▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███
░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓
███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░
███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████
███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███
███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███
███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███
▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███
███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███
██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███
░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███
░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀
██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██
░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░
▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓
░ ██ ██ Artist: Quemos ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Quemos █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2014 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-01-17 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Golden Procession ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ As in the antique albums of Occult Metal, this █
█ concealed atmosphere of mystery wrapping around █
█ quemos seems to mean the warning of a cult that █
█ you can be invited, if only those who are playing █
█ were real entities, and makes you doubt if you're █
█ hearing a recording of a ghastly ritual or this █
█ album belongs to the dimension of the living. █
█ Before listening this album, I try to focalize █
█ attention with some steaming offerings, and the █
█ more I smoke, the inductive and slow sound of "The █
█ Portal must be opened with the blood of their █
█ throats" helps me to bring the aural flashback: █
█ Definitely a lysergic component is in between this █
█ album's manufacture. █
█ How to understand the narrative of this █
█ ritualistic trance called Quemos? A recent example █
█ would be Abruptum's "Vi sonus veris negrae █
█ malitiae" but is rather too ornate for a Quemos █
█ reference. This ritual, celebrated at an altar for █
█ a bull-headed god, known by different names but █
█ almost worshiped in secrecy, is a slow ritual, █
█ close to doom and drone. The guitars are enthroned █
█ in reverb and atmosphere, keeping the inductive █
█ beat on drums. The voice comes to pierce the veil █
█ of that initial mystery, leaving uncertainty █
█ whether the speaker is the worshiper of this cult █
█ or the response from the altar. A dense and █
█ constant paranoia is inevitable in the first track █
█ of this album. █
█ Minor guitar playing progressions at the end of █
█ the track with a tension that could easily be the █
█ result of joining Moss with Sleep, and so, almost █
█ floating in the dense blood that this song ends up █
█ dripping, step to the second track called "Light █
█ is no longer with us ". The deep and abysmal sound █
█ of a gong gives way to the void. The intended █
█ silence as an artistic denial sharpen the ear and █
█ makes you realize that "something" is there. Is █
█ that the certainty that the light is gone. The █
█ pagan nihilistic cacophony that this song expells █
█ increases until break in certain mystical hope as █
█ the keyboard appears. █
█ You definitely have to have some experience █
█ listening to old records of Boris and Sunn O))), █
█ some Earth, and know about the lo fi sound of old █
█ school black metal like Hellhammer or Von, but █
█ played at 1 bpm. In short, shocking music that █
█ plays with your limit concept of what music is. █
█ This is not for hurrying people, is a black and █
█ painful journey that is brilliantly dark with the █
█ appropriate drugs. █
█ Deliberately short-lived "Dawn of Moab", served as █
█ a " single" lands the trip. This is Quemos, a █
█ calcined offering left on the altar, you can do █
█ with it what you want, drown in the seas of █
█ solemnity to know it, or experience it only once █
█ and permanently. The ceremonial sound (keyboard █
█ wind?) says goodbye to this disc. I Imagine an old █
█ black and white photo on a piece of furniture in a █
█ deserted attic abandoned by man. The picture draws █
█ the macabre silhouette of a horned idol raising █
█ its hands in the trees". █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ Rife with intangible horrors, the three-track █
█ self-titled debut from Peruvian blackened █
█ noisemakers Quemos seemed to have originally █
█ appeared in 2012, but has been picked up for █
█ physical issue by JapanÆs Golden Procession. Easy █
█ to see why, as itÆs a cohesive execution of █
█ immersive, mood-altering darkness, a grueling █
█ stint of bum-out malevolence. Not raging, barely █
█ moving, the Lima-based four-piece use spacious █
█ minimalism to set the stage for dark arts drama, █
█ throat-singing vocals α la Attila Csihar gurgling █
█ atop atmospherics bleak enough to absorb the light █
█ around them. Quemos make it quickly apparent they █
█ hold structure in little regard, as the sprawling █
█ 26-minute opener ôThe Portal Must be Opened with █
█ the Blood of Their Throatsö gradually unfurls ù █
█ ancient and dismal ù over its first several █
█ minutes, drone and ambient cymbal work shifting █
█ into the emerging crag and lurching progression. █
█ All four members of the band have adopted noms de █
█ guerre for the project, and the CD credits High █
█ Priest of Moab with ôchanting and scripturesö (aka █
█ vocals), Harvester of the Dying Sun with ôseeds of █
█ knowledge and soundscapes of madnessö (IÆm █
█ guessing guitar) the well-hyphenated █
█ He-Who-Walks-Among-the-Shadows with ôdiscipline, █
█ aural obscurity and beyondö (bass maybe, or noise) █
█ and Kenotic Deconsecrator with ôunholy blasts of █
█ darknessö (drums). Fair enough. A little over the █
█ top, maybe, but thatÆs clearly the point. The █
█ mention of Moab is particularly interesting since █
█ the band take their name from a Moabite deity, so █
█ at least thereÆs some consistency in the thematics █
█ at play. █
█ Whether thatÆs the god to which the lyrics of ôThe █
█ Portal Must be Opened with the Blood of Their █
█ Throatsö and its 19-minute follow-up ôLight is No █
█ Longer with Usö seem to be making offerings, I █
█ donÆt know, but the two tracks and Quemosæ █
█ much-shorter instrumental finale, ôDawn of Moab,ö █
█ reside firmly in the cultish sphere of black metal █
█ artistry. For having drums credited as ôblasts,ö █
█ there are no blastbeats. Even at its most █
█ sonically active, Quemos barely gets above a █
█ crawl, tempo-wise. Its brutality derives from the █
█ ambience and the harshness of some of its noise, █
█ like that in the middle of ôLight is No Longer █
█ with Us.ö ThatÆs the case early in the opener as █
█ well, though itÆs not particularly slow about █
█ arriving at the rumble ænÆ gurgle that provides █
█ its crux. Within two minutes the vocals and drums █
█ have arrived. Noise and feedback swells and █
█ recedes in the mix around, but basically thatÆs █
█ what carries the track through the bulk of its █
█ time. The lyrics are a long sacrificial █
█ incantation ù largely indecipherable from the █
█ audio, but presented in the CD liner ù and itÆs █
█ not so much a march that ensues as an excruciating █
█ stumble. Guitar arrives past five minutes in for █
█ one of several short-lived stays peppered █
█ throughout every couple of minutes, and as ôThe █
█ Portalàö moves toward 17 minutes, the drums cut █
█ out completely and the vocals stand alone over █
█ raw, droning noise. ThatÆs the beginning of a █
█ final build, but even in its payoff, at about the █
█ 24-minute mark, the song maintains the tension █
█ that has driven it forward all along. █
█ Neither it nor ôLight is No Longer with Usö are █
█ particularly easy listens. The vocals take a █
█ lower-pitched rasp in the second track, but the █
█ atmosphere is consistent with the opener, a gong █
█ announcing the arrival of the song before far-back █
█ noise eventually comes forward enough to be heard. █
█ If anything, ôLight is No Longer with Usö has a █
█ more linear sensibility, and where ôThe Portalàö █
█ had stretches of intermittent guitar, Quemosæ █
█ second offering adds intensity as it moves along. █
█ Organ sounds contribute to the religious feel, a █
█ ritual entering its second phase, then in it, a █
█ dark swirl rising slowly through the flow, drums █
█ more punctuation than percussion. It is vicious █
█ noise, which leaves ôDawn of Moabö to close out █
█ with under three minutes of guitar noise, riffing █
█ as an organ reprise, the bed of some unholy hymn. █
█ Obscure. As an ending, itÆs a little curious, but █
█ maybe thatÆs Quemos showing some mercy on their █
█ listenership, since another 20-minute run wouldÆve █
█ put the album well into the hour-long range. They █
█ might get there next time out, and itÆs not █
█ difficult to imagine that at some point Quemosæ █
█ affinity for working in longer forms will lead █
█ them, SunnO)))-style, into single-song album █
█ blackened droning, but for now, their debut marks █
█ out an intriguing challenge for those who might █
█ take it on. Familiar in places and somewhat in █
█ approach, but more than ably executed and clearly █
█ working from a pervasive, coalesced theme. It █
█ wonÆt be for everyone, but then, cults arenÆt █
█ meant to be. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. The Portal Must Be Opened With the Blood 26:32 ░
░ of Their Throats ░
░ 2. Light is No Longer With Us 19:14 ░
░ 3. Dawn of Moab 2:56 ░
░ 48:42 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
■ █▄ ░ ██
▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░
▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓
▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■
░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░
▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░
█▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓
█▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█
▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒
░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░
▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓
█▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓
░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒
█░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█
███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░
▓██ ░ ██▓
██░ ░██
█▒ ░ ░█
▀█ █▀
▓ ░
░