Sektemtum (France): Aut Caesar Aut Nihil (Osmose)

Sektemtum (France): Aut Caesar Aut Nihil (Osmose) The vocalist for Sektemtum is Meyhna’ch, from black metal entity Mütiilation and another person, Six, used to be in black/deathsters Arkhon Infaustus. The sound of Sektemtum is raw, yet clear. The drumming often goes at uptempo speed and sometimes goes into high-speed or blasting, which gives a good, varied level of energy. Not very close to a strict category of “black metal,” yet that is the closest association to be made. The difference is that the speed is not the number one priority, nor are other things like rawness, or heaviness, nor brutality or anything like. Of course, all those things are present. What Sektemtum has going for it as a particularly good quality is their experience, knowledge and feel for writing songs that are effective, that get to the point and that the listener can easily understand. But beware. This has a nasty bite. The vocals are of the tortured-soul kind, the overall sound might not appeal to people who want “studio perfection.” At this level of experience, for a band like Sektemtum, this sound is not an accident, not at all. There is, in fact, a “rocking” quality to the music, which goes along with the black metal guitar work. The music sounds like it is played by people and sounds relatively genuine, without too much studio trickery and overdubbing, compared to the over-processed, clicky and perfect sound that many other bands seem to prefer, like Behemoth, Hate Eternal, Belphegor, etc. The songs are not difficult to remember, but some people will have to get used to the sound. Once that happens, though, a song like “Low Spread” will sound positively “rocking”: simple, upfront and just a good vibe. The title track is another one that’s easy to enjoy. So, is “Conference Catastrophe,” which functions on the basis of less-is-more mentality. Other songs are… just forget the details. You already know what you need to know. www.reverbnation.com/sektemtum www.reverbnation.com/sektemtum