I want to believe that AIVVASS, the mysterious German occult band, emerged from the center of a pentagram chalked onto a cold stone floor during a Thelematic ritual, but instead of swallowing the souls of their summoners, they instead headed to a recording studio and began laying down Atmospheric/Neo-Folk/Doom occult metal for the listening pleasure of metalheads across the world. They started with “Occult Rites I” in 2023 and then moved right on to “Occult Rites II” in the same year. On July 18, 2024, prompted by the bidding of their shrouded master, they collected both EPs into one single compilation called, “Spiritual Archives,” and offered it up via Darkness Shall Rise Productions.    

Most students of the occult will recognize Aivvas as the “non-corporeal being which Aleister Crowley claimed to have dictated his ‘Liber AL vel Legis.’” I take it the allusion is that the band AIVVASS, through a similar orphic process, is channeling the creative impulses of some otherworldly being. Or maybe it just sounded cool what with the double v’s and all. Regardless of the etymology of the band’s name, their music is intriguing.

The first half of the compilation is a cross between Neo-Folk and Doom delivered through a mix of visceral distortion and clear acoustics. Well, except for the opening track which is a static-layered Atmospheric rendering of some invocation. The second half is more of the same but with less spoken word. I guess I was looking for something of an evolution between sides or EPs, but it is more of a continuation—which isn’t a bad thing. I mean the whole album is less than 50 minutes. The second half also includes a cover of PENTAGRAM’s “The Ghoul,” so it does feel like it has more mass (no pun intended) than the first half.

Your choice of standout tracks will depend on whether you prefer Doom or Neo-Folk more. My picks are “Lucifer” which combines Neo-Folk with Doom to create a dark Atmospheric piece; “Witchcraft” which oscillates between vile Doom and eerie Atmospheric; and the cover of “The Ghoul” which stacks AIVVASS sensibilities on top of a classic Doom composition.

The members of AIVVASS are unknown, which adds to their mystique. It may also protect their employment and romantic prospects in IRL. The cover art of the album looks like a missing card from the Hermetic Tarot, only colorized. Actually, their cover art from their previous EPs is also quite impressive. Altogether it adds to the air of occult mysticism.

What to say about “Spiritual Archives”? I quite like it. A bit Atmospheric, a bit Neo-Folk, and a lot Doom. The combination is compelling. The question, of course, is will there be an Occult Rites III? A compilation of the first two seems like a capstone, so maybe a shift in trajectory? Only the cards will tell.