Peccatum ‎"Amor Fati" CD

People need to stop reviewing Peccatum for what they THINK it should sound like, and start reviewing it for what Isahn INTENDED it to sound like. Too many people are putting Peccatum inside their Emperor box and giving it poor reviews just because they refuse to listen to it for what it is. Even worse, Peccatum is one of the very, very few bands out there that is trying something different and creative--just as the black metal community continues to shoot them down.
Peccatum's Amor Fati is a highly creative and stylized album that reminisces slightly from the Prometheus days, but pushes the musical limits a few steps further. Peccatum's Amor Fati is not brutal, or raw, but instead relies completely on strange (creative) songwriting and unique emotions. "No Title for a Cause", for instance, uses strange drum beats combined with Ihriel's melodic voice to create a mood unlike anything heard in other black metal / death metal albums. This album is simply a taste of unique moods and flavors that in the end, succeeds on almost every level.
Amor Fati has no blasting. It has no Satanic references. Instead it touches on the more philosophical side of Isahn, and simple blasting is replaced with more thought out drum beats that follow no patterns or molds.
Amor Fati is so unique in that it uses the same "instruments" that other bands do, but to create such a different mood. While other Black metal bands take you to a forest in Norway, Peccatum takes you somewhere else. It really cannot be explained. That says a lot, from a creative standpoint. Amor Fati is hard to pinpoint because it is so different and breaks so many rules.
On a negative note, Ihriel's voice is the weakest part of the album. While she does complete her role decently, she does not live up to the production qualities and musicianship of her husband.
For those people who like raw, brutal black metal only, you probably will not like this album. The moods are not death metal--and this album is all about the emotions that strange songwriting can create. If you are a diehard Emperor fan, you must be able to disassociate Emperor from Peccatum if you are to appreciate it. On the other hand, if you are a fan of artistic music in addition to black metal, and enjoy creative songwriting that only few are capable of, then Peccatum is for you.

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