Artist: Ignobleth
Country: Italy
Label: Caligari Records
Formats: Cassette Tape / CD
Year: 2026
If you make your debut with a digital single titled ‘Bestial Witchery’, you leave no doubt as to where your musical ambitions lie. These were realised and confirmed on the ‘Voidspawn Sacrifice’ EP, released shortly afterwards via the small, local Masked Death label. Although by no means flawless, that EP revealed a clear penchant for cave-dweller-style Black/Death Metal rooted in the core principles of Blasphemy, Black Witchery and Archgoat. This first full-length album is certainly no different.
The somewhat shabby artwork may not be all that appealing, but the music is more than a logical follow-up to ‘Voidspawn Sacrifice’. The sound, in particular, has been given an update; it sounds much fuller and, above all, a whole lot heavier. This certainly enriches the overall experience; the faster sections now feel more overwhelming and the slower sections more crushing. In that respect, Ignobleth have certainly taken steps forward in their musical development; lively dynamics in this kind of music do so much more than just add a bit of variety; they keep the music exciting and emphasise the riffs. However, it’s not all praise; the drums are still regularly the weaker link, as in ‘And The Lunar Mass Shatters’, for example, where it comes across as just a touch too loose and messy. Of course, part of that is the charm of this whole genre, but when it falls out of sync, it does miss the mark. Another thing is that I personally feel that 45 minutes is actually quite long for this genre, so you really need to be exceptional to hold the listener’s attention for that long.
Still, as a whole, ‘Manor Of Primtive Anticreation’ is a solid debut album that feels like natural progression from where these Italian youngster came from. Fans of the bands mentioned above, as well as Imprecation, Angelcorpse, Proclamation and Teitanblood, would do well to give this a listen. And, just to be clear, there’s no shame in the fact that there’s still room for improvement; they can certainly take pride in their learning curve: proof that eagerness and youthful energy are still the key to success.
