Band: Numen
Title: Numen
Label: Les Acteurs De L’Ombre
Distribution: /
Release date: April 23rd 2011
Review: CD (re-release)

There used to be a symphonic Prog Metal formation with the very same moniker, hailing from Alicante, yet who cares about that? I do not; I’m interested in the Basque formation, since a long time.
This self-called album isn’t a new one; here we’re talking about a re-release (damn, how many re-releases will we have to deal with this year; since a few months, I did review tens of re-issues and apparently there are lots to follow; yet anyway, back to Numen’s review), originally from the year 2007. Why re-releasing this? Sold-out very soon (because of a very limited edition), and distributed professionally only on the Iberian Peninsula. That’s why…
Happy? Why not, because Numen are one of the most magisterial Pagan Black bands from Spain. I did always enjoy this band’s Nordic hymns, including this self-called six-tracker.
Remarkable, yet at the same time not that unusual in their home region, is the use of their mother tongue Euskera for the lyrical expression of their songs. It makes me confused, because I do not speak Basque fluently, of course…
[fyi: see the review of Aiumeen Basoa’s Iraganeko Bide Malkartsutik, a comparable formation that also uses the Basque mother language, posted on July 7th 2010, or the superb album Cantares Das Loitas Esquecidas by Xerión, hailing from Galicia, another northern Spanish region with an ancient culture, an own language and own traditions - posted on November 15th 2010]
The album Numen brings an epic and traditional form of Scandinavian-oriented grimness, injected with own elements. The victorious and malignant tracks last between four and ten minutes and are very varying. The tempo, for example, is mainly ultra-fast, but each long composition contains some changes in speed, rather plain, certainly not of the progressive kind. The specific approach differs too between the hymns. Some parts, for example, make use of acoustic and / or traditional instruments, bringing a subtle note of Folk in it. The inspirational sources are diverse as well, even though most names that come to (my) mind are Norwegian formations (or at least Norway’s nineties’ scene) and some Swedish ones. Opener Egunsentiaren Heriotza, for example, has a rather Swedish approach, at least when it comes to the aggressive and terrorizing totality, yet as said before, Numen perform with an own sound, and with specific touches of Basque supremacy. Bathory appears from time to time, in both the fast and blaspheme pieces, as well as in some integer moments (like the modest acoustic outro on Gauaren Irrifarre Izkutua). Kampfar too might have been of influence; listen for example to Belearen Hegaldiak… Iluntasuna Dakar. Craft, Burzum, Primordial (not Scandinavian, you might have noticed?), Necrophobic, Marduk, Enslaved, it’s just a collection of mighty entities that dwell around in the same obscure, oppressive, brave and evil spheres…
The northern regions of Spain do have a very strong scene, based on historical and mythological subjects, strongly comparable to the Scandinavian and British (UK + Ireland) one in both musical and lyrical point of view. It’s not that surprising, because the origins of those ancient tribes are strongly related (but therefore I recommend you to read some literature – or just listen to this kind of material and experience this beauty).

92/100

Ivan Tibos.