Rêx Mündi

By Diogo Ferreira on Nov 1, 2011 in Cd Review | 0 comments

Album: IHVH
Label: Debemur Morti
Tracks: 7
Release Date: 16.09.2011
Lenght: 49′ 47″

Riff Score: 7.0/10

“IHVH” is a personal work delivered by the Rêx Mündi’s mastermind Metatron. In a lethal blend between Black Metal and religious passages dealing with occultism, Rêx Mündi proclaim the imminent downfall of our ignorant race with this old record that was dressed with modern sonority.

Norway, as we know, has a huge catalogue and an unique Black Metal agenda that deals with Satanism, anti-Christianity and mythology, but France may be a rival with its own agenda dealing with occultism, mysticism and philosophy, and I am able to quote some of those bastions, such like Deathspell Omega or Blut Aus Nord. Now, there is another complement: Rêx Mündi.

Rêx Mündi recorded a demo in 2005, entitled “IHVH”, and that remained as their only work until now. This year of 2011 marks their return with a new “IHVH” drapery: the songs were re-recorded and two of the original tracks (“What Dreams May Come” and “I Have Imagined”) were replaced by two more recent ones (“The Flesh Begat” from 2008 and “Raising My Temples” from 2006). However, this album works as a debut record and so I will face it as such thing.

“J’imagine (Be-Reshit)” opens the record with something like a praying chant and after some noise the guitar interrupts that miscellaneous ambience with a slow tempo rhythm. The song ends with the vocalist Metatron shouting furious supplications to Adonay, Elohim and Jehovam dressing a voice usually common in horror movies when demons are “talking”. In spite of being almost four minutes long, I would say this opening track works as an intro.

“Naphtali” also starts with a slow tempo rhythm, but not for so long, because the typical Black Metal riffs and drum-beats strike without warning. With a well felt rotation between slow and fast paces this song begins to show us what to expect during the almost fifty minutes of music. Again, the demon voice was not forgotten.

The third song is “The Flesh Begat” and it sounds like many other entries of Black Metal music with consecutive breaks between guitar and drums. Ahead, a war stimulus passage precedes a fast and violent Black Metal soundscape. This two tracks – “Naphtali” and “The Flesh Begat” – are the most direct songs without any doubt.

With “Pious Angels (Sefer Seraphim)” the Kabbalah chants take their positions in the beginning. I think this song is the most atmospheric and the most melodic of all, although the fast passages are still present and those passages alternate between fast and slow parts full of melody that, I dare to say, can be easily inserted in some Doom Metal acts. The religious praying appears in the middle of the song like an interludium, preceding once again a destructive attack.

“Patrimoine Génétique” is an exception regarding its beginning, because of the Death Metal sonority (Morbid Angel maybe) – however it is instantly overtaken and the dissonant riffs fill the song hypnotizing the listener.

Imagine yourself surrounded by fire and hearing everything collapse even if it happens kilometers away: it is the way “Bloodline Imagery (Achieving Synthesis With Hokhmah)” will be presented to you in several moments. This track is the most belligerent of all – according to the constant marching pace – and also the most enigmatic – according to the several prophetic speeches.

The last song, “Raising My Temples”, is like a spin-off of the “Patrimoine Génétique” track due to its beginning. This record ends in the same way it starts: direct, violent and furious – however, I still feel that the religious chants combined with all of their Black Metal essence is what’s unique in Rêx Mündi. This last track also reminds me of Mayhem during the slow paced moments and despite the guitar riff being overly repetitive, the drum work is always delivering a combination of persuasive rhythms until the end of “IHVH”.

I must remember “IHVH” is not quite new, because most of the material here presented was taken from an old demo recorded back in 2005, but I faced it as a debut, essencially, due to its new sound drapery. This record reflects Metatron’s personality in his passion to be original and it also shows a great power to be one of the great Black Metal squadrons in France, and why not in all Europe. I’m looking foward to hear the next Rêx Mündi’s works.

Review by Diogo Ferreira

By: Diogo Ferreira