You were seeking strength, justice, splendour!
You were seeking love!
Here is the pit, here is your pit! Its name is SILENCE…
These are the final words spoken on Paracletus, the climax of a trilogy composed by a very enigmatic band. They've gotten a lot of attention this past year from the metal community in the form of unwavering devotion but also slanderous hate. People have used words like pretentious, overrated, unsatisfying while describing their work and though I may have lashed out in anger at these opinions at first, I've come to respect that Deathspell Omega just isn't a band that everyone is going to appreciate. What's important for the sake of this list is that I appreciate their work and in my mind Paracletus has raised the bar for what I'm going to expect from bands in the future.
The density of the composition, the unconventional techniques, the hypnotic atmosphere, lyrics that read like ancient text... every part of this album is intricately developed, polished and delivered with unbelievable precision. I didn't have this strong opinion after my first spin of course. It was all too much for me to absorb, but given time, each instrument revealed itself individually. I found myself focusing on the smallest details (like clever rhythms on the high hat) and isolating them to see where they would take me. And after I had explored each instrument, layers of synth work and subtle whispers and screams began to draw my attention. With each listen my initial curiosity and excitement matured into quiet admiration which gives me no choice but to give Paracletus my #1 position.
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