Hæresiarchs of Dis is a one man black metal band from San Jose, California.  "Adumbratus,"  is the seventh full length album, in addition to having a split and an EP. This is a very immediate and energetic Black Metal album.  With twelve tracks (and a hidden track) with a run time of over an hour, it is a meaty release with a lot to it.  Perhaps it is too lengthy but there also isn't anything here that is bad.  In fact, I found a lot here to enjoy-especially the vocals, which sound extremely inhuman.

The music has a symphonic touch to it but it isn't over done nor too bombastic—the keys are used to supplement and enhance the music instead of taking it over as the centerpiece.   Production is another standout feature of "Adumbratus." Despite sounding appropriately dark and cold, the sound is impeccable; every instrument stands out on its own but also sounds very in tune with everything as a whole.  The bass is audible and potent-unlike so much Black Metal, it doesn't get buried under the rubble.

The first track is the intro, "Preclusion," which sets the stage for the Armageddon that is to come. The intro consists of clean guitar and ominous sounds that fades out before the second track fades in.  "When The Cold Dark Reigns," builds up steady, the drums a low but heavy rumble in the background while the lead guitar increases intensity.  The damn bursts wide open just before the two-minute mark.  What follows is a powerfully raw very of Blackened shrieks, unrelenting bass/drums and guitar that is busy as anything I've heard recently.  The last quarter of the song shows off their more symphonic side, complete with clean vocals.

"V. Accretion of Hesperos and Flesh," has a lot of different textures in the beginning including chanting, tribal like drums, and low registered vocals. The latter half of the song is one part heavy as hell and another part sideshow symphony, a dueling style of chaotic frenzy. "VII. Infernal Chasma of the Adversary's Remains," is one of the heaviest Black Metal songs I've heard in some time—the off timed riffs and random cleans make the think of a much, much heavier version of ARCTURUS.

"IX. Nucleus of Corruption (apposite I. and Ii.) I. Compulsory Treatise," throws the album into a world that mixes clean, acoustic portions into lighting fast (and groovy) riffs.  The instruments are pushed to the background while the bass is pushed up front.  The rest of the song is uncompromising with its need to rip your face off. The final track, "XI. Reclamation of the Hinterlands," has a more classical beginning-the Black Metal twists and crawls its way into the song and all hell breaks loose for what is probably them most intense segment on the entire album. All in all, this is a brutal and intense example of Black Metal that also steps outside the box even while it destroys it.