One can’t credibly accuse Genus Ordinis Dei of a lack of ambition. Predecessor Glare of Deliverance used bombastic symphonic death metal to weave a tale of religious prosecution and witchcraft. The entire storyline was accompanied by a series of self-produced music videos. A big project, but the album itself was undercut by bloat and failed to impress me as much as 2017’s Great Olden Dynasty had done. Now, as the year draws to a close, the Biblical story-weavers bring us The Beginning, another religion-themed concept album accompanied by videos, but with only 4 videos and a pared-down running time, I felt hopeful the Italians would not be making the same mistake twice.
And I’m happy that this hope wasn’t for naught. Genus Ordinis Dei continues its musical evolution, the peculiar blend of genres now including everything from symphonic death metal to deathcore to gothic metal to folk to progressive to groove metal. The main ingredient remains symphonic death, especially the compact, catchy kind espoused by Septicflesh, especially audible on “The Divine Order” and “The Dragon and the Sword.” But “Changing Star” and “Genesis” add layered clean vocals that hearken more toward Borknagar and sound like they should be chanted through the abandoned wilderness. A Gojira style of riff pops up on opener “Aeternus” and the more syncopation-heavy battle-ready “Blackstone,” the latter a particularly strong track with many tight turns and some top-class drumming from Nicola Pedrali. It’s easy enough to keep listing bands; what makes The Beginning a resounding success is its ability to glue such a wide array of moods and influences together into a coherent yet versatile album.
Genus Ordinis Dei uses a host of tools that ensure the album’s continuing unity. The concept is but one aspect of this, though it is a compelling one. Leaving the Bible behind for a much older setting, the album explores the concept of prehistoric tribal religions and what happens when people leave one such tribe. Sketched with plenty of caveman hoo-hah chants, hand drumming and marching rhythms, the band manages to portray the story with more than just lyrics. But that does not mean the vocals are anything to sneeze at, their extensive stylistic range remaining a core fixture in G.O.D.’s arsenal. The narrative would not be nearly as compelling without a vocalist whose talents encompass both technique and storytelling. “For A New God” is a prime example of this. The emotional climax of the album, its structure is fairly simple, but the pain in Niccolò Cadrigari’s coarse screams is evident long before it dissolves into sobs by the song’s end. It’s melodramatic, certainly, often over the threshold of cheesy. But damn if it’s not done so well to be deeply compelling anyway.
Despite still nearing a full hour, The Beginning feels much less bloated than Glare of Deliverance. For one, there is no 16-minute track, only one crossing 7 minutes. For two, it’s a far more multifaceted affair, the majority of songs possessing their own face and identity. A few aspects could be tightened still; for instance, the largely instrumental “Shaman” doesn’t add much value to the album, and opener “Aeternus” wallows in its outro a bit too long. But overall it feels like a remarkably brisk album for its heft. The only real demerit I can levy is the production, which needs more breathing room. Though the DR5 (with most songs hitting DR4) looks worse than it sounds, in part thanks to a solid mix, the orchestral arrangements and drums would benefit a ton from more available depth in the master.
It’s a lone blemish on one of the finest symphonic albums of the year and the pinnacle of Genus Ordinis Dei’s discography so far. December is known to be the pit where shitty albums are buried to not embarrass the labels while blogs and magazines are busy with their top 10s, but The Beginning bucks the trend and delivers front to back. I’ve seen plenty of bands lay claim to a cinematic experience that don’t live up to the hype, while G.O.D. has made this its modus operandi without breaking a sweat, composing an absorbing soundtrack to a narrative of its own invention. When sizing up the year-end candidates, don’t skip this excellent bombastic tale of converted cavemen.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Eclipse Records
Websites: genusordinisdei.com | facebook.com/genusordinisdei
Releases Worldwide: December 8th, 2023
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