Hesperia "ROMA vol. II" CD

Hesperia is another one man project within the black metal scene, this time hailing from Italy. There has been some pretty impressive stuff coming from that area and Hesperia are no exception to that rule. This is a quite long-running project with “Roma, Vol. II” being already full length number seven. Hesperus, the creative head behind the music, has started this outfit in the late nineties so you can expect something with a clear vision and a concrete idea how to work those into stringent songs. One thing that becomes immediately clear once the intro starts is that this is more than a few standard tracks randomly put together, but a concept with a red thread running through the album.
Bright synths and acoustic interludes lift the music and carry the weight of the lyrics, while the clean production keeps things sharp. Blast beats keep battering against your skull and atmospheric soundscapes of layered synths are setting the tone. Symphonic elements are responsible for the epic feel and the overall atmosphere, transporting the listener into ancient times. This album comes with a melodic and folky black metal sound full of tremolo picking riffs, soaring guitar solos, keyboard and synth arrangements, and even string and choral arrangements that could chill even the most blackened of bones. Not only is it an excellent tribute to some of the bigger names, it’s genuinely impressive in its own right. This record has everything if you are looking for something more on the expansive side of things while staying true to the roots of the genre.
There is a stark contrast to the ferocity often on display with the album being simultaneously full of melodic moments and softer build-ups. Ambient and mystical interludes inject a deep and somber sense of despair and epic adventures amid the heavier guitars and drums, with some of the themes often serving as transition between different song sections. All songs have been expertly crafted, and the album has a great flow with all the single tracks and parts being placed in a coherent way and merged into one great total piece of music. You really got the feeling of experiencing a story told through music.
Hesperus is quite an established songwriter. The sequences of the various sections have been chosen in a way to make each track feel diversified yet stringent at the same time. There are more or less classic verse-chorus parts, but also extended soloing sections and long build-ups. Epic sounding samples are used as well as more ambient interludes or other interesting elements like spoken words etc. In the end each song has its own character and stands for a certain part of the story. The vocals are grim and creepy with the lyrics mainly kept in classic Latin.
The production is clear and powerful, something that is absolutely mandatory in case you go for a style of music with a lot going on. The guitars and the symphonic and folky elements are on top of the mix. Everything sounds quite balanced overall and thankfully not too compressed. All in all “Roma, Vol. II” is a very interesting piece of music and one can only appreciate the time and thoughts Hesperus has put into creating it.

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