This is the final hymn from Finnish black metal occultists Cosmic Church, titled Täyttymys which makes sense as it translates to Fulfillment in English. This is a strong ending to an impactful trio of albums with heavy esoteric meanings behind them. There’s a different sound direction with this album as well, taking on a more ethereal and atmospheric route but still holding onto the raw fundamentals that started with this band.
There’s no doubting this is a Cosmic Church album right off the bat, the familiar guitar tones and the melodic riffs ring out and you instantly connect the dots. But there’s more of an echoed production behind the instrumentals and vocals, and the added bonus of keyboards which weren’t as prominent in the past. They add a bigger emphasis to how melodic this album is and pairs really nicely with the rough tones of the guitars. The vocals sound much more ghastly than normal, with the added echo effects that just helps build with the atmosphere. This album truly feels like an ending to a long tale, which was the artist’s intention behind it, as it was written with a vision in mind. The album’s atmosphere just builds this melancholic feeling of nostalgia and a true and final goodbye to the project itself. That message is truly felt on the final track of the album, which just so happens to be the title track as well. The 9 minute epic is the longest on the album and feels like a musical meditation and journey with the droning riffs and the wall of sound created by the fusion of the keyboard synths and raw guitar production. The lyrics are being barked out in ghastly echoed vocals but when translated create imagery of this sense of oneness through a metaphorical death, representing the death of the band itself as well.
The heavy symbology and esoteric ideas behind this album is truly intriguing. There was an intention to create 3 albums all with 7 tracks, with each of them a different way L.S.A expresses his spiritual and creative visions to the universe. There’s a lot to break down with the with the idea of numerology and the very powerful symbolism behind those two numbers have, but after all, the trinity is represented within the all seeing eye pyramid that is present in the band’s logo. Each of the three albums touch upon different topics, with this one having the fitting theme of death and spiritual attainment, realizing one’s true self. Its an impactful theme that is very much represented in the music, as it has this interesting mix of sound that L.S.A says were influences from older bands both in black metal and without.
This is without a doubt one of the strongest final albums I’ve heard from a band who’s creative vision was finally fulfilled. There’s a great sense of satisfaction hearing the arc change over time for this band, and getting to hear the evolution over the years. The vision feels truly complete with this album and is a personal favorite of mine. The message was strongly put forward and the product is truly beautiful. A must listen to those who want to get started with the band and wish to continue more.