‘Life is war’ is the motto of Marspiter. Well, then I expect that the six Latin-titled tracks on “Vigila” won’t be that optimistic or cheerful. And indeed, “Vigila” is trip of 40 minutes to deserted battlefields, and the weather is constantly bad.
On the epic 13 minute ‘Picus Martius’ the storm keeps blowing, while the tragic horn sound gives you a post-war feeling, a time of of mourning the fallen. The low frequencies of the deep drones make my speakers tremble. ‘Armilustrum II’ has a more sacred, ritual atmosphere. Deep down, hidden in the earth, monks are chanting and unknown creatures are banging the drums. Quite spine-chilling. ‘Cerfus Martius’ is more orchestral, a slow and sad symphony. ‘Armilustrum III’ is again more religious in nature, with similarities to the work of Raison d’Etre. Choirs, slow percussion, a feeling of desertion. The very low and deep, oppressive title track is a worthy finish to a release which I appreciate a lot.
