Track Premiere: Patristic – Praescriptio II
The room is as black as the thoughts that churn inside the dreamer’s skull. It’s a tranquil darkness—only the gentle rustling of sheets and infrequent whimpers disturb the calm. In her mind, there is a commotion. Her eyelids flicker; her neurons fire; her rest is strewn with corrupted memories that form a new terror.
“Praescriptio II” is sleep paralysis for the ears, a flight through forests where every leaf is keen as a dagger. Patristic plays a razor-sharp style of black metal, one that eschews frigid atmospheres for a complete lack thereof; the density of the drum work and sheer production is enough to suck all the air from listeners’ lungs. (Could this be Giles Corey black metal? More weight, please.) When a sudden quiet disrupts the track, we’re jolted awake, freed for a moment from its hypnotic clutches. Where have we been? What visions have we seen? “Praescriptio II” is more about emotions than structure, and as we slide back into the yawning depths, dread is the mainstay.
A ritual plays out: wavering figures worship a scion of doom, lit only by faint embers of melody. Toms rumble in the distance, and something slithers out of sight. You don’t know if you’d want to see the source of the sound, but as you emerge into the waking world and the nightmare dissipates, you find yourself hoping you’ll return to this place.
Apologetica will be released on May 6th through Pulverised Records.
