METAL-OBSERVER.COM
Review by
Christopher
With
so many releases to review, and being such a picky bastard as I am, its
fair to say that I don't find much that impresses me. So when a band
like URNA gets sent to me, I'm quite grateful.
As of 2004 or so, Black Metal has seen itself incorporated into
Shoegaze/Indie bands. You know, bands like LIFELOVER, KRALLICE, and other such rubbish
think that they can make Black Metal something that is
"beautiful", in a more traditional sense.
News for these
guys, Black Metal was already beautiful because of what
it is not. It is not crowd pleasing, it is not "catchy", it is
not accessible to the average metalhead's ears. It is (partially), an
expression of the artist's views, and an outlet to harbor seething
contempt for aspects of modern society.
URNA, thank their black
souls, have managed to craft a formidable, atmospheric, and yes, beautiful album. What the listener is treated to
is hard to describe. Lush, Funeral Doom-type soundscapes (which remind
this reviewer of SKEPTICISM), are mixed with booming percussion, Black
Metal screeching, occasional piano, and a visceral, Ambient mood. Be
sure, this album will drag you into its ambiance, and present a vast,
gloomy plethora of sound.
The two part title
track/opener sets the bar, leaving the listener
wallowing in an atmosphere of despair, yet while feeling completely
tranquil and inspired. My personal favorite track is "K-Th-R".
This follows the formula that the previous tracks followed, but with an
additional emphasis on the lead guitar, along with a more dissonant
Black Metal feel on the rhythm guitar. The monolithic trudging guitar
part at around 4 and a half minutes in, coupled with the spaced out lead
tapping, is surely the highlight of the album for me.
"Om"
follows in a much more Ambient style than the previous three tracks,
relying more on the cosmetic keyboards to carry the tune. The fifth
track, "Sefira Malkuth", temporarily ruins the flow of the
album by starting out with a tribal like, almost Industrial sounding
beat. After around a minute it dissipates into a Blackened Doomy
enveloping monster, but really, what the fuck was the deal? That
minute costs this album a half point on its own. With the closing of the
final, untitled track, our journey with URNA into the depths of the
cosmos and brooding, seething depressive melancholy comes to an end.
Honestly,
I have listened to this album quite a bit since I first received it, and
I place it highly on 2009's best of list so far. For the listener who
wishes to dream, to lose themselves in thought, and to witness how a
successful fusion of Ambient, Funeral Doom, and elements of Black Metal
is supposed to sound, look no further than this ambitious and spirited
effort.
[9
out of 10]
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DOOM-METAL.COM
Review by Bertrand Marchal
When it came out in 2006, I
was quite pleased with 'Sepulcrum', the previous album from
Italian Doom outfit URNA. Though, I think it suffers from a lack
of intensity and an overall roughness that contradicts what appeared to
be the obvious ambitions of the band. With 'Iter ad Lucem', URNA
has crafted a successor to 'Sepulcrum' that fulfils all I sensed
of the band’s potential. The music takes off at last. It has become
more complex and more effective.
How could I categorize the band on this album without diminishing its
aura? Funeral Doom would be a little short. Experimental? The band is
digging a vein that is already exploited by others, Esoteric
being an obvious influence. Atmospheric Doom is vague but more accurate
however, for URNA's 'Iter ad Lucem' is made of all that:
dark atmospheres, smooth and flowing moods.
From a Black Metal background, URNA kept the incisive accents of
the voice, which ranges between husky shrieks and more typically Death
grunts, as well as the Black-ish runaway rhythmic conducted by a drum
machine that, this time, is perfectly controlled. It brings an sense of
emergency that plunges the next instant into viscous swamps.
Contrasts indeed, that's what the band's music is made of. That makes it
dynamic and vibrant. It's all together slow and fast, dark and light,
pure and unhealthy. The rhythm has an effective mystical power. While 'Sepulcrum'
was only an addition of various impressions, they perfectly intersect
now, ensuring a greater cohesion to the whole.
The guitarist's playing has obviously been the object of which they took
special care. It is much more aerial than before, its leads draw in the
warm air some prodigious arabesques which brings the music to
stratospheric heights. The magestic pace is obsessive and very
compelling.
The Doom of URNA has an obscure psychedelic side. It is a long,
feverish journey full of fascinating detours. The Production is also
excellent with its muffled grain increasing the mysterious dimension of
the band.
'Iter ad Lucem' is an album that really surprised me. It has
everything you want: it is haunting, insistent and dark. My only slight
complaint would be that if you know Esoteric's music or even the
first album of URNA's fellow-countrymen Arcana Coelestia,
the resemblances will jump to your ears. That being said, the inner
quality of the music that the band offers you is so convincing, you can
only admire the work.
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METALREVIEW.COM
Review by John
Ray
Metal
has long been embraced as a metaphor for darkness, and funeral doom may
be its most effective vehicle, as its crushing heaviness and ponderous
pace instantiate at once the blighting of sight, sound and serenity. But,
if funeral doom is a lugubrious spectral monstrosity bent on the
obliteration of light, Iter Ad Lucem finds its flesh to expose
its essential humanity. Rather than play around with the mere contrast
of dark and light and, hence, good and evil, Urna propose these as
inseparable elements of the greater whole; the deeply enmeshed prospect
of death in life.
This sub-genre is certainly far from saturated. It may actually be one
of the least frequented corners of the metal world. That said, those
listeners who dare to venture into these murky, musty enclaves (more
than once), are very much at home here among the likes of Esoteric,
Catacombs and Evoken. Urna do their doom with a blackened aesthetic but
while this makes them an even rarer breed than many, they haven’t
staked new claim as much as they’ve extended the boundaries of this
dark dominion beyond the markers laid down by Nortt and Elysian Blaze.
As is to be expected from any respectable funeral doom record, this one
is ridiculously heavy, quite often painfully slow, and fatally
oppressive. One of the pitfalls of even really good funeral doom,
however, is that slow and heavy can tend to sound awfully familiar, even
when coming from a different direction. And, actually, Urna do sometimes
come uncomfortably close to what might be called a mélange of the
aforementioned bands. Where Urna leave their magic mark is in leavening
the bitter melancholy with the faintest shimmering thread of light that
sometimes sows hope but as often serves merely to cast a jaundiced
reminding glare on the pitch of slowly enclosing walls.
Dissonant, droning, downtuned guitars and black-tongued intonation
dominate the aural vista on Iter Ad Lucem’s six tracks and
forty-five minutes but it is the array of incorporeal accompaniment
swirling around this malignant mass that gives it its shape. Synthetic
percussion heaves and pummels the acrid air in gargantuan resonant waves
as eerily hollow baroque-ish keys sometimes rise to an uneasy dance with
fuzzy grey ambient tendrils. But even as this imposing portent of death
relentlessly advances, lurching and lunging at times with surprising
agility, it can neither contain nor repress the ethereal hope spun forth
by majestic leads. Like rising smoke in vague relief against the night
sky, the lead melodies on Iter Ad Lucem soar undaunted above the
malaise, beautiful and intangible; both absolute and elusive in their
promise of sanctuary in the blackness.
Iter Ad Lucem translates loosely from Latin as, “path to
light,” or perhaps, “journey to the light of day,” which implies a
present blackness. Urna’s second full length album offers a delicate,
heartening glow in the depths of the abyss. It is uncertain though as
the album comes to its stark and unsettling close, whether the light is
being slowly and inevitably engulfed.
[8.2 out
of 10]
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METALCRYPT.COM
Review by
Pagan Shadows
Iter Ad Lucem is the most
recent release from synthetic musical wiz MZ. This master mind is also
behind Arcana Coelestia and Locus Mortis. Funeral
Doom has always been a bit hard for me to digest. Although I don't
always enjoy the hyper fast and furious side of Black Metal, the ultra
slow pace of Funeral Doom can become boring after a while. Fortunately,
I found out that lately, a couple bands had the knack to introduce some
genuine creativity into this rather "static" genre. It was the
case with Russia's Flegethon and now it's Urna's turn to present its
twisted blend of post Black Metal / esoteric type of Doom Metal. Slow to
mid-fast paces are the rhythms on which the double basses and pounding
percussion are beating the tempos. Heavy/ crushing and loud musical
phrases with regular calmer parts are what your ears will be treated on
this disc. Intense and dramatic patterns are omnipresent, created by the
master himself, along with dissonant tonalities and clean vs. distorted
arpeggios. This hellish story is being told by some discrete, but quite
sick, raspy vocals. The ambient and spacey moments come in as soothing
breaks in this infernal soundscape. "Iter Ad Lucem Pt.II" and
"K-TH-R" are my overall favorite compositions on this new
work. Iter Ad Lucem is a good step
forward in bringing Funeral Doom music to the more adventurous metal
ears.
[4 out
of 5]
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HEATHENHARVEST.COM
Review by
Viktoria
Urna is an Italian project
of RM and MZ (they are also members of Locus Mortis) born in 2004. They
have succeeded through the years to combine elements of funeral doom,
ambient and black metal into some of the most achingly haunting and
beautiful music your ears and emotions will ever experience. Iter ad
Lucem (very loosely translating to Pathway to Light) is their latest
offering. Lyrically interesting too (all lyrics are in Latin with
Italian and English translation), is their use of the concepts of
Hermeticism, Buddhism and elements of Kabbalah with a heavy dose of
esotericism.
All the music found within Iter ad Lucem is
majestic and forceful. “Iter ad Luce Pt.I” starts with a slow
funeral doom dirge punctuated by gorgeous guitar work and bombastic
percussion. Guitars are passionate and mournful; vocals consist of a
death/black metal rasp. A subtle combination of music and vocals being
equally substantial to the overall composition. In “Iter ad Lucem
Pt.II”, a gothic slant is heard; the music is moody and supernatural
in sound. While it may seem sorrowful, there is a sense of strength and
invincibility. A disharmonic piano floats hauntingly above, breaking the
rhapsodic roar of the song. Sometimes “Iter ad Lucem Pt.II” becomes
ambient and somewhat new-agey, but once the growling vocals reappear we
are thrust back into a ferocious din. “K-TH-R” is the mid paced
track on the cd. Soaring tremolo guitars are played intricately and
emotionally. Vocals have a symphonic and classical tinge to them, as
also the composition. On “Om” Urna display a deft hand at the
balance of tranquility and chaos. Atonal sounds grate against a steady
double bass drum. Above it all; a guitar melody is played effortlessly.
“Sefira Malkuth” is a blast of exceptional drumming and
precision-like guitar rhythms. The music, lyrics and vocals intertwine
fluently.
While each song may be a dirge to doom and the esoteric, there are
moments of subtle gentleness. The sonorous beauty of darkness and the
hermetic, and the realization of this beauty is reflected in every
track. Similar bands such as Nortt and Esoteric come to mind when
listening to Urna, but Urna is Urna. Their own voice and adoration to
their creation is evident in their work. This is not music to listen to
in the car; this is music that needs the time and atmosphere of a quiet
room just to take in the sumptuous and impressive production and mastery
of sound. Am I too enthusiastic over Iter ad Lucem? I think you’ll
find the proof just by listening.
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HYEROPHANT-NOX.COM
Review by Ellen
Simpson
'Esoteric'
doesn’t even begin to describe Urna’s second full-length album "Iter
ad Lucem". An incredibly dark and mysterious journey, it sees
co-conspirators MZ and RM recoiling away from funeral doom staples like
eyeless serpents from the light, instead choosing a difficult yet
rewarding path which is all their own. Slow-paced clashes of mired-down,
discordant guitars go a long way in creating the mystical atmosphere,
but drone elements, cold ambience and a bravery in the face of both
lightness and creativity are also key to making this a very interesting
listen.
The six lengthy tracks
which make up the album have at their core a discordant, multi-layered,
noisy, dirty guitar sound, which crests and flexes away alongside drifts
of deep drone and ambient pulses, perfect for balancing calm melancholy
and threat. Over the top soar inventive and powerful leads, tinged by a
great variation of tones, from the squealing, progressive approach of
opener "Iter ad Lucem pt. I", through the echoing and
trance-inducing cleanness of "Pt. II", to the
spiralling assault on "Sefira Malkuth". The
juxtaposition of the astral, unbounded leads and the claustrophobic,
shadowy distorted core, replete with savage, guttural vocals from the
depths, allows Urna to combine vastness with savagery in a unique and
effective way.
Typical song structures
are largely set aside, as the depth of the production is more than
matched by the scope of the compositions. "Iter ad Lucem"
works better as a whole journey, in which the listener can wallow,
picking out the steps to enlightenment contained within its mystical
meaning. Crescendos and intense bursts of blackened funeral doom give
way to clean keys and ambient pauses as individual tracks disintegrate
and re-build, lending the tracks an unpredictability and instability
that suggest Urna’s eyes are on a higher prize than accessibility and
ease of understanding.
Indeed, the complexity and
album-wide structuring of movements may be a turn-off to some, but for
those interested in discovering something a little different within the
funeral doom genre, this is a particular treat, custom-built for long
evenings sitting in the dark. Visionary, emotive and uncanny at the same
time, "Iter ad Lucem" sees Urna get the best out of
their blackened funeral doom roots, and ever-growing experience with
electronic terrorism.
[8 out
of 10]
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METAL.DE
Review by Johannes Schmuck
“Iter Ad Lucem“ – der
Weg zum Licht führt durch eine Dreiviertelstunde Düsternis, durch erdrückende
Schwere und esoterische, monolithische (auch auf die fast gleichnamigen
Bands bezogen) Gitarrenteppiche und –leads. Kryptische Songtitel und
eine gewollt dumpfe Produktion verleihen den Songs eine besondere
Atmosphäre, die zwar nicht sehr innovativ ist, aber in diesem Fall sehr
gut funktioniert. Und das alles aus dem sonnigen Italien? So eine
Finsternis gab’s da wohl zuletzt beim Ausbruch des Vesuvs in einem Örtchen
namens Pompeij.
URNA erfinden das Rad nicht neu, was auch nicht ihr Anspruch ist.
Parallelen zu ESOTERIC finden sich fast in jedem Song, jedoch legen die
Italiener noch mehr Gewicht auf Ambientparts und variables Drumming –
wohltuende Temposteigerungen verhindern an den meisten Stellen das
Abrutschen in den Abgrund des Einheitsbreis. Die düsteren Growls sind
zwar in diesem Stil typisch, jedoch hätte eine saubere Stimme an vielen
Passagen besser zur Schönheit der Lieder beigetragen. Viel zu früh
enden diese dann aber meist mittels (unpassendem) Fade-Out.
Trotz dieser Kritikpunkte gelingt es URNA, ein Album zu zaubern, das
auch in der oberen Liga des extremen Doom mitspielen kann. Denn das, was
URNA im Sinn haben, gelingt ihnen auch! Geisterhafte Atmosphäre,
beruhigend und doch innerlich aufwühlend, zu erzeugen schafft nicht
jede Gruppe. Es gäbe viel auszusetzen, doch zählt nicht das Gesamtbild
mehr als die Kleinigkeiten? Der Fluss des Albums wird nie durchbrochen,
was das Album weit weniger sperrig macht als “The Maniacal Vale“ von
ESOTERIC (Die Grandiosität dieses Werkes will ich hier gar nicht in
Frage stellen!). Auch schaffen es URNA eben durch die abwechslungsreiche
Arbeit der Rhythmussektion, die Farbigkeit der Gitarren noch zu
bereichern und gewisse schwarzmetallische Einsprengsel stehen der Musik
sehr gut zu Gesicht.
Ein kurzes, dennoch wirkungsvolles Doom-Album, dass dazu einlädt, es
mehrmals zu hören und immer wieder zu genießen.
[7 out of 10]
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METALSTORM.EE
Review by Lucas
With Iter Ad Lucem,
Urna delivered one of the best Funeral Doom albums of '09. It seemed
nobody noticed, though, as they're rarely the subject of discussion.
Time to fix that.
Urna is not a newbie in the scene. Iter Ad Lucem ("Path
towards the light") is their third full-length and the guitarist
and bassist of Urna is also the guitarist of Arcana
Coelestia. And that is immediately the most important comparion.
These two Italian Funeral Doom bands share a large part of their sound,
but whereas AC is chaotic and cataclysmic, Urna is cold and sorrowful.
Don't get me wrong - there is plenty of Esoteric
(-lite) hellfire and mayhem on Iter Ad Lucem, but the main
component is definitely sorrow.
The sadness the album emits comes from it's strongest element - the
wonderful guitar tone. It's translucent, lucid, glacial and full of
sorrow. From the get-go, Urna manages to sound utterly honest in their
sadness, due to this opaque sound. MZ's riffs paint bleak pictures, with
soaring melodies buried deeply within, tearing your soul apart. Coupled
with RM's Funeral Doom growls - you know, those deep, lifeless growls
with the occasional harsh edge - Urna is quite the overwhelming
ensemble.
Unfortunately they cannot keep the listener in their sonic embrace all
the time. In a few of introvert moments of pondering they forget about
the listener and let go for a while. This does not happen often, though
and when it does, chaos and sorrow are usually quickly restored. After
more than sixty minutes, one can only conclude Urna has created a
dynamic, harrowing and agonizing album.
[8.5 out of 10] [N. 9 in the
"BEST EXTREME DOOM METAL ALBUM" Poll 2009]
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STORMBRINGER.AT
Review by Cult Of Blood
"Esoteric Funeral Doom“
bietet also der Marsch am Morgen (lt. „Iter Ad Lucem“) - Fronthäuptling
MZ werkelt dabei auch bei unzähligen anderen Italiano-Härtnern wie zB
Locus Mortis, Arcana Coelestia oder Absentia Lunae, die zeitgleich mit
URNA releasen. Wer an gestandenen Funeraldoom denkt, kommt an Namen wie
Skepticism, Esoteric oder auch Ahab nicht vorbei - wobei das Duo aus
Cagliari sich gerne ein „Post“ auf die Stirn klebt und somit wieder
mal einen neuen Stilbegriff in die hoffnungslos überfüllte Arena wirft.
Etikettenschwindel? No na. Der schwere, zähflüssige Inhalt der sechs
standesgemäß überlangen Songs ist meist nahe dran am ursprünglichen
Minimalsound der Altvorderen, bietet aber wenig Neues oder gar
Kontroverses. Die leichten Schwarzmetallreste wirken eher im Gesang als
in der Musik nach; Licht oder gar Hoffnung am Ende des Tunnels bietet
der Zweitling aber zu keiner Sekunde: kompromisslos growlt/kreischt man
sich durch langgezogene, verhallte und in den Hintergrund gedrängte (Akustik)Riffsegmente;
wobei das rituelle und programmierte Schlagwerk sich gerne mal in
ungewollten Abgründen verstrickt oder bei den kleineren
Ambientintermezzis dezent zurückhält. Molltönende Klavierspielereien
oder in sich gekehrte Ruhepole lockern die Düstermucke immer wieder mal
ansprechend auf, doch die alles übertönende Schwere oder die
garstig-fiese Atmosphäre bzw. Abartigkeit der oben erwähnten
SuizidMeister wird hier zu keiner Sekunde erreicht.
Noch fehlen gewisse Trademarks, feine Trennlinien zwischen Gut und Böse,
packende Arrangements, ein brachialer Sound … Monotonie allein - in
Verbindung mit der korrekten spielerischen Umsetzung (hier ist eher
Feeling denn technische Raffinesse angesagt) – reicht da noch nicht
ganz aus um sich einen Platz an der Sonne zu sichern. Oder im tiefsten
Schlund der Funeraldoom-Hölle, wo sich „The Maniacal Vale“ von
Esoteric seit geraumer Zeit breit macht…
Egal ob eure Nadel jetzt am zweigeteilten Titeltrack (Two is the Number,
the Number of Urna) hängenbleibt oder sich beim luftig-schwülstigen
„Om“ irgendwo in Zeit und Raum verliert - Tristesse und gepflegte
Langeweile bleiben stets aufrecht. Berauschend ist „Iter Ad Lucem“
trotz seines durchaus vorhandenen Potentials im Endeffekt nicht geworden.
[3 out of 5]
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GLOBALDOMINATION.DE
Review by Kampfar
If I’d been a global
dictator – one with all the firepower in the whole wide world at my
disposal – I’d exterminate all Muslims and Christians not willing to
piss, shit, vomit and ejaculate all over their mongoloid books of holy
crap. The same applies to (orthodox) Jews, fuck all them desert gods,
but when it comes to Buddhists, of which few live in deserts, I
downright fail to dig up any sort of hate. Fucking hell, not even mild
contempt, and that’s because Buddhism is more a guidance to life than
it is a religion. Hints and tips, if you like. Or was that Hinduism? Ah,
fuck it, Urna is the 31st physical characteristic of Buddha and it both
symbolizes and radiates wisdom.
That was an incredibly shitty intro,
boys and girls, but you deserve even less. Fuck circa all.
Ahem, Urna is, at least according to
last.fm, a black metal ensemble which incorporates elements of funeral
doom and ambient, but what I hear is the exact opposite, namely an
ambient funeral doom orchestra doing a firm nod towards, yet “only”
harboring a distinct feel of, said black metal. In other words, this is
not what I’d call metallo nero torvo da una foresta funerea. Not
entirely not, but in the end not very close. Anyways, I don’t give a
flying fuck, for nowadays I’m brain damaged enough to appreciate even
funeral doom, though I must admit it doesn’t happen often as me not
making sense. Nonetheless, I have the ability to digest said style, most
so when done by Runemagick, true, but also Ahab makes me feel like
moving into a coffin. Urna doesn’t, but fuck me in the face with a
mace if they don’t show the world that yes, they do have a fucking
clue. Unlike you.
Rhymes are kinda lame, and that Busta
dude is incredibly so, but I’ve already established that the same
doesn’t apply to Urna. However, dear fucking Houston, I do have a
problem. See, I’ve listened to this album on an almost daily basis for
the last 2 weeks or so and I’m still not entirely sure what to make of
it. The reason why I’m so confused follows here: when utterly stoned,
tired and in bed, it works all fine, a method I’ve tried twice, but
when up and ready, it more or less falls through. I’m not entirely
sure if it is right to detract points because of it, but I do so anyway.
You know me, I’m the kind of guy that thinks killing a few innocents
are entirely OK as long as you get all the vermin while at it.
I’m not so sure that made any sense
at all, but it doesn’t matter, because now I’m about to tell you
that this album is indeed quite massive. Played loud, it will rumble
your surroundings, provided you aren’t the proud owner of some shitty
cardboard speakers, that is. Of course it is, and just as obvious is the
fact that Urna rumbles and churns the most when the whole orchestra, and
not just the ambient part of it participates. 2 doesn’t make an
orchestra, but my contacts in Italy has informed me that both members
are very schizo, each having like 7 different personalities.
Before I do the summary and fuck off
already, I’d like to inform you that the vocals aren’t bad at all, a
proper sneer with a venomous edge me likes.
So, not an album I’m about to marry
this, but it is good enough to further prove that the Italians are
nowadays capable of more than just power metal, prog-rock and opera. And
that’s why I hereby declare the extreme metal scene in Ferrari-land to
be quite interesting anno 2009.
[6,5 out of 10]
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METAL HAMMER (ITA)
Review by FVRM
Le
immagini oniriche di universi oscuri attraversano le venature del nuovo
viaggio intrapreso dai seminali Urna. Sin dall’inizio la percezione
del suono si espande, uscendo dai crismi di ciò che un tempo poteva
essere definito funeral doom, ma che in questo album vibra di una nuova
linfa avanguardista e supera le proprie barriere per descrivere un arco
che abbraccia una molteplicità immensa di influenze. La ricerca
raffinata e profondamente particolareggiata degli strumenti si fonde
assieme ad una vocalità umorale e magistralmente ombreggiata, in
un’entità unica e sognante, che sperimenta nuove soluzioni,
rimescolando e ampliando le basi di quanto sin ora proposto
dall’ensemble verso nuovi affascinanti orizzonti. Estremo ma al
contempo poetico, oscuro eppure rivolto al superamento della tenebra,
“Iter Ad Lucem” è un mix perfetto di atmosfere e sentimenti che,
resi musica dalle composizioni dell’album, vengono portati in tutte le
loro minuziose sfumature all’ascoltatore in un climax emotivo che non
può che risultare avvolgente...
[8,5 out of 10]
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ANTICHRIST MAGAZINE / DEADSHOP.INFO
Issue n. 8
This is my first cooperation
with ATMF records, and looking to this band I suppose they mostly
concentrated on doom metal music. Well, URNA is coming from Italy, band
was formed back in 2004 and they are totally into funeral music (to the
fact, this project was made by mastermind of LOCUS MORTIS and ARCANA
COELESTIA). Yes, we have the deal with funeral doom metal, made in all
its deadly beautiful and gloom. Music is made by using of such typical
slow rhythms and really dark atmosphere. I like such music, but not all
bands of course, and URNA is pretty good for my soul! The whole album
sounds very interesting and pressing, dense, slow guitars are freezing
your mind you can think about nothing at all… Also here are some
ambient touches on this album (which are pretty good combined with main
structure). All in all this album made in classic funeral doom way, and
will be greatest gift for all the fans into DISEMBOWELMENT, UNHOLY or
SCEPTICISM for example (yeah, same moods has been found over here!). So
what we have here at all? And we have here no more no less but worthy
work into funeral doom metal, where you’ll be pleased by real dark
melancholic atmosphere, killer drumming, awesome guitar work (wait also
for solos!) and ambient touches, made with great obsession of death! Do
you ready to invite the death there in your house??
[4+ out of 5]
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METAL-ARCHIVES.COM
Review by
Hailmarduk666
This band blows away every
other black funeral doom band that I have heard to date. The music is so
dark and powerful, with excellent keyboard passages, and interludes that
seamlessly bring together all the music featured in this record.
Urna has definitely found their niche. Unfortunately it is a relatively
unknown niche, overshadowed by the behemoths of Elysian Blaze, and Nortt;
however this band is more polished in many ways than the aforementioned.
For one thing, they are much thicker in atmosphere, concentrating on
guitar work instead of EB, where it is synth based. Nortt is just
rediculously slow, with little in regards to atmosphere, just fantastic
melancholy and their music is just dismal.
Similar to Esoteric, there is overdubbed black metal, and death metal
vocals, with extremely thick guitarwork, that is layered and terribly
slow. Drumming is spot-on, keeping excellent rhythm (which I find a feat
with music as slow) and excellent fills using cymbals, and there are
good double bass sections as well.
Where this band differs though, is they can combine thick and relentless
atmosphere with very subtle and minimal bridges, that are stark and
unsettling in how dismal they sound, and are a shock when you go from
chokingly thick atmospherics to near-nothingness. The structures of the
songs keep things interesting, and refrain from plodding. It seems that
Urna has found the delicate balance between redundancy, and the
mesmerizing, and climatic aspects of the repetition factor of the doom
metal genre.
All songs have their very dissonant main riff, where they retain a slow
and depressive pace, leading into a nice soft interlude, and sometimes
ending the song from there, or returning to another slow riff, usually
to fade out into the next song. The way it's done is such that you never
really know where one track begins, and the other ends. There are
several crescendos and diminuendos throughout each song, so things move
along at the same pace overall despite the speed changes in certain
parts of the songs.
Nonetheless, Urna stands out on it's own for songwriting, production and
effectiveness, which is the reason that I gave the score that is above.
There is not really much lacking, the songs are long and slow, thick and
evil, and they are not boring. The melodies are well written and the
bridges and ambient portions are not out of place and enhance the
recording. Overall, there is not much left to be desired here. A
definite recommendation for all fans of The Austrasian Goat, Esoteric,
Evoken, Nortt, and Elysian Blaze.
[97 out of 100]
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BLACKMETALONLINE.COM
Review by Matma
Sono qui
davanti al mio pc con un cd nel lettore e la cuffia nelle orecchie che
sto ascoltando per l'ennesima volta il nuovo "Iter Ad Lucem"
dei sardi Urna e ancora non riesco a staccarmi, non riesco a fermare
questo turbinio di disperazione e di tragedia che fuoriesce dai
diffusori e che penetra l'animo. Un effluvio di emozioni che permeano
ogni passaggio, ogni singolo momento di questo strepitoso come back. A
distanza di tre anni circa dal precedente già magnifico "Sepulcrum"
recensito dal sottoscritto già in maniera entusiastica torna una delle
band più cupe e ossessive del Bel Paese con un altro anatema di
disperazione duro come il granito e freddo come una lapide in una
nebulosa mattina di Novembre.
"Iter Ad Lucem" eleva ancor di più se possibile
spiritualmente il concetto espresso dal suo predecessore e lo fa in
maniera raffinata e profonda, con una musica sopraffina, con splendidi
passaggi di pianoforte sormontati da strazianti urla di disagio
profondo, introspettivi scenari dark ambient ed eterei riff di chitarra
distorta, in un concentrato di sensazioni cupe e morbose. Gli oltre 9
minuti di "Iter ad Lucem pt. I" passano che nemmeno te ne
accorgi, e così dopo una partenza così maestosa "Iter ad Lucem pt.
II" ti stende senza mezze misure con le sue rarefatte ambientazioni
oniriche, quelle chitarre sovrapposte, arpeggi puliti che emergono da
riffing ruvidi e spigolosi dove si adagia una solista distante e
teatrale. Lo scream alternato al growling poi dona pienezza ad un
substrato di doom lento e decadente scandito da un drumming monolitico
ed incessante. E' una musica piena, che ti avvolge completamente e ti
guida in un universo lontano e alieno, in un mondo senza speranza di
salvezza, ti mostra le cose sotto un altro punto di vista, ti trattiene
incollato alla sedia per tutta la durata.
Non è facile da recensire un lavoro così variegato e pieno di momenti
differenti, dall'Ambient al Dark Ambient più oscuro e lisergico,
tremendi passaggi di pianoforte, disturbati e disturbanti al tempo
stesso, freddi e diabolici note fluite dai tasti d'avorio per avvolgere
le tracce e dare un alone ancora più cupo. Impossibile un
track-by-track, quando siamo di fronte a dischi di questo tipo, dove
sono le emozioni la colonna portante del tutto è inutile parlare di
musica intesa come tale, anche se mi permetto di dire che questo lavoro
è suonato in maniera impeccabile da professionisti che sanno sia
comporre brani di indubbia qualità così come maneggiare gli strumenti.
Il resto è dettato dalle impressioni, dalle sensazioni che
scaturiscono, dalle capacità di coinvolgere l'ignaro ascoltatore, e
questo disco ha dalla sua una cartuccera piena di colpi da sparare, uno
dietro l'altro senza un momento di sosta. Impossibile restare
impassibili di fronte ad un lavoro come questo, Doom e oscuro Post-Black
Metal Apocalittico e drammatico. Ma il mio "lavoro" di
recensore mi impone di citare ancora la quinta traccia "Sefira
Malkuth" e la sua ritmica marziale, spezzata e infernale che
l'accompagna per mano nella parte iniziale e che ne riprende il discorso
nel proseguo di questo immenso momento. L'oscurità chiama altra oscurità
e il drone oscuro e sulfureo della traccia conclusiva senza titolo
conduce inevitabilmente in un punto ancora più oscuro dal quale sarà
impossibile riemergere.
Di dischi come questo ce ne sono davvero pochi, non è da tutti
convogliare una quantità così ampia di emozioni in 44 minuti con così
tanti passaggi e parti differenti che si compenetrano e si completano e
soprattutto con una capacità quasi disarmante nel tessere trame
perfette e ricamate con una teatralità davvero impressionante.
Impressionerà anche voi, se amate questo tipo di concetto musicale e
oltre al "True Black" siete aperti anche ad altro. Un disco da
avere e da riverire. Bentornati Urna.
[9 out of 10]
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BLACKTERRORMETAL.COM
Review by Mirror
Terzo album per gli Urna,
progetto parallelo di due dei membri dei Locus Mortis, una delle più
acclimate black metal band italiane.
La band sarda, che inizialmente ci aveva presentato un funeral doom con
sfumature black, in questo disco cambia logo ed attesta un definitivo
allontanamento dalla frangia black metal che del resto si era già visto
nello scorso “Sepulcrum”.
Il livello compositivo si mantiene alto e questo nuovo lavoro di certo
non sfigura di fronte ai due precedenti album della band, anzi, “Iter
Ad Lucem” è il loro lavoro certamente più maturo.
La band ha ormai trovato una propria dimensione, una precisa identità e
si sente che i due musicisti coinvolti hanno una grande passione per
quello che fanno.
“Iter Ad Lucem” è un disco dai riff lenti e attanaglianti, dalle
atmosfere glaciali e fluttuanti, è un disco che crea la giusta
situazione mentale per chiudere gli occhi e immergersi in paesaggi
fantasiosi, per potersi addentare nei più profondi meandri del nostro
essere. Molto, in questo senso, comunicano i passaggi soltanto ambient
che lasciano proprio strada ai pensieri. Questa maggiore apertura verso
il lato “ambient” è infatti la caratteristica principale del nuovo
lavoro della band che, per il resto, non si discosta più di tanto dalle
sonorità (già vincenti) del precedente “Sepulcrum”.
Sempre efficaci sono quindi i passaggi chitarristici che tessono trame
graffianti e d’impatto, come è vincente l’utilizzo di una doppia
voce, senza dimenticare intensi tappeti tastieristici.
Come già detto, gli Urna, hanno trovato una propria dimensione e questo
disco attesta l’ottimo stato di salute di questo progetto. “Iter Ad
Lucem” è quindi un disco da ascoltare con attenzione, con una buona
concentrazione, perché non è un’opera così immediata, ma vi
catturerà. Non ci sono dubbi, si tratta del miglior lavoro di questo
progetto, curato nei minimi particolari, con canzoni che mantengono
sempre un livello di “emotività” molto alto.
“Iter Ad Lucem” dimostra che con gli Urna, noi italiani, abbiamo la
nostra migliore realtà in ambito funeral doom!
[3,5 out of 5]
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DIABOLICALCONQUEST.COM
Review by Tim
Meisenheimer
A reviewer really only needs
three words to describe good funeral doom, blackened or not: slow, heavy,
majestic. Urna's Iter ad Lucem can be
described using primarily those three words.
Is Iter ad Lucem slow? Of course! Moving at the speed limit established
fifteen years ago by Thergothon and Skepticism,
Urna crawl ably through their blackened
dirges. Only occasionally do the they stampede and charge into new wakes
and untrampled graveyards. There is power in this tempo, mean and slow
and utterly depressing, devoid of light. What I find interesting though
is that while the vast majority of this moves at that same lethargic
tempo, the most truly powerful moments are those when the double bass
drum kicks in: a short middle section in "Iter ad Lucem pt.I"
and again in "Sefira Malkuth." This album could use a few more
of those thunderous sections as the lack of variety in the pacing does
make the songs blend together just a bit. It's definitely
trance-inducing, but not always the most wakeful trance.
Is Iter ad Lucem heavy? Again, the answer is, Of Course! While Urna
calls themselves blackened funeral doom, this is heavier than
bands like Nortt or Asofy
or even the mighty Skepticism. Whereas many
funeral doom bands rely on space and openness to be heavy, this album is
a monument to density. Even the quiet sections are full, pulsing
requiems; this never devolves into the maudlin synth work that sometimes
trips up Esoteric or makes Until
Death Overtakes Me seem slightly melodramatic and weak. The
production deserves some of the credit though, because IAL sounds
fantastic, refreshing in this subgenre. No distant hollow drums or thin
trebly guitars trying to fool the listener into heaviness that just isn't
there. Like the constancy in tempo, the near-overwhelming heaviness does
make this a bit of a challenging listen. There are no respites for the
dead or dying here.
Is Iter ad Lucem majestic? Definitely. Maybe not as much as early Skepticism
or Ahab's
Call of the Wretched Sea (an album that set's the bar pretty fucking
high), but Urna are almost on the same level.
These songs evoke wonderful sadness with their dark anti-dulcet
keyboards and understated, but certainly black metal, vocalizing. The
music never succumbs to histrionics or stylistic ostentations: this is
one of the most musical funeral doom albums I've heard (There are guitar
solos! quite good guitar solos). IAL is soaring melancholic melodies
intertwined with thunderous, heaving funereal hymns, the essence of
funeral doom.
Iter ad Lucem is good funeral doom, occasionally reaching greatness. It
satisfies the prerequisites of the genre while avoiding said genre's
biggest liabilities. My only complaint is the similarity and same-ness
of the songs and music, but it's a minor complaint and is more on me as
the listener than Urna as a band. A
little more variety (difficult, I know, within such a rigidly limited
genre) and Urna will take their rightful
place with other funeral doom greats.
[7,8 out of 10]
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TEETHOFTHEDIVINE.COM
Review by Jordan
Itkowitz
When I checked out Urna’s
2006 release Sepulcrum, I was struck at how similar it sounded to Arcana
Coelestia’s Ubi Secreta Colunt. Both featured a fusion of funeral doom
and black ambient, of cosmic light bleeding through waves of crushing
darkness. A quick trip to the Metal Archives cleared up my hunch –
they’re both the ambient/black/funeral doom projects of Italian
electronic/drone mastermind MZ.
Now, if you’ve already read my
review of the new Arcana Coelestia, Le Mirage de Idéal, you’ll know
that I found that album disappointing because it lost the focus,
cohesion and songcraft that made Ubi Secreta Colunt such a haunting,
mesmerizing listen. Funeral doom is ponderous and protean in nature, but
it was that album’s structure that made it so easily absorbed. So
perhaps this just boils down to a question of expectations: I expected
Arcana Coelestia to remain the more composed, linear and listenable of
MZ’s projects (haven’t heard Locus Mortis, so I can’t comment),
whereas I expected Urna to be its looser, more unstructured counterpart.
(Whether or not these expectations are fair or not is up for debate, but
I can’t find any clearer way to distinguish between the two).
With that in mind, Iter Ad Lucem is,
to me, the more successful of the two new releases, as it achieves
exactly what it set out to do: engulf the listener in a colossal,
kaleidoscopic vortex of sound. It’s still as spacey and atmospheric as
Arcana, but it accomplishes this without that project’s signature
astral warble. Rapturous guitar solos swoop and dive through the murk,
as they do on Le Mirage, but the guitar takes on other, more
recognizably ‘metal’ voices as well. “Sefira Malkuth” opens with
choppy fragmented riffage, and the two-part title track uses a chiming,
dissonant refrain that conjures the more subdued and mysterious side of
mid 90s death metal. And throughout it all, the vocals are harsher, more
blackened and overall more unsettling. They also forgo the clean,
soaring croons and female operatics that add a touch of recognizable
humanity to the Arcana experience, making this the bleaker of the two
projects.
All that said, this is strictly
background music for me – I’m not enough of a funeral doom fan to
really obsess over this stuff, and I no longer use ambient, atmospheric
music as a night’s entertainment the way I used to in my college days.
Still, this is a high-quality, well-produced slab of sonic
phantasmagoria, and definitely worth the journey if you’re into the
more obscure and mystical side of black, drone and doom.This band blows
away every other black funeral doom band that I have heard to date. The
music is so dark and powerful, with excellent keyboard passages, and
interludes that seamlessly bring together all the music featured in this
record.
