The Austrian two-piece act IN CRUCEM AGERE has just released the album "Calling the Void" via the label Code 666 that mostly focuses on experimental and black metal bands. The album itself has an emphasis on the roots of traditional black metal, but also incorporates doom metal-based elements. Regarding the black metal roots, they vary from influences taken from first wave black metal to the one from second wave black metal; the album presents an eclectic take on black metal roots I should say. On top of all, what makes this album a virulent masterpiece is the dissonant progression of chaos that it exhibits. It seems as if "Calling the Void" speaks of a nonchalant journey to the pits of hell, and of the abyss that gazes back into us. It brings the listeners into a dismal existential void, and the vibes it presents would remind us of some belligerent transgression.

The guitar riffs on this album present a decent amount of fuzz and it is as expected from a record that brings out the best of doomy elements. The ambience also switches back and forth from being melodic to being atmospheric. It consists of 37 minutes of pure structured mayhem; as the production of the music, even though dissonant and abrasive, still relentlessly depends on a structure - almost like an organized chaos. If I were to compare this record's musicality with some other musicians, the hybrid between the black metal and doom metal elements reminds me of FAUSTCOVEN (which combines black and doom at the same time too) and the first and second wave black metal-inspired elements bring me back to the reminiscence of early BATHORY and GORGOROTH materials. It seems as if IN CRUCEM AGERE tries to implement Nordic influences on their music too, which can be seen by the often hammered guitar lines and how the stage name Syknatt is Norwegian for "sick night".

There are many small technical details that are incorporated on this album as well, as reflected on the track "Fall of the Idols" for example, where the hammering rhythms proceed to transform into vicious progressions. The opening track "The Gods Sent No Sign" is one of the tracks with rather vehement sludge/doom elements on the intro. Meanwhile, "Calling the Void" leans more on the atmospheric black metal side. On the track "The Bicameral Mind", IN CRUCEM AGERE performed somehow frantic and unorthodox drum beats, while on the track "Eosos Nova", near the third minute we'll have some fast-paced aggressive blast beats - a similar vibe is found too on the track "A Descent into the Maelstrom".

The sonic transgressions and the versatility of this album is one of the highlights of it. There are a myriad of influences being combined into this 37 minute worth of cacophony; and somehow they managed to perform their best take on each influence they took, be it first wave black metal, second wave black metal, or even doom metal. If I'm not mistaken I also sense some sludge metal elements here, the one that reminds me of Profound Lore's very own SUMAC. My final verdict is that, this album is a perfect synthesis between the slow-paced bleakness of doom metal and the infernal harsh noises of black metal.