Celestial Deconstruction’s Transcosmic Spillover is the first record by this German collective — essentially a duo. What I find particularly intriguing is the presence of a certain Philip Breuer. And why? Well, this gentleman operated for years under the name Tyrann in the mighty Dutch black metal band Ordo Draconis. A band that treated us to outstanding work between 1996 and 2005, such as When The Cycle Ends, a demo from 1997, or the EP In Speculis Noctis from 1999. And I almost forgot the magnificent diptych Camera Obscura. Good grief!
Now both gentlemen have prepared and crafted a kind of transcendental, transcosmic work from the finest materials. It should come as no surprise that Stefan and his Vendetta Records managed to sign the band for Transcosmic Spillover. The powerful artwork by Misanthropic Art naturally colours the entire package and makes this release, in physical format, an absolute treasure. Especially when you also receive the accompanying narrative, the textual framework, which serves as a kind of homage to Yuval Noah Harari, Richard Dawkins, Friedrich Nietzsche, Seneca, Arthur Schopenhauer, Thomas More, Pierre-Simon Laplace, but also to the cinematic works of Stanislaw Lem, Arthur C. Clarke, and Hugo Gernsback. I know, it is quite a mouthful.
When you have the above influences and use such a title for your debut album, as a listener you can already imagine the kind of sounds that will be thrown your way. Spacey keyboard passages and rhythmic background effects then become your thing. In the opening phase, the vocals are still narrative and storytelling in nature. The question, of course, is whether this remains the case throughout the entire album. The intention is perfectly clear. This Celestial Deconstruction wants to guide you across, to the other side — wherever that may be. Ecce Homo, Morbus Mundi! starts with brazen monotony, featuring piercing guitars and screams that tear through the ozone layer.
The black metal presented here by this duo is at times razor-sharp and brutally savage — for that, listen to Summoning 124C – A Parenesis. At other moments, it attempts to convince you through more experimental sounds that crossing over to the other side, the other dimension, or wherever we are meant to be taken, will certainly be no easy feat. Aleph Caesura – The Great Filter provides further insight into this. The compositions are often — or at least seem — highly complex; especially on the guitar front, an enormous amount is happening. A vocal surprise is hidden within the penultimate track, Parergon – The Finite New Age of Reason.
I really should revisit the oeuvre of the Dutch Ordo Draconis. Despite that remark, it can certainly be said that this Celestial Deconstruction has delivered an enviable album with Transcosmic Spillover. One that actually fits perfectly in line with the final work released in 2005 by that Dutch band.
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