Title: Bâ'a - Deus qui non mentitur
Date: 2020-10-12 15:15

I'm a huge fan of Anorexia Nervosa's fourth and latest album, [Redemption
Process](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redemption_Process), so I was really
happy to recognize the voice of [RMS
Hreidmarr](https://www.metal-archives.com/artists/RMS_Hreidmarr/11910) on
[Bâ'a](https://baa-band.fr/) first album: [Deus qui non
mentitur](https://osmoseproductions.bandcamp.com/album/deus-qui-non-mentitur).

[![Deus qui non mentitur cover]({static}/images/baa_deus_qui_non_mertitur.jpg)]({static}/images/baa_deus_qui_non_mertitur.jpg)

The lyrics, in French and in verse, are dealing with the relationship between
Humanity and the Divine, tainted by the selfish pride, ego, and uses of
corrupted intermediaries of the former, which isn't really unexpected for black
metal, to say the least.

With only 4 tracks, plus an intro and an outro, this is a short album, lasting
around 30 minutes: "Titan" is brutal, "Procession" has a surprise Bible reading in
the middle, "Des profondeurs je crie" is build like a pyramid, with a ramp-up,
a zenith and a careful descent, "Un bûcher pour piedestal" is throbbing. Every
track feels unique and thoughtfully built.

I'm usually not really into black metal, since most of the time it's a
stereotypical swampy garbage low-fi, drum-blasted, puked indistinguishable
satan-über-alles borborygmes propelled by wannabe pseudo-atmospheric chords.
It's absolutely not the case here.  Varied melodies, sometimes harsh, sometimes
slow; intelligent uses of the drums; articulated and correctly enunciated
thoughtful well written lyrics; orchestral and grandiose moments alternating
with violent harangues; instruments shifting in and out of the spotlight,
singing sounding obscure, furious desperate, mad, … often simultaneously. The
album sounds whole and round, with depths likely due to the fact that while the
album is pretty short, the band takes its time to lay everything down, to
methodically build their songs: no downtimes, no undue lengths, only wholesome
despair.

I didn't really know what to expect from this band, and was surprised by how
good, meaningful and accessible they first album sounds.