LOTAO — In Nomine Diabolus

Germanys LOTAO (Lodge of the Ancient Order) project see’s the light of day on this exquisitely grim little 7” from Hellville Records. A very simple but classy cover, with silver print on a sheen black background, offers little in the way of a clue to the source of the sounds within, even though there is definitely an air of satanic intent afoot. Some research sheds very little light on the main practitioner, referred to only as ‘Malik’ and nothing more. A quick view on Hellville’s website affirms this concept of unknown quantities with the slogan ‘Art & camaraderie before profit & fame’, certainly this little ditty will not be hitting the bestsellers charts any time soon, indeed the release itself is extremely limited, with only 105 copies being pressed in total. Other notable acts that have been released on Hellville include the omnipresent HNW artist Vomir alongside the likes of Ptomain, who themselves also wield intense sheets of noise to bludgeon the listener into remorse.

From setting the needle onto the vinyl, the first thing to greet your ears are the pounding industrial drums that are singularly prominent from the start, gradually building in intensity incorporating semi-rhythmical noise with an almost martial quality, combined with guttural croaks that drop in and out of the foreground. The layers gradually strip back, broken by intermittent screeching and otherworldly atmospheres, solidifying the bleak and oppressive vibes which are intensified with lashings of distortion and almost remorseless continuity. 

Side B spares little time getting to the crux of the matter, hitting the listener square in the face with elongated bursts of noise, similar in sound to metal on metal scratching, a grating intensity which is only built upon with the muddle of industrial clattering and screeching that is happening in the background. There is little change in the track from beginning to end, just a hypnotic roundabout of demonic noise and marching sounds built around a steady, but barely audible drum pattern. What sounds like church bells end the piece and the whole thing dissipates, leaving you wandering if it was all just a dream in the first place.

Lodge of the Ancient Order definitely shows promise; the aesthetics are laid down nicely, but the compositional skills lack fluidity, feeling almost adrift within their own cacophony of sound. Whilst the record certainly encapsulates, repeated listens will probably be few and far between, these tracks would have probably made more sense as part of a full album rather than just a single release. Worth tracking down only for the most hard-core of obscure noise collectors, but the novelty factor probably won’t wash for the majority of people, we will have to wait and see what the project throws up next.