apanthropy

Indesiderium
The Nocturnal Seance of Lucifer
Satanath Records
Released: June 26th, 2025

Rating: 8/10

“Those seeking the barrage and sonic vandalism of the early-to-mid 1990’s Scandinavian scene, with a modern American sonic inkwell, Indesiderium is a worthy vessel of violent expression. Surpassing the entertainment-minded drones of countless other acts, the duo position themselves as philosophical extensions of the early phrasing and composing of second-wave black metal, operating in the deep underground and surfacing only to contaminate the mainstream, ‘The Nocturnal Seance of Lucifer’ is homage to bleak expression and confrontational anti-human zeal.”

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1 – Ashes
2 – Merciless Extermination
3 – Tenebrae Inpenetrabiles
4 – The Nocturnal Seance of Lucifer
5 – Infernal Meditative Visions
6 – Apocalyptic Funeral March
7 – Unhallowed Transcendental Gnosis
8 – Baneful Apparitions Within the Crypt of God
9 – Mournful Funerary Monuments
10 – The 9 Circles of Inferno
–

There are two thought processes behind modern black metal. There is one that examines the genre through a lens of entertainment. It is a highly visual genre, some of the imagery being hyper-charged and confrontational, and it makes it to where some bands can exist and thrive based on an image or how well they can give a performance. The other thought process is one that examines the genre through a lens of philosophical context.

Black metal that focuses on being art and extreme expression is part of a living philosophical project, one still capable of depth and meaning, even when heavy with age and oversaturated in number. There exists, in corners around the globe, bands still capable of cutting through the utter bullshit of modern imagery-based entertainment-minded music.

Los Angeles, California-based Indesiderium was founded in 2012, operating as a duo, executing savage, frontal modern black metal, issued their first full-length, Wanderer of the Abyssal Plains, in 2015. A split with Gravespawn would come later that year and their sophomore effort, Of Twilight and Evenfall…, would arrive in 2018. Their third, most current effort, The Nocturnal Seance of Lucifer arrived on June 26th, 2025, issued through Georgian label Satanath Records.

The Nocturnal Seance of Lucifer is comprised of 10 tracks, consisting of an even split between interludes and proper tracks. Clocking in at slightly over half an hour, this is a quick and anterior assault that is worthy of repeat listens to soak in the textures of the interludes and barbaric wall-of-sound delivery on the proper tracks. This, simply put, is not the modern entertainment-based black metal mentioned prior. This is cold, storming power, possessing tremolo-grinding surges in both rhythm progressions and lead melodies at a near constant onslaught. Percussion is a surgically precise industrialized delivery of mostly blast beats and very little refrain between, an absolute display of stamina and prowess. Raw, dry, gravel-throated vocals are presented as is, with no dramatic effects and no goofy theatrics. Indesiderium adhere to the old ethos of percussive density and intensity, strong song-driving cores of lead melodies paired with wall-of-sound rhythm progressions, and compositions that offer no pockets of relief against their intense hammer-blow deliveries.

‘Merciless Extermination’ is the first proper track the listener encounters after the introductory interlude, a blasting display with sonic detonation in comparison to that of Dawn, or very early Dark Funeral. Instinctively Scandinavian, less American sounding as a whole, and not as traditionally diverse in sound as the modern Pan-European wave. The hammer-strikes of tremolo chords laid in rapidly shifting, but tonally tightly-packed movements, paired with razor cuts of single-note melody are the main propulsion for the sonic realization. Battery from Warhead’s percussion is constant, with little variation from its agitated high-tempo state, bringing with it experience from prior acts such as Perdition Temple and Naer Mataron.

Minor voicings on the title track invoke the old Swedish gods in ritualistic worship. Angular melodies wrap like barb wire around the intense sonic core of the track. Gravel-throated vocals pierce with rasp and scowl. Percussion warfare alters between states of mechanized bass/snare assault and roiling double-bass sequences that lend a galloping sensation to the pacing and meter.

‘The 9 Circles of Inferno’ is the storming fury braced with intense sweeping and epic melodic phrases that made early Marduk such an armored beast of auditorial force. Like mounted calvary crushing fleeing infantry on the open battlefield, the song pushes through everything, possessing lead melodies that invoke dark triumph and black glory, armed with lead work that helps bring depth of character to the blind rage the track draws power from.

The interludes that serve as the sinew between each track range from the eldritch synth of ‘Unhallowed Transcendental Gnosis’ to the funereal rainfall on ‘Mournful Funerary Monuments,’ feeding out of and back into each track, serving as strange lights in the fog that the album conjures.

Production is modern, utilizing a current-era spread of tonality that sees a great deal of depth and body to the grinding chords and a sharp, cutting quality to the lead melodies. Percussion possesses a core-shaking punch to the bass drums and a nice, flat break on the snare. Guitar leads shine naturally with no extra overdrive or boosting. Vocals are mixed frontal and delivered as is, no effects, no double-layering, no tricks.

Those seeking the barrage and sonic vandalism of the early-to-mid 1990’s Scandinavian scene, with a modern American sonic inkwell, Indesiderium is a worthy vessel of violent expression. Surpassing the entertainment-minded drones of countless other acts, the duo position themselves as philosophical extensions of the early phrasing and composing of second-wave black metal, operating in the deep underground and surfacing only to contaminate the mainstream, The Nocturnal Seance of Lucifer is homage to bleak expression and confrontational anti-human zeal.

Label: Satanath Records
Band: Indesiderium

AJK