Band:	Antiquus Scriptum
Album:	Imaginarium
Style:	Black metal, Viking folk metal
Release date:	January 31, 2017
Guest review by:	Karlabos

01. Conselho De Guerra (Præludium Bellicum)
02. Aljubarrota 1385
03. Terras D'el Rey
04. A Tear For Atægina
05. A Moment Of Clarity
06. Zagallos, Jardim De Falácias
07. A Sea Of Doubts
08. Atlântica 0
09. Transilvanian Hunger
10. Tertúlia Das Bruxas Dançantes
11. The Fifth Illusion
12. O Outono Medieval
13. Raise Your Fist
14. The Cold Lips Of Isabelle

What is the main difference between the first two waves of black metal and medieval black metal? You'd guess medieval black metal is far more slow-paced, soft, and melancholic because it has to sound like Summoning, right? Caladan Brood, Elffor, Emin Muyl... Well, wrong. Medieval black metal can be every bit as upbeat and catchy, carrying interesting riffing and weight just like your regular, old black. In other words, it can be just as fun!

And the proof is right here: it's Antiquus Scriptum's Imaginarium. For those who do not know, they play a heavily second-wave-inspired black metal with emphasis on catchy tremolo riffage and blast beating everything while also bringing medieval influences. And I'm not talking about annoying c*ck-block interludes (well, there ARE some interludes, but...); the influences are present in subtler stuff like bombastic war drumming, whistling background synth, and also the most important thing of all: Sacerdos Magus's angry yet clean vocals, resembling a crusader from a whimsical British show. With all that in account, Antiquus Scriptum, along with Witches Moon, is currently one of the few bands that make this currently stale genre still worth listening to.

And in Imaginarium the medieval themes, and especially the vocals, sound much more present than on the previous releases. Perhaps it's because it all sounds better-produced overall and therefore one can hear the songs more clearly or perhaps it was intentional, but the fact is that it's all over the place, somehow without compromising the whole 'dirty black metal' original setup.

Now, if you are familiar with [band]Antiquus Scriptum[/band\'s previous discography, you will find this record following more or less the same "formula" (if you can call it that) of the others. Specifically, there are a lot of songs, the main ones being huge songs spanning above 10-minute mark and the other ones either instrumental interludes or fast-paced, almost thrashy metal tracks reminiscent of Absu in a weird way.

Imaginarium also features a lot of covers, including Darkthrone's "Transilvanian Hunger" and Running Wild's "Raise Your Fist". Antiquus Scriptum definitely met the fans' expectations here, as they managed once again to compose another record so catchy to the point you can't pause or stop it to take a leak after you have pressed the play button on your player.

Check it out for yourself!