Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio & Spiritual Front - Satyriasis

Genre(s) - Apocalyptic folk, military pop
Origin - Sweden (ORE), Italy (SF)
Year of release - 2005
Bitrate - 192 kbps
Size - 47.41 MB

A debauched carnal encounter between the two most sensual and deviant acts of the neo-industrial era, Satyriasis was destined to be long before it was. The two projects each have a style of their own, but there are no two other bands that are as compatible. This is also reflected in the way the album is structured. Transition from the one band and back again is so seamless there is no reason to call it a transition altogether. Spiritual Front are the folkier, more organic of the two while Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio still take more cues from (martial) industrial structure, but both bands supply great exclusive material. The joint-effort intro and outro could have been more substantial, however. They really just serve as in- and outroduction while I'd have loved to hear some co-written actual songs. No matter, you can handle the setback. Now go get 'er.

If you enjoyed the Italian band you can find more here; ORE definitely warrants a future post.

1. ORE ft. SF - Your sex is the scar
2. SF - Song for the old man
3. ORE - Hell is where the heart is (the gospel of Thomas)
4. SF - Autopsy of a love
5. ORE - Three is an orgy, four is forever
6. SF - Border
7. ORE - Dreaming of my scarlet woman
8. SF ft. ORE - The pleasure of pain
   

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Dernière Volonté - Oú Tu Iras

Genre(s) - Martial industrial
Origin - France
Year of release - 2001
Bitrate - 256 kbps
Size - 27.07 MB

Please download this EP (couldn't find the artwork) and listen to the track Ma Promesse. If you think it's boring wait till he stops singing, and the main melody kicks in. Damn. Coupled with the nihilistic drum rolls, that just tears me up. It's the sound of the misplaced and tragic pride of soldiers dying for nothing in a trench war. The emotion is very powerful here. The two other tracks are also good, but have a different atmosphere. They remind me more of seafaring(?) and seem to hint towards their later, military-poppier sound. Wich I actually prefer. But Ma Promesse... holy crap.

1. Oú tu iras
2. Ma promesse
3. Hymn
   

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Dernière Volonté - Les Blessures de l'Ombre

Band/artist - Dernière Volonté
Genre(s) - Martial industrial, military pop
Origin - France
Album - Les Blessures de l'Ombre
Year of release - 2003

Les Blessures de l'Ombre is an anomaly in my collection, and a hell of a tough release to review. Applying influences from marching music not to ambient or industrial but to much more melodic pop structures has led DV main man Geoffroy to the creation of what may well be the first ever military pop album. Altogether it's a bit new-waveish in sound, I would guess: heavy on the synths, old-school production, but using darker melodies and backed by the snare drum rolls commonly associated with army parades. Incredibly, the combination works. Dernière Volonté has delivered a ground-breaking album that makes a seemingly awkward, confusing mix of styles a pleasure to listen to. On Le Poison, Les Blessures de l'Ombre and Le Foudre et le Tonnere, the old martial spirit shines through most clearly but the song that got me hooked was the haunting Vienna.

1. Ouverture (Opening)
   
2. Le poison
3. Vienna
4. Les orages du crime (The storms of crime)
   
5. Les yeux fermés (The closed eyes)
   
6. La foudre et le tonnere (The lightning and the thunder)
   
7. Un dernier crépiscule (A last twilight)
   
8. Vers la lumière (Against the light)
   
9. La source
   
10. Ton visage de papier (Your paper face)
    
11. Les blessures de l'ombre (The wounds of the shadows)
    
12. Souvenirs de demain (Souvenirs of tomorrow)
    
13. Si... (If...)
    
14. Au revoir (Goodbye)
    

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Triarii - Ars Militaria

Band/artist - Triarii
Genre(s) - Martial ambient, neoclassical
Origin - Germany
Album - Ars Militaria
Year of release - 2005

When I first heard of the genre called martial ambient/industrial and military pop I was fascinated by the concept and the bands' images. Most of the bands couldn't really interest me, however; I had hoped for something a bit more romantic and less industrial than most projects within the genre proved to be. Triarii is one of the exceptions: with its focus on ominous, bombastic neoclassical arrangements set to slow, heavy percussion and snare-roll marches it's just as apocalyptic as I imagined the whole genre to be. Listening to Sun, Serpent & the World Ending, the most devastating track on the album, or the proud, nostalgic Son of the Sun you can just visualize the legions marching by.

1. Anthem from the iron flame
2. Europe in flames
3. Mother of pain
4. Dark skies over Europe
5. Der verwundete
6. Legio Vi Ferrata
7. Regicide II
8. Marche du capitulation
9. Neuropa
10. Serpent, sun & the world ending
11. For the fallen ones
12. Son of the sun
    

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