CONCILIVM was born in 2017, founded by its only two members, A and Ω, in the cold south of Chile. Inspired by the darkness of death and black metal of the ’90s, wanting to capture all the violence and mysticism in a work, they decide to release their first recording, an EP titled The Veiled Enigma, which emanated from the abyss in late 2017. The EP was released on tape and CD by Von Frost Records and Dawning Septic Productions, respectively, in early 2018 and later released in their native Chile through Apocalyptic Productions (CD) and Soul Reaper (tape) in 2019.
Tireless and thirsty to continue spreading their darkness, in 2021, CONCILIVM entered the studio to record what will be their first full-length work, A Monument in Darkness. Encompassing eight tracks across a soul-devouring 39 minutes, A Monument in Darkness is aptly titled: here, a work of pure, dark alchemical devotion to death and the mysteries that surround it. CONCILIVM’s chosen medium may still be blackened death (or deathened black?), but there’s a supernatural aura to their feral bestiality and muscular surge; sounds come from myriad, nameless abysses, always from every direction but always taking on a life of their own. Thus, within A Monument to Darkness do we find reverse whispers of the dead, angular drums of war, utterly ignorant beatdowns, entrancing speed, and even malevolent melodies within their classically early ’90s leads. Put another way, CONCILIVM give a masterclass in brilliant black/death songwriting, honoring tradition but adding their own energy and personality into it. What’s more, the production across the album is absolutely CRUSHING and surely the work of men playing together as an actual band rather than just a file-sharing project.
No “mystery,” no hyperbole, no trend: CONCILIVM have delivered 2022’s purest distillation of dread and DEATH with A Monument in Darkness.
Released by:
Iron Bonehead (Germany), 2020.