The Secret – Lux Tenebris

Aug. 2018 – Southern Lord Recordings

8 years after the release of the masterful Solve Et Coagula, and 6 after Agnus Dei, The Secret return with a short EP, and what they've lost in chaos they've gained in focus.

The introduction to Solve Et Coagula, Cross Builder, was my favourite part of the record, and since Agnus Dei they've been distancing themselves from their simpler past and developed a more mature, blackened style. Despite this, The Secret is still as aggressive as before – it's as if they took a grinding approach to writing black metal, with production putting the drums further up front and playing dark arpeggios with a tone reminiscent at times of the legendary Boss HM-2.

Their songwriting has taken a turn for the better, with much more dynamic and contextually surprising composition. Building crescendos like none other, before slowing down, building into arpeggios and reconstructing a previous riff – this is the kind of song structure that was lacking in their previous endeavours. More reserved drums help immensely – gone are the days of d-beats and constant blasts, they heyday of the doom metal beat has arrived. Giving more breathing space to the guitars, but also the bass, which tentatively plays outside the root notes from time to time, makes for a more interesting, diverse listen, and reinforces the actual blasts when they do arrive.

Frightening, sombre leads were always a strength in The Secret, and Lux Tenebris shows they're aware of it, indulging in two multiple-minute long sections evoking the most terrifying images. The album cover inspires visions of primitive beasts, antediluvian powers and the fate of dead civilizations at the hand of said beings – the same visions conjured by the reverb-soaked riffs beginning and ending the EP.

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