Only just recovering from his previous album Febris Manea does it again and releases yet another fantastically dreadful album. But this time he’s not alone, each track featuring a different vocal guest providing their lyrical contribution and their own take on this hellish music. Featuring vocal performances from acts such as Vide, Vinterfodt, Endless Nothing, and others. Each of them providing a phenomenal addition and makes each song that much more unique. I feel as though this is a great step forward for his sound and the cult that has formed around Febris Manea has only grown larger.
One of the main musical divergences from the past is just how melodic this whole album is. Still filled with fury and hateful wrath, there’s more room for melodies and guitar riffs are more noticeable and catchy. I can’t say I’ve found my self humming along to a Febris song in the past, but with this album I certianly have on plenty of tracks. Especially the vocal melodies provided by DxCx of Vinterfodt. And hearing a clean singing part on the seventh track provided by DxCx is rather mind blowing, especially on such a viscious album like this. Yet D.O’s very creative mixing and production style is able to make this work in such a hellish and chaotic sound. The third track The Maniacal Desperation of Emptiness has such a great vocal melody despite how viciously morbid the lyrics are, its weirdly catchy. There are other great vocal performances like on the second track Sodominator of Nederlag provides a rapid assault of bestial wrath on the second track and Endless Nothing providing his powerful vocals on the sixth track. There’s just too many to count that I find fit so well within that very distinct Febris Manea sound, which is still very solid, with those digital almost industrial style drums and raw production style. Its just such a treat to hear a more melodic bent to the guitars, really showing off his songwriting skills I feel, as D.O provides all the instrumentation and songwriting/production as perusal.
This is such a refined release and clearly someone who is very comfortable with their sound. I love hearing the experimentation and the growth of D.O and his project as its grown over the years. Its almost unpredictable to know when or what he’s gonna do next, as each album release has been somewhat of a surprise. Not only have each of them been a step forward from the previous, but this is by far is strongest release (despite me saying this for almost all of them when they came out.) and has easily cemented its self as one of my albums of this year. Who knows what’s in store next but I know I will be there to find out.