The Route of Haeresis
Mimorium
Any gamer will tell you evil comes in three varieties-chaotic evil, lawful evil, neutral evil. MIMORIUM might fall into the lawful category with the regular cadence of one unholy slab of Black Metal released precisely every two years. True to form, on August 12, 2022, the Finnish quintet issued their third full length album, "The Route of Haeresis," via Spread Evil Productions. Since their formation in 2016, MIMORIUM has been on a steady upward trajectory. This latest album firmly establishes them a Black Metal mainstay.
"The Route of Haeresis" kicks off the unapologetic fury of "Invocation of the Nameless One." There's no atmospheric intro or acoustic foreplay. It's as if to say the literal road to heresy begins with a commitment to deviation. That commitment stays true throughout the entire album with even the melodic elements and slower-tempo tracks pitched with vicious discordance. With that said, my favorite tracks were the ones with the greatest contrast such as "Liberate the Transcendent Essence" for its erratic, almost avant-garde flare and "Succumb to Nightmares" for its down-tuned vibe. I also loved "Her Place in Shade" because it's just so damned traditional-a total brutal romp.
As heavy as this album is, there are some surprisingly esoteric moments, most of which appear on the second half of the album. The acoustic intro and field recording which ease in "Hand of the Heretic" is reminiscent of "Sleeping Village"-mostly because all acoustic guitars dropped in the middle of an otherwise expanse of evil are reminiscent of "Sleeping Village." The atmospheric break in "The Route of Haeresis," while borderline cliché, is also a nice touch. It also works well as a recurrent motif with "Circle of Serpents," lending a sense of internal consistency.
When I reviewed MIMORIUM's second album in 2020 I was hopeful they would maintain their forward arc. I'm happy to find "The Route of Haeresis" exceeds expectations. If this were the stock market, I'd say buy, buy, buy. In fact, though I'm reluctant to dilute the integrity of this dark work with appeals to the filthy lucre, that's still my recommendation.
7 / 10
Good
Songwriting
Musicianship
Memorability
Production
"The Route of Haeresis" Track-listing:
1. Invocation of the Nameless One
2. Mirror Dimension
3. Liberate the Transcendent Essence
4. Succumb to Nightmares
5. Hand of the Heretic
6. Her Palace in Shade
7. The Route of Haeresis
8. Circle of the Serpents
Mimorium Lineup:
Lord Mimorium - Guitar
Vox Malum - Vocals
Kurjimus - Guitar
Cavus - Bass
Vilthor - Drums
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