it a bit of a groovy swing to it which is exciting to hear.
The only negative is a minor issue with the mastering and track listing. The opening three minute soundscape introduction should have been a standalone track, and mastered seamlessly into the opening Black Metal assault. It is a minor gripe, and of course intended to be part of the listening experience. The album has been produced meticulously as well. It has the perfect balance of rawness mixed in with the atmospheric and cinematic soundscape parts. Where a band like Leviathan excels, particularly on The Tenth Sub Level of Suicide is the bass and that is missing here, which would have been a cherry on top of a very good Black Metal album.
Quae Infra Volo Videre is a very good Black Metal album, and one of the best to come out in 2024. To stand out from the plethora of extreme metal bands that release above decent albums each week, you are going to have to do something pretty special. Even the execution is not enough these days. Wrach has done a few things that elevate Quae Infra Volo Videre into that special echelon: absolutely nailed the production, atmosphere and the feel of the album, the instrumental performances are brilliant and the songwriting is first class. Most of all, there is an air of mystery surrounding Wrach and Quae Infra Volo Videre, and that is very difficult to achieve within modern extreme metal, where everything is said and seen, and been done before. Wrach is not for the faint hearted. There is very little watching over us - nothing of beauty at least, and Quae Infra Volo Videre carves that into Black Metal stone.