Celestia – Delhÿs-cätess, 10寸胶

10寸胶。

Since the twilight years of the 1990s, a name that invariably comes up when reminiscing about the French Black Metal scene is Celestia. From its very first demo in 1997, the group has captivated with a fast, harsh sound yet particularly relinquished with an almost ethereal melodicism. Such qualities would define and be perfected through a bulk of releases over these beginning years, eventually culminating on the opus “Apparitia – Sumptuous Spectre” in 2002. A few years have passed and Celestia returned with “Delhÿs-Cätess”, a four-track single that would serve as a prelude to the band’s next full-length and, most importantly, signified and marked a change in the band’s sound. Celestia succeeded in perfecting a unique vision of mid-paced Black Metal through a cleaner but dense production that wholly enriched the cold riffs and morbid melodies, and while the cruelty and spite of the group’s past remained, it gave way to a more atmospheric and mournful aura. “Delhÿs-Cätess” is utterly evocative, immersive in its capacity of portraying images of haunting chambers and poignant landscapes, as memorable for its lyricism as for its musical vision. Cloaked by a dark veil of poetic romanticism, Noktu’s words project a morbidity and sadistic essence, a perfect accomplice to its sonic traits.
This memorable piece of gloomy and passionate Black Metal now sees, in 2021, its long overdue debut release on vinyl format.