Always treading further towards the abyss, SANCTVS returns with six hymns of devotion and transformation. Staring at the face of Death, "De l'Abîme au Plérôme" is an elegy to our own mortality, a dirge to the passing of time and the changes it inevitably brings. Vanity of vanities, all is vanity…The album has six songs, and "Rex Hominum" is first. The opening tones scream treble clef to me, without much bass at the bottom end. It's a slow mover, with a raunchy guitar sound in your face. It hangs tight for a few minutes, then explodes into raw aggression. There are some nifty meter shifts as well, and you can tell Mortheos knows his way around a song.

"Sacrifié sur l'autel de la redemption" is akin to dumping gallons of gasoline onto an already raging fire. To call the sound intense is an understatement, and the vocals ae filled with anger at first. They twist and turn along the way, sometimes sounding hateful and other times painful. "Thrène pour un monde révolu" has very solemn tones, and I've learned that rage and sorrow can co-exist on the same album. It enters slowly, even cautiously, until aggression manifests and takes over. The vocals bubble almost as if they come from someone who is dying. "Tabula Rasa" has another somber entrance, but there is tension in the background, as if something is out there in the shadows. The beast bears his fangs and claws and heads straight for your throat.

"Tour d'ivoire" is a combination of rage and anger, manifested in vocals that seem to scream to the winds above. The music keeps a steady pace of aggression along the way, and is tinged with melancholy feelings, perhaps things like regret and loss. "La Lumière de l'infini" is the final song, and it wastes no time pushing tortured vocals and a heavy emotional burden right down your throat. The fast pace keeps the sound hasty, and brings you up on your toes as a listener, waiting for the next. Overall, this was a solid album to listen to. It didn't necessarily offer anything new to the genre, but you can hear the fire and the passion behind the compositions, as well as the artist's skills.