ESCUMERGAMËNT is a Black Metal foursome out of Sweden. They formed in 2016, released a two-track single in 2020, and issued their debut full-length album, "...ni degu fazentz escumergamënt e mesorga...," in March 2021. The band's name is from the Occitan language and means "abomination." I tried to translate the album title but lacked the patience or skills. The band promises though, that "people who are interested in old languages and solving riddles could decipher this and find out certain parts of our overall concept." Personally, I love this concept of putting a little something out there for fans who are interested enough to think on, research, and uncover on their own.

It's a cliché to say a band hearkens to an old school sound. What it suggests is they aren't caught up in a more modern sound . . . but sounding old school is by definition a modern impulse - being old school is the epitome of being modern. Modern or old, however, this is an excellent album. From the darkly contemplative cover art to the usage of a dead language to the atmospheric, yes, old school mastering, this album is exquisite.

The shortest of the six tracks is over six minutes and the longest passes the nine-minute mark, which is to say each of these tracks comprise multiple movements and phases. There are layers of meaning conveyed through the musical compositions as well as the lyrics and, of course, the interplay between the two. The band explains: "The first lyric, 'Of Old Night and Winter,' and the last, 'Black Ash and Ruin,' are a beginning and an end of this cycle, the former being about the deep-rooted wish to extinguish all the stars in the universe, the latter a story about the last lingering souls left gazing into a universe devoid of all light and life." In short, this is some deep stuff worthy of some delving and excavation.

It is very difficult to select standout tracks because they are all stunning. And every track is a world unto itself. Personal favorites are "Of Old Night and Winter," "To Envy the Corpses," and "I Sang of Murder." Each of these tracks has a recurring melody that haunted me well past the listening time. The cumulative effect, of course, is that this album sticks with you and beckons you back. I respect these guys' desire to remain anonymous. Let their music stand for itself. Whether this is a band or a project, "...ni degu fazentz escumergamënt e mesorga..." as a Black Metal artifact is monumental.