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Vlad

Review: Sublimatio Mortis - Transubstantiatio


Album: Transubstantiatio

Label: Cyclic Law

Release date: December 2024



"All is vibration. All is sound. Even death." Thus opens the self-description of Sublimatio Mortis, the relatively young project of C. Undirheimar and M. Massaya, and as you press the play button, the meaning behind these words quickly unravels. Transubstantiatio is the duo's third album (their first on Cyclic Law) and its release on the winter solstice should toss a spanner - nay, a sledgehammer - into the works of anyone who smugly thought they had their AOTY lists for dark ambient all sorted out.


"Transubstantiatio" is the Latin term meaning "the changing of substance", and while it's usually employed in a ecclesiastic context, referring to the changing of eucharistic bread and wine into the literal body and blood of Christ, it's clear that Sublimatio Mortis use the term in a wider metaphysical context not necessarily related to the mysteries of Roman Catholicism. That's about the only thing that's clear about this release, as the rest of it is shrouded in absolutely colossal darkness. It's exceptionally difficult to describe the music of Sublimatio Mortis in words, as it's so rendingly simple - deep, guttural Tibetan-style throat singing over a background of guitar and synth drones, distortion, chanting and other chasmal soundscapes. Imagine Phurpa joining forces with Sunn O))) and you'll have an approximate idea of what to expect here, although this deceptively straightforward comparison doesn't really do it justice. This is a highly contemplative release, its sheer sense of purpose precluding the possibility of combining it with any other physical or mental activity. While the basic ingredients in the cauldron never change too much, each track manages to conjure a slightly different atmosphere, with the last one probably being my favourite. C. Undirheimar masterfully weaves his overtone singing techniques into a proper sermon from the altar of Death, and although I don't know whether there are any such plans, I strongly believe the music of Sublimatio Mortis would be fantastic to witness in a live setting.


Quite frankly, few self-styled ritual ambient releases manage to live up to their own description, and Transubstantiatio is a wonderfully refreshing example to the opposite. Its pitch-black darkness somehow manages to be inviting rather than oppressive, while at the same time being more engaging than the works of, say, Phurpa, who I've always found fascinating, but ultimately too abstract to enjoy on more than a rare occasion. Releases this original in a decades-old subgenre are few and far between these days, and I strongly encourage every reader of this blog to submit themselves to Transubstantiatio and see what (or shall I say who?) comes out of the experience.


Rating: 9/10

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