Hailing from Vienna, Austria, Ill Tidings have built a strong reputation through their fierce live performances. They continue to redefine what it means to be a modern black metal band on their third full-length album, Seeds Of True Rebirth. Describing the lyrical themes of this record as “the apocalypse itself”, the band construct a soundscape fitting of a hellish environment that audibly inspired me to brace myself for the beginning of the end.
The album starts with “Between Cold Stars and Mass Graves,” incorporating a sound closely associated with traditional black metal, the track masterfully blends genres. It utilizes heavy hardcore elements in the form of a China-cymbal-heavy, breakdown-style outro, tribal-sounding tom work, and vocals that closely resemble those heard in Viking metal. This provides an excellent contrast of sounds and sets the tone for what is to follow.
In my experience, an indicator of high-quality metal is when a song title—or the band’s name itself—is difficult to pronounce or spell. This holds even truer when the title is in another language, and the second track, “Fruchtbaren Ackers schändend Pflug,” is no exception. Having kicked through the doors of my eardrums with brute force, the only way that I can describe this song can be summed up into two words: pure intensity. Everything about this song indicates that the band turned their energy up to 11—from the vocals that sound like desperate screams of agony, to the mercilessly shredded guitar parts, and finally to the double-bass work executed with the kind of precision that would make a surgeon jealous.
“Kamadevas Mantra an den Tod,” keeps the momentum and energy high with a barrage of traditional Black metal goodness in the form of relentless double bass driven drumming, rapid-fire vocals and more shredded guitar work. Breaking away from tradition around the halfway point, the bridge which is comprised of an odd-time signature and a discordant guitar riff manages to infuse a brief section of Jazz-style swing into the mix before returning to form. Chant-like vocals during the outro build atmosphere and add another layer of chilling storytelling.
Serving as a major single for the album, “Worship The Temple Of Flesh” lured me into a false sense of security with the melodic guitar intro which was abruptly shattered without warning due to the sudden change straight into harsh Black Metal vocals. Adopting a marching rhythm throughout the majority of the track; it conjured up images of traveling through an icy tundra mountainside on some sort of a pilgrimage to an ancient, hidden structure. I was reeling as I felt as if I had participated in a cult-like ritual due to being ordered to “Worship The Temple Of Flesh” during the ending which had left quite the impression.
The beginning of the apocalypse seemed to be marked, narratively speaking, as “Tides Of Wrath” opened with an unsettling scream that sounded like it came from someone burning alive shifting natural elements from ice to fire. This is made more apparent as the lyrics mention “scorched earth” and “burning flesh”. Invoking not only the physical sensation but also a metaphorical one as I was left to consider the severity and finality of the scenario upon the delivering of the line: “the ruins shatter, burning past, present and future”. What drives this powerful imagery home is the use of the bell on the ride cymbal which can be likened to the ticking of a doomsday clock.
The transition between tracks could be interpreted as the arrival of Lucifer. When translated from Latin into English, “Lux Ferre” means “Light-Bringer” and biblically speaking, Lucifer was known as such. Upon his arrival, I was met with a wall of riffs and drumming fueled by Black Metal aggression mixed with Thrash Metal consistency. As the song progressed, the vocals changed dynamics from emotional agony to an authoritative smugness which helped to distinguish conversational tones between the two voices of the story. After the song finished, all I could feel was a sense of yearning for broken promises to be fulfilled and anguish as if I had suffered a great betrayal.
Concluding the album is “Abgesang”, a 10-minute audio journey that immediately grabbed my attention. It featured everything I have come to expect from traditional black metal: beautiful tremolo picking matched by blast beats executed at inhuman speeds, all accompanied by haunting, emotionally charged vocals. However, amidst those classic elements are unexpected subtleties, including drumming patterns and guitar riffs reminiscent of Devildriver and early Slipknot. Following an ambient break that builds immense atmosphere around the six-minute mark, the song sonically shifts into a poignant, thought-provoking outro that signaled an apocalyptic end and an angelic rebirth. It left me feeling like a character processing a narrative event of epic proportions.
With Seeds Of True Rebirth, Ill Tidings have produced a 7-track masterpiece of captivating storytelling that truly captures every aspect of what it would be like to live through the end of the world. It pays a fitting homage to their traditional black metal foundations by retaining the core essence of the genre while stylistically integrating unique pieces from other metal subgenres as well as other musical genres. It should have no trouble expanding the fanbase of the band while continuing to build upon their musical legacy for ages to come.
Words by Manny
