Band:	Animus Mortis
Album:	Testimonia
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	November 03, 2014
Guest review by:	Alex F

01. REM Manifesto
02. Seven Decrees
03. Manuscripts (Emanation & Ascent)
04. Hyperbole Of Senses
05. Testimonia
06. LVX
07. Vibrations From The Immaterial

Animus Mortis have been around for over ten years now, but have only managed to release two full lengths and a handful of other miscellaneous releases which honestly are not worth mentioning. That being said, it seems the band has found a stylistic approach that suits them beautifully on Testimonia. Not only has the band's approach matured to a degree, the music itself feels invigorated with a passion previously unheard on their recordings.

The raw approach to riffing, coupled with purely emotive chord progressions make Testimonia very accessible, without losing the aggressive edge that attracts all of the "kvlt" fans. The listener will often find themselves jamming out to a blistering tremelo-picked riff of pure savagery, only for the veil to melt away and have Animus Mortis present themselves naked and vulnerable. Wave after wave in an endless sea of riffs, you may find yourself slowly drifting away as the album engulfs all of your senses.

Layered on top of the conventional yet brilliantly executed riffing, is layer upon layer of vocalization. Combining wailing high shrieks with brooding low growls the vocalist seems most acclimated to the melancholic aspects of the music. The sparse use of clean vocals will often manifest at the moments of highest tension, droning on under a layer of thick riffing to create a near psychedelic atmosphere, only to be released with a crash and drift away back into the murk.

Aside from lacking much creativity, the weakest point of the album comes in the form of its production. By varying little from the standards of modern black metal, the production could have been what escalated Testimonia into highly impressive territory. Instead of this, the sharp highs and flattened low ends are quite a bit more than just evocative of Deathspell Omega, and the production strips the band of any outstanding unique identity they may have garnered.

While the musicianship on this album is indeed of a very high caliber, the band falls short, as most do, by failing to innovate when given the chance. The successes of maturing as a whole are countered with the shortcoming of leaning onto predetermined standards for the genre in terms of instrumentation and production techniques. If Animus Mortis truly wish to make a name for themselves as one of the outliers in modern black metal, they must find a unique aspect about themselves to emphasize, and claim as their own.