CRIMSON MOONLIGHT - DIVINE DARKNESS

Man I can't wait to listen to my copy once it arrives!

I appreciate the talent there's a LOT of good riffs, but I feel like there's some filler and annoyances for me too.

Honestly, if they made a whole album to the caliber of their In Silence, In Chains song - I'd be much more into it.

Man, I'm still waiting.  I really thought yesterday, and sure enough when I opened my mail box there was an appropriate shaped package addressed to me!  From merchnow?  Isn't that Facedown?  So my Hope for the Dying preorder was an excellent consolation prize!  I haven't given it a hard listen, but casually it sounds fantastic, as you would expect.  But then today for SURE was to be Crimson Moonlight day!  Nope.  Nothin'.  Soon!

Grindboy wrote:Man, I'm still waiting.  I really thought yesterday, and sure enough when I opened my mail box there was an appropriate shaped package addressed to me!  From merchnow?  Isn't that Facedown?  So my Hope for the Dying preorder was an excellent consolation prize!  I haven't given it a hard listen, but casually it sounds fantastic, as you would expect.  But then today for SURE was to be Crimson Moonlight day!  Nope.  Nothin'.  Soon!

Man, that feeling is all too familiar. I got my copy really fast this time around though. Only two business days later. Doesn't get much better than that.

My wife says it's there!!!  Sure, after 12 years, it would come on the night of a group meeting at home, so it will sit silently through dinner, cleaning, and then Financial Peace, probably then watch a show and look over homework with our son and then go to bed. . . but I guess the drive to work tomorrow will be exciting!

Meh just play it loudly at the dinner table! Definitely appropriate!

Wow -- I've only listened like 1 1/2 times, but I think it's excellent and I'm disappointed.

I'm old enough that I had an original copy of Eternal Emperor.  I thought it was really good.  Then Covenant Progress showed up and was my absolute favorite album.  Then Veil of Remembrance came out, and it became my absolute favorite album and CM was my favorite band times 2!  And they've pretty well remained so up to the moment, largely for their absolutely untouchable combination of brutality and melody.

So Divine Darkness sounds great and is excellently brutal, but seems to almost totally lack the corresponding melody that make their last couple so unmatched, IMO.  The sound is much more primitive (although still polished and professional), and it's really, really good for what it is. . . but not what I hope for from CM.  What Deep Friar says about not being fair to come in with too much for expectations is on point, and it's definitely my problem here.  I feel like I went to a Warriors game to see Steph Curry, and he's the best player on the court and scores 30. . . but he'd hit for 50 the two games before.  A great player playing great, but not transcendental like I was hoping, if that makes sense.

Unrelated note -- I actually DID see a Warriors game in '13, right when Curry was becoming a breakout star.  In fact, his previous game he went for 54 at MSG against the Knicks, and was really becoming a big deal.  When I was there though, he shot 6-22, 3-11 from 3.  Which was cool though, because I'm not a Warriors fan and was cheering for the opposition.  Anyway, how kvlt is it to have an NBA note in a black metal thread?  I'd say it's a new level entirely!

I determined you were talking about basketball when you said "Knicks".

A basketball analogy in a black metal thread is quite kvlt and probably never done before. All that's missing is to somehow integrate discussion of a stopwatch and a jar of mayonnaise.

I'm anxiously awaiting for the clear vinyl to be ready 

Grindboy wrote:Wow -- I've only listened like 1 1/2 times, but I think it's excellent and I'm disappointed.

I'm old enough that I had an original copy of Eternal Emperor.  I thought it was really good.  Then Covenant Progress showed up and was my absolute favorite album.  Then Veil of Remembrance came out, and it became my absolute favorite album and CM was my favorite band times 2!  And they've pretty well remained so up to the moment, largely for their absolutely untouchable combination of brutality and melody.

So Divine Darkness sounds great and is excellently brutal, but seems to almost totally lack the corresponding melody that make their last couple so unmatched, IMO.  The sound is much more primitive (although still polished and professional), and it's really, really good for what it is. . . but not what I hope for from CM.  What Deep Friar says about not being fair to come in with too much for expectations is on point, and it's definitely my problem here.  I feel like I went to a Warriors game to see Steph Curry, and he's the best player on the court and scores 30. . . but he'd hit for 50 the two games before.  A great player playing great, but not transcendental like I was hoping, if that makes sense.

Unrelated note -- I actually DID see a Warriors game in '13, right when Curry was becoming a breakout star.  In fact, his previous game he went for 54 at MSG against the Knicks, and was really becoming a big deal.  When I was there though, he shot 6-22, 3-11 from 3.  Which was cool though, because I'm not a Warriors fan and was cheering for the opposition.  Anyway, how kvlt is it to have an NBA note in a black metal thread?  I'd say it's a new level entirely!

It's interesting, but I think I have a bit of an opposite reaction to the new CM!  (Though I definitely seem to be the minority here...)  I had heard of CM when I first started getting into Christian extreme metal back in 2005 or so.  Their brutality was pretty unparalleled but it felt so cold and emotionless to me which kept me from buying any of their material.  In more recent years I decided to finally pick up CM's CDs and I have really enjoyed Covenant, Veil, and Archives.  Great musicianship and there is plenty there to keep my head banging hard, but that's about it.  However, upon my almost-complete two listens of Divine Darkness, I think this may be my favorite of theirs yet!  To my ears it sounds darker and has such thicker atmosphere than any of their previous stuff.  I am really digging it a lot and find myself already connecting with it more than their other three CDs I have.

And   about basketball...  Go sports!  Be sportier than the other team!  Make points!

Kerrick wrote:
And   about basketball...  Go sports!  Be sportier than the other team!  Make points!

HAHA!!!!

I think what you say makes sense Kerrick.  No question, this one's a little different approach, but really they all have been.  Covenant Progress was all "let's make the greatest symphonic-ish black metal album ever!" and so they did.  Veil was all "well that's done. . . hey, let's make the greatest blackened death metal ever!" and so they did.  And so now what?  "We can't possibly top what we've done the last couple times out, is there a new hill to be king of?  Let's make the greatest primitive black metal album ever!"  And I'm not sure if they have or not, but it's a great entry and excellently done.  If you prefer the feel and atmosphere of this one, it makes sense.  Truly, it IS different.

And yes, I fully understand that any emotional investment in sports is completely irrational.  I think it was Pascal who said "The heart has reasons that reason cannot know."  Sorry you apparently must just have no heart!

Kerrick wrote:It's interesting, but I think I have a bit of an opposite reaction to the new CM!  (Though I definitely seem to be the minority here...)  I had heard of CM when I first started getting into Christian extreme metal back in 2005 or so.  Their brutality was pretty unparalleled but it felt so cold and emotionless to me which kept me from buying any of their material.  In more recent years I decided to finally pick up CM's CDs and I have really enjoyed Covenant, Veil, and Archives.  Great musicianship and there is plenty there to keep my head banging hard, but that's about it.  However, upon my almost-complete two listens of Divine Darkness, I think this may be my favorite of theirs yet!  To my ears it sounds darker and has such thicker atmosphere than any of their previous stuff.  I am really digging it a lot and find myself already connecting with it more than their other three CDs I have.

This is pretty much exactly what I've been thinking about the new album. I think it's great. (I don't know why this text is in italics...can't turn it off. Ignore that.)

Grindboy wrote:I think what you say makes sense Kerrick.  No question, this one's a little different approach, but really they all have been.  Covenant Progress was all "let's make the greatest symphonic-ish black metal album ever!" and so they did.  Veil was all "well that's done. . . hey, let's make the greatest blackened death metal ever!" and so they did.  And so now what?  "We can't possibly top what we've done the last couple times out, is there a new hill to be king of?  Let's make the greatest primitive black metal album ever!"  And I'm not sure if they have or not, but it's a great entry and excellently done.  If you prefer the feel and atmosphere of this one, it makes sense.  Truly, it IS different.

For sure.  That's one of the cool things about music: it affects us all so uniquely!  I'll need to continue cranking this one and see how I feel about it once I really get to know it.

Grindboy wrote:And yes, I fully understand that any emotional investment in sports is completely irrational.  I think it was Pascal who said "The heart has reasons that reason cannot know."  Sorry you apparently must just have no heart!

Ha!  As if I haven't heard THAT before! 

Zymologist wrote:

Kerrick wrote:It's interesting, but I think I have a bit of an opposite reaction to the new CM!  (Though I definitely seem to be the minority here...)  I had heard of CM when I first started getting into Christian extreme metal back in 2005 or so.  Their brutality was pretty unparalleled but it felt so cold and emotionless to me which kept me from buying any of their material.  In more recent years I decided to finally pick up CM's CDs and I have really enjoyed Covenant, Veil, and Archives.  Great musicianship and there is plenty there to keep my head banging hard, but that's about it.  However, upon my almost-complete two listens of Divine Darkness, I think this may be my favorite of theirs yet!  To my ears it sounds darker and has such thicker atmosphere than any of their previous stuff.  I am really digging it a lot and find myself already connecting with it more than their other three CDs I have.

This is pretty much exactly what I've been thinking about the new album. I think it's great. (I don't know why this text is in italics...can't turn it off. Ignore that.)

Cool.    We'll just be loners over here cranking Divine Darkness hahaha.

Huh...that text didn't post in italics. Weird. It was in italics when I was writing it.

Grindboy wrote:I think what you say makes sense Kerrick.  No question, this one's a little different approach, but really they all have been.  Covenant Progress was all "let's make the greatest symphonic-ish black metal album ever!" and so they did.  Veil was all "well that's done. . . hey, let's make the greatest blackened death metal ever!" and so they did.  And so now what?  "We can't possibly top what we've done the last couple times out, is there a new hill to be king of?  Let's make the greatest primitive black metal album ever!"  And I'm not sure if they have or not, but it's a great entry and excellently done.  If you prefer the feel and atmosphere of this one, it makes sense.  Truly, it IS different.

I agree overall. The Covenant Progress had so many great melodies but also some elements of brutality with great keyboards for atmosphere, and that's why it's my favorite. Veil of Remembrance was a lot more brutal and death-oriented though it had enough touches of melody and emotion to keep me interested. I love the album almost as much as The Covenant Progress. Divine Darkness though...it's different. I don't like it as much as the other two yet, but it's definitely a great album. It'll probably grow on me over time.

I'm not sure if I'd describe it as "primitive" though. It's way too refined, well-produced, and advanced for that.

I understand and agree on "primitive" not being a perfect word, but I just didn't have a better one.  Also, I'm the guy talking about sports and probably shouldn't have been allowed in this thread in the first place.

Several full listens later I stick to my 9/10 rating. Very solid release. Veil of Remembrance might be 9.5 but I'd say I like Divine Darkness equally as much as I like The Covenant Progress.