Review : CELESTIA – “Archaenae Perfectii”

Celestia – Archaenae Perfectii
Release Date: 2010Apr06 (US)
Label: Apparitia Recordings
Rating: 3.5/5

The album opens with a somber, and kinda cheesy classical guitar piece. At first you might think it might be just another French Alcest dopplegänger, but finally, halfway through the song, it busts into some glorious mid-tempo Black Metal. The album doesn’t have much for blast beats aggression, but the songs have great melody. Though in the manner of French Alcest-ripoffs and Depressive Black Metal, there is a somber element to Archaenae Perfecti. Perhaps it can be best heard in “Dogmatii Duality”, a highlight of the album.

The acoustic interludes are well executed, but they don’t really do anything for me.  However “Domius Crux Spiritus” is a notable track:  it doesn’t take its time to show its cojones, and starts right up into blasting Black Metal. It breaks up toward the middle with a well-placed acoustic and melodic section, complete with elegant guitar soloing (elegant for Black Metal, at least). There is a bit of synth work mixed in, but is pushed more subtly to the background.

Archaenae Perfectii is a good album, with a few songs that are plain awesome. It invokes the somber moods that a lot of French atmospheric post-black metal bands are good at, but are able to stay in the True Black Metal realm, and do not have to tone it down much at all. The worst part of this album is its short length.

Try: 2, 4, 5

01. Grandiohsia Obverturae / Vue Du Ciel
02. Demhiurghic Deity (Devilution)
03. Phoenemenae of Creation
04. Dogmatii Duality / Au Crepuscule Sous Les Larmes
05. Dominus Crux Spiritus
06. ArcheArcanae Des Parfaits
07. Perfectii Ketter Katharos
08. Nuit Qui Brille Comme Soleil