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With "Heretical, Roman "Ergo" Petro conjures an evocative world that feels as if it exists on the threshold between the sacred and the mechanical, the timeless and the ephemeral. A collection of unreleased material from the late 1990s, this album breathes life into sounds that have been hidden beneath layers of dust, now reimagined and brought into stark, breathtaking clarity. It’s a journey through contrasts—of raw industrial grit, celestial atmospheres, and haunting melodies that blur the line between the organic and the synthetic.
The album opens with "Black Snow," a track that could be described as an industrial hymn. Its pounding beats feel like the pulse of machinery, while the male choir’s soaring chants lend it a sacred, almost liturgical quality. This collision of raw and refined elements creates a visceral tension, a soundscape where ancient echoes meet modern chaos, all underpinned by an unrelenting rhythm that feels like the heartbeat of an otherworldly machine. In "Burn to Death," exotic chants pierce through a hypnotic, ritualistic framework. Repetitive and primal, the song is layered with whispers and unexpected instruments—possibly a flute?—that evoke an ancient, animalistic energy. The melodies twist and weave like smoke through firelight, creating a track that feels less like a song and more like an invocation to something both wild and unseen. "Contact" offers a moment of spatial vastness, juxtaposing minimalist sampling with an expansive, atmospheric soundscape. It feels as though you’re standing at the edge of infinity, where every note resonates with an almost tangible stillness. By contrast, the title track "Heretical" bursts forward with relentless energy, its rhythmic perfection driving layers of melodies and choral elements into a stunning crescendo. This is a song that grips the listener, synchronizing their heartbeat to its rhythm and immersing them in its hypnotic flow—a true masterstroke of industrial composition.
Each piece on Heretical adds a new facet to the album’s intricate mosaic. "In the Name of God" strips everything down to raw industrial power, its unpolished edges shimmering with intensity. "No Regret," by contrast, feels like a hymn for modernity—uplifting, yet deeply introspective, with its irresistible melody balancing solemnity with catchiness. "Pain and Insane" plunges into deeper shadows, its tangled layers revealing complexities that demand repeated listens, while "Sacred Dream" and "Sorrow" act as meditations on beauty and mystery, pulling the listener into moments of delicate reverie. What makes Heretical so striking is its ability to balance opposites. It captures both chaos and precision, rawness and refinement, light and shadow. It is at once deeply human and entirely otherworldly, inviting the listener into a realm that feels ancient and futuristic, familiar and alien. Each track is its own journey, yet together they form a cohesive work of art that resonates with an almost spiritual profundity.
The album is an exploration of sound as a vessel for emotion and experience. Roman  has crafted a masterwork that doesn’t just ask to be heard—it demands to be felt.

Author: khocico
Translator: khocico
Add date: 2025-01-26 / Music reviews