Occasionally I like a musical diversion. I usually look for something that is non-commercial, dark, epic, and longer than 35 minutes. That's how I came to order this disc from RadRockers (the description in their catalogue was very compelling).
Since I'm not very familiar with this kind of music you'll pardon me if I fail to use the right terminology, right? Okay. I believe Sanctum is labeled an Industrial band. While this is undoubtedly true, it should be noted that this is not an extremely harsh album. To me a lot of Industrial bands sound like electronic punk music. Not so here. This disc leans much more to the Gothic and Ambient side of Industrial. This is mood music, folks. It is eerie, haunting, and achingly beautiful. There are a lot of orchestral kinds of instrumentation, occasional guitars--which blend but do not stick out, and I should note that the drum tracks are more understated than anything. Also, most of the vocals are done by a woman with a beautiful soprano voice. Her vocal style is somewhat Celtic sounding. She reminds me of the singer of "Rain In The Air" on Aleixa's Honey album. The other vocals are done by a guy who sounds like the singer for WWMT (I think).
Artistically this album is very intriguing. First are the lyrics. There is a good bit of reflection on the darkness of mankind and of spirituality. This is accented by elements of Calvinism which really come out, in my opinion, on the opening cut, "Dragonfly". There is a bit of preoccupation with the Devil too in songs like "Little Scamp With Horns", "Envy", and "Decay". Secondly, is the title of the album which is Latin for "Speak Of The Devil". Thirdly is the artwork which very well accents the messages of the songs. All in all I find this disc a really enthralling distraction from Metal.
Other coverage for this album
Garlic Press #4Reviewed by scottThis is the most commercially accessible project on Cold Meat Industries. There are slow, spooky ambient pieces, but also louder guitar driven songs. Similar at times to the Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus and at others to Ministry or Circle of Dust. The female vocals have a haunting air to them. Song lyrics are very spiritual and searching. A dialogue, somewhat, between good and evil,…