Vrajitor’s Tenebrarium is the name of Finnish artist Vrajitor‘s new dark and esoteric project. The debut album “E.N.L.D.” is due for release on September 15, 2023 via Avantgarde Music and contains 11 tracks. The opener “Et Mors Pallida Venebit” immediately plunges us into the album’s Occult atmosphere, with an atmospheric interweaving of keyboards. a restless vocal enters the background and organ and synth accompany us to the next track. “Rubedo” is characterised by an interweaving of guitar arpeggios and synth melodies, then develops into a fine progressive theme. The mixture of classical and modern sounds, always with an Occult and Heavy imprinting. The rhythm section is solid and enriched with tempo changes, while the keyboards and guitar create phrasing and melodies. In spite of the Occult imprinting of the sound, the symphonic passages create airy passages within the song. Hard guitar riffs, fine keyboard work and an ever-evolving rhythm section characterise “Black Frog.” The vocals fit into the context giving a horror touch to the sound, which in its developments creates the perfect bridge between the classic and the modern of the Progressive genre. The horns add stylistic soluzons to the technical and elaborate sound. Another solid Prog track “Lucus Horribilem Atque Pestilentem” develops with rich keyboard melodies and dutiful guitar riffs. Granitic, more heavy prog passages alternate with Symphonic openings in which the narrative voice in Italian interprets the lyrics with pathos. The synth phrasing and constant tempo changes are very interesting, enhancing the compositional and performing technique of the artists involved. “La Maledizione Della Fanciulla Alata” is a short esoteric passage with Dark keyboard melodies. The narration in Italian gives an eerie and horror feel, especially for those who understand the language. A touch of Folk Prog characterises the arpeggios in the opening of “Venus In The Cloister,” to which the electric guitar is intertwined. The bass lines are deep and give body to the song, which in the middle part, with a change, develops into an intense and passionate Prog song with keyboards as protagonists. The artists skilfully bring the atmospheres and classic sounds of the Prog genre into a modern context. An intro combining Experimentation and Progressive opens “Volantes Castrum,” with a killer bassline and interweaving synths and sax. Effects give an atmospheric touch in the background, and then a passage with Folk traits, followed by a technical guitar solo. The orchestrations, accelerations and continuous tempo changes keep the listener very involved, concluding with another vocal inset in Italian. The longest track on the album, “Sanitarium Son,” which is over five minutes long, opens with piano notes. The vocal is enriched with effects and the track evolves, increasing in intensity as the minutes go by. The melodies create an esoteric atmosphere that envelops the listener, taking advantage of the wide range of keyboard sounds available. In the middle section, the rhythm accelerates and solo inserts embellish the sound, with the keyboards and guitar taking centre stage. Another track that combines heavy and more symphonic stretches, always in the name of quality. “Pactum Ultra Sepulcrum” is a two-minute interlude with atmospheric sounds and effects. The following “Exorcismus” is a concentrate of technique and energy, mixing granitic guitar riffs with a solid and elaborate rhythm section. The tempo changes are a real asset to the sound, while the keyboards create melodies and solo inserts that take us back to the golden age of Prog. A rich, emotional and intense track, at times pompous, which ends with a section with dark traits and closer to Experimental. The album ends with a short track “Semper Victimas Vult” with organ and an esoteric choral vocal in the finale. The album is very interesting, managing to bring the atmospheres of the early 70s Progressive genre into a modern and personal context. The mixture of Occult Rock and Progressive is well accomplished, also thanks to an intense tracklist from beginning to end. A recommended listen for lovers of the more Esoteric and Occult sounds of Prog, with elaborate textures, fine guitar and keyboard inserts, an excellent album.
Tracklist
01. Et Mors Pallida Venebit (02:42)
02. Rubedo (04:26)
03. Black Frog (03:24)
04. Lucus Horribilem Atque Pestilentem (03:30)
05. La Maledizione Della Fanciulla Alata (02:47)
06. Venus In The Cloister (03:58)
07. Volantes Castrum (04:58)
08. Sanitarium Son (05:26)
09. Pactum Ultra Sepulcrum (02:10)
10. Exorcismus (04:41)
11. Semper Victimas Vult (02:36)
Lineup
Vrajitor / Creation, Concept, Guitars, Bass, Bouzouki, Synthesizers, Lyrics
Metronomicon / Drums, Drums Mix and Recording
Ville Jolanki / Saxophone, Clarinet
E.N.R.I. / 12-String
Cat Piagentini / Voice and Translations
Additional Voices: Eve, Deborah D.
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