LUUP Canticles Of The Holy Scythe [CD]

The project of Greek composer and multi-instrumentalist Stelios Romaliadis, LÜÜP have a long history of excellence within the field of dark chamber music. Their new album, “Canticles of the Holy Scythe”, is a concept about Death through occult philosophy, a journey of understanding and reconciliation with Death as a symbol of renewal through self awareness and enlightenment. It’s a superb cultural pastiche where superstitions and folk traditions entwine with the secrets of Alchemy and the Kabbalah, as well as with Aleister Crowley’s magick. LÜÜP’s chamber music is sombre, minimalistic yet elegant, it combines the aesthetics of black metal, Balkan folk polyphonic singing, the harmonic and rhythmic power of Igor Stravinsky and Bela Bartok, the micro-polyphony and developing stillness of György Ligeti & Giacinto Scelsi, and the dark music of Univers Zero and Art Zoyd. Apart from the acoustic orchestration, “Canticles of the Holy Scythe” is dominated by the intense performances of some amazing vocalists. The fascinating “witch” Sofia Sarri sounds truly possessed during the demonic incantations of “9°=2° (???? ?? ???)”, while the mournful, angelic timbres of Anna Linardou and Xenia Rodotheatou add religious emphasis to the most ethereal moments on the album. However, it’s with the performances of two black metal celebrities that “Canticles of the Holy Scythe” reaches its climax: ROTTING CHRIST’s singer Sakis Tolis recites words of wisdom and illumination, infusing the drone crescendo of “The Greater Holy Assembly” with mystical furor, while Aldrahn from DODHEIMSGARD gives voice to Death itself and delivers a spine-chilling theatrical performance throughout the mysterious “Stibium (Triumph of Death)”, wonderfully interlacing his pungent vocals with the enigmatic musical thread orchestrated by LÜÜP.