DMP Vault – Part IX, "Fin de Siècle"

For edition IX of the DMP Vault we look back to 2012 and our first collaboration with German experimental Black Metal band PORTA NIGRA (Latin for "black gate"), a band heavily influenced by fin de siècle and decadent literature. Consisting at the time of two core members, guitarist/bassist Gilles de Rais and drummer/vocalist O, the band had launched that year via debut single "Megalomaniac". Released by us on 7" format, the two tracks gave an insight into the band's potential, and the audience was in luck, as in November a first full-length also saw light of day.

Used to describe the late 19th-century literary and artistic climate, fin de siècle (French for 'end of the century') covers a period of profound social change, decorated with cynicism and pessimism. This vivid representation of the decadence of industrialization was interpreted in dark Metal form by the German duo via their complex and memorable debut album, aptly titled "Fin de Siècle". A diverse array of vocal styles, assorted additional instrumentation, and a range of obscure themes conjure individual emotional states across each of the seven tracks. An album worth remembering, so luckily we have this Vault entry to oblige.

The album is coloured with deep, raw, and uninhibited emotions which reflect the movements of a debased society. Opening track 'Dekadente Nächte' ('Decadent Nights') is a lush dive into a constant process of alteration, inspiring the intense response such changing realities evoke. It dances between harsh brute force and beautifully intoxicating clean singing, with constant shifts in delivery, tempo and tone creating a sense of unease. You become caught in the album's web and remain in its restraint.

Oh, what a tangled web they weave. Second track 'Megalomaniac' achieves total domination of the listener's senses, continuing an eerie game of contrasts with the intensity bar rising at each turn. The dark and decadent scenarios depicted in the poetry of songwriter/lyricist Gilles de Rais give the impression he lived through it himself.

Final track 'Tod meiner Lust' ('Death Of My Desire') is especially satisfying, as the band slowly builds an impenetrable atmosphere, an aesthetic crucible reflecting late 19th-century debasement. It feels as if each part of this unfortunately overlooked album has worked towards a unified end.

Following "Fin de Siècle", in 2015 PORTA NIGRA again collaborated with DMP on both the "Femme Fatale" single and second full-length "Kaiserschnitt", a superb album which deserves a dedicated Vault entry of its own. The band then took a 5-year break from creating new material. The intervening period saw lineup changes and the evolution of their sound, yet the currently-active German duo still retain the same ardor and authenticity which made us fans 12 years ago.

When the day is gone you are dreaming
Another world, another time. Resist!