Album Review: Dead Earth - Et Disperdam Illud
Reviewed by Liam True
Being released back in later 2022 exclusively on vinyl, Dead Earth’s debut album has now had a re-release on CD. No bonus tracks or any other inclusives appear on the CD version, just Dead Earth bringing the same dreary-laden black metal upon us.
The offspring of mastermind Mathias Kamijo, Et Disperdam IIIud is from back to front, a masterclass in how to conduct a black metal symphony. Opening with atmospherics on The Last Cinders Of Hope it pulls you in slowly before exploding into the bleak fuzzy guitars, low-fi blast beat drums and the gurgling vocals of Kamijo. Kamijo himself performs almost everything instrumentally, apart from the drums who are manned by Kim Arnell, but Kamijo shows his technical prowess not only on guitar and drums, but also on piano as there are many sections through the album where the softer piano melodies echo against the putrid backdrop of the black metal anarchy that is present throughout the albums 40-minute run time.
More notably in the middle of Doom, Cerulean it does from thrashing black metal to peaceful piano to a blinding guitar solo that creates a juxtaposition of musical heaven. With black metal you know what you’re getting. A putrid sound spawned from demons themselves performed by a Nazgul to the full extent of breakneck speed and that is what exactly oozes from the album.
Throughout the album there are a myriad of guest vocal spots and a few instances of guest guitar solo spots which would raise a few eyebrows but Kamijo’s songwriting shines through the illustrious guest musicians that are brought in. It’s easy to make bad black metal, but it’s a challenge to make very good black metal. And through the wraith-like wails Kamijo has created an almost perfect addition to the black metal namesake.
Just to clarify. None of the vocals were performed by me. Full vocal credits to everyone mentioned on the CD cover