Deathspell Omega



Deathspell Omega is a French black metal band. Their lyrical content deals primarily with Satanism on a metaphysical level – as the band has stated that "all other interpretations of Satan are intellectually invalid" – and other various theological topics. They have also released a trilogy of concept albums which focus on the theological aspects of God, Satan and man's relationship with the two. They released their sixth album The Synarchy of Molten Bones on November 8, 2016. Some of their lyrical inspiration revolved around existentialist themes coming from the French surrealist Georges Bataille and the German idealist Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel.

Biography
Initially, Deathspell Omega produced raw, traditional black metal akin to Darkthrone's Transilvanian Hunger. However, their 2004 release, Si monvmentvm reqvires, circvmspice, marked a change to a vastly more technical, experimental, and well-recorded sound featuring such musical influences as Russian Orthodox chanting and choral music.

The band's work after Si monvmentvm reqvires, circvmspice has been even more experimental and technical, with their output in 2005—Kénôse, "Mass Grave Aesthetics" and "Diabolus absconditus"—totaling nearly eighty minutes in length, longer than Si monvmentvm reqvires, circvmspice. The second volume of the band's trilogy, Fas – Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum, was released on July 16, 2007, outside the United States, and the following day within the United States, to considerable acclaim. The band released another EP in January 2009, entitled Veritas Diaboli Manet in Aeternum: Chaining the Katechon. The final album in the trilogy, Paracletus, was released by Norma Evangelium Diaboli and Season of Mist on November 9, 2010. The band's final work related to the trilogy, titled Drought, was released on June 22, 2012.

Deathspell Omega's latest full-length album, The Synarchy of Molten Bones, was made available early to download and stream on October 31, 2016 with a full physical release on November 8.

There is little to no concrete information about Deathspell Omega's lineup--they do not have any official website, social media platform or promotional photos, have never performed live and do not list credits in their releases. Finnish musician Mikko Aspa is most commonly cited as the vocalist. It is known that Hirilorn vocalist Shaxul was Deathspell Omega's vocalist until 2002, and has gone on record as leaving due to displeasure with the band's shift in themes. Early interviews were deeply critical of the black metal scene, and the last interview they agreed to was conducted by their North American label The Ajna Offensive, with questions and answers sent through the band's exclusive label, Norma Evangelium Diaboli, to preserve their identity. In a 2018 interview with Loudwire, Tobias Forge, lead singer of the band Ghost, stated that the French synthwave artist Carpenter Brut (Franck Hueso) was Deathspell Omega’s producer.

Discography

 * Infernal Battles (2000)
 * Inquisitors of Satan (2002)
 * Si monvmentvm reqvires, circvmspice (2004)
 * Fas – Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum (2007)
 * Paracletus (2010)
 * The Synarchy of Molten Bones (2016)

Compilation albums

 * Manifestations 2000–2001 (2008, collection of material originally released on LP on the splits with Moonblood and Mütiilation and the Black Metal Blitzkrieg compilation)
 * Manifestations 2002 (2008, eight previously unreleased tracks, initially written for the Crushing the Holy Trinity compilation and a planned split with Cantus Bestiae)

EPs

 * Kénôse (2005)
 * Veritas Diaboli Manet in Aeternum: Chaining the Katechon (2008), standalone release of the band's contribution to the split album with S.V.E.S.T.
 * Mass Grave Aesthetics (2008), originally released in 2005 on the 'From the Entrails to the Dirt' split.
 * Diabolus Absconditus (2011), originally released in 2005 on the 'Crushing the Holy Trinity' split.
 * Drought (2012)

Split releases

 * Clandestine Blaze / Deathspell Omega – Split (2001)
 * Sob A Lua Do Bode / Demoniac Vengeance (2001, split LP with Moonblood)
 * Split with Mütiilation (2002)
 * From the Entrails to the Dirt (Part III) (2005, split LP with Malicious Secrets)
 * Crushing the Holy Trinity (Part I: Father) (2005, V/A LP with Stabat Mater, Clandestine Blaze, Musta Surma, Mgła, and Exordium)
 * Veritas Diaboli Manet in Aeternum (2008, split EP with S.V.E.S.T.)

Demos

 * Disciples of the Ultimate Void (1999, entire release is included as the final four tracks of the band's first album, Infernal Battles)

Compilation appearances

 * "Black Crushing Sorcery" on Black Metal Blitzkrieg (2001, End All Life Productions)

Box sets

 * Untitled 5LP vinyl box (2009): includes Infernal Battles, Inquisitors of Satan, Manifestations 2000-2001, Manifestations 2002, and the band's side of the split with Clandestine Blaze.
 * Untitled 7LP vinyl box (2012): includes Si Monumentum Requires, Circumspice, Kénôse, Diabolus Absconditus, Mass Grave Aesthetics, Fas - Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum, Chaining the Katechon, Paracletus, and Drought