Montreal's MISERERE LUMINIS have explored a stridently emotive and richly-layered strand of anguished Black Metal since their 2008 formation.
Extraordinary new album "Sidera" finds the band completing the journey set by 2023 predecessor, "Ordalie": weaving impassioned Black Metal, cinematic soundscapes and contemplative textures into a deeply moving set of songs which blend heartfelt sorrow with a fierce will to exist.
Embracing a pristine production with just enough grit in the machine, the band utilise soaring leads and hypnotic arpeggiated guitar patterns - redolent of both lush post-rock and stark DSBM - rhythmic ingenuity, dynamic piano passages and sweeping strings to bolster an all-pervading vocal performance of heart-on-sleeve poignancy, bursting with tragedy and rage.
"Sidera" is undoubtedly the real deal. Oscillating between dark kinetic energy and beauteous rapture, this singular band have delivered a melancholic epic – affecting, profound, and ultimately life-affirming.
Recommended if you like: GRIS, ALCEST, AGALLOCH, PANOPTICON
