[Apocalips - DLP CMI 141DLP]
O.R.E. continue their march amongst seeming polarities - of creation and destruction, of dark and light, of joy and sorrow, of sex and war- toward the Coniunctio Oppositorum, the conjunction of opposites.
Their seventh full-length album is an opus of decadent beauty, of shining darkness, of fierce eroticism, of dreams, of blood, sperm and fire. Despite these familiar themes, Apocalips is also more grippingly personal and melancholic than previous records - perhaps reflecting the personal apocalypses of its creator, Tomas Pettersson. Having refined their sound to yet again new levels of clarity and completeness, Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio continue in their tradition of sound, the instruments ranging from drifting acoustic guitars, piercing percussions, lush pianos and strings to the fittingly decadent samples (including the ever-present Saloon Kitty) and above all the deep voice of Tomas Pettersson, delivering his poetic diatribes and evocations via spoken word, and even more than on previous works, via singing.
The tracks on Apocalips range from ferocious and yet tender to more tribally industrial and aggressive rhythmic soundscapes, from "My Venus in Furs", inspired by the old Velvet Underground S&M classic, to the ending track "Who Stole...", which is possibly the most beautiful (and most sad) Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio song thus far.
So whether you are experiencing downfall on a personal level or in the grander scheme of things, Apocalips is a suitably bitter-sweet music to accompany the end-times, laying kisses and rose petals on the path toward the inevitable.
Disc 1.
1. [Mercury Rising] Seduced by the Kisses of Cinnabar Sweet
2. Lost Forever, in the Blitzkrieg of Roses
3. Do Murder and Lust make me a man?
4. Love always dies, But Hate is Forever · Hëmd feat. Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio
5. Hear the Sound of a Black Flame rising
6. Sons & Daughters of Lilith and Cain
7. Hell is My Refuge – A Golden Dawn f0r a Judas Kiss
8. I think about Germany and the End of the World
Disc 2.
9. Let the Words of My Murder be the Last Words You hear
10. When We murdered the World on the Fourteenth of May
11. [Apocalips Kisses] In the Eyes of the Scarlet ones
12. Consume my burning Hollow · In Slaughter Natives feat. Ordo Rosarius Equillibrio
13. Can you see the Forest for the Trees?