For those who know and truly understand actual underground black metal, MONS VENERIS require no introduction. For 20 years now, this shadowy and insanely prolific Portuguese cabal have pursued a uniquely vile vision with an unquenchable thirst. From hammering primitivism to medieval melancholy, volcanic drone to chaotic oblivion, nods to the French Black Legions to frequencies far outside of metal, there's never any guarantee of how MONS VENERIS' vision will manifest itself - only that they'll explore a darkness few have the constitution to tread. The latest evidence: Excesses of Perpetual Gloom, a three-song maxi-single meant as an appetizer for the band's forthcoming full-length, Ascent Into Draconian Abyss, due for release this winter through SIGNAL REX. Anguished and antagonizing, MONS VENERIS' latest short-length recording surges with both familiarity and foreignness. Fanatics of the band will surely recognize the orkish vocals here, and yet there's an equal prominence of cleaner vocals - an almost-Gregorian / demonic monk style of "singing" that's haunting to the extreme. This duality is further embellished by the band's songwriting, which is highly incensed yet somehow tuneful in its attack; one could easily hum these riffs, and yet that one would also be haunted in the quiet hours... By this evidence alone, Ascent Into Draconian Abyss should surely approximate its namesake. Heed that warning!
