Somebody opined that we haven’t heard anything like this record. Come again? The RMR crew is known to take on eclectic pieces of the weird. Records that are so far out of the box and hidden in the wastes of metalland, you’ll have to search the outer reaches of space for them. And Latin-based languages fascinate us to no end when they come with a juicy slab of Extreme Metal. Case in point, Dawn of a Dark Age’s Transumanza hit our turntables not that long ago. A pig-headed piece if there ever was one. And devilishly difficult to review.
Hesperia‘s Fra Li Monti Sibillini morphed into yet another selection of age-old Italian legends and tall tales, steeped in the local folklore of those ancient mountain ranges. These are wild lands fraught with ancient magick. So, here we got news from the Sybillian Mountains with a medieval touch. Nestled in the West of Marche and almost adjacent to the beautiful and rich landscapes of Umbria, they always exert a sweet pull to visit. Hesperia1, the messenger, brought us archaic news through their newest abrasive piece. Mount that cilice and start walking. Your mind needs to be sharp to face them witches, demons, and undead prefects up there.
In fact, Fra Li Monti Sibillini contains a selection of different tales and legends of the upper reaches of the Sybillian Mountains. And we couldn’t escape its almost magic allure. The most notable is the tale of the Cave of the Sybil, the purported abode of a famous witch. The legend of Lago Pilato follows this one closely. And the latter truly got our attention because first, there should be no lake up on these mountains, and second, this is yet another tale of what fate befell the (in)famous Pontius Pilatus. I was aware of many other claims to this particular fame. But the somewhat unpretentious legend on top of a wild mountain range took the cake.
And you might have guessed it. The RMR crew couldn’t resist a chunk of Black Metal fully brought to you in Italian. And I daresay, not much of this piece will see big stages or attract the attention of large crowds of fans. Already the 76-minute super-massive airtime turns the record into a difficult listen. To add insult to injury, the powers that be over at Hesperia allowed for the somewhat abrupt2 switches from midi-quality medieval tunes, and miscellaneous samples, to harsh blackened fare. And that turned absorbing the story of Hesperia‘s Fra Li Monti Sibillini into a somewhat tedious affair. A pig-headed approach to their metal that may not add a ton of new fans to their usual following.
And yet. The feisty metal on offer and the rugged storytelling on this record kept the RMR crew on its toes and fascination levels up. The sole master of the realm, the secretive Hesperus, went out of his way to create a soundscape worthy of those rough, wintery, and arid lands of the upper mountainous reaches of Italy. Already the first sample at the start of this massive endeavor and its frosty footsteps put us in the mood. Rough-hewn Atmospheric Black Metal follows with the La Grotta De La Sibilla series, often aligned with what Finland’s Moonsorrow might have done. A connection that will grow stronger as the record progresses down its lengthy tracklist.
In other words, Fra Li Monti Sibillini contains a ton of ever-changing sounds, moods, and flavors. A trilogy of medieval tunes, hardy storytelling, and harsh, often crude, blackened metal of all kinds. The medieval interludes often come with a lot of reverb, creating a sense of the past echoing back at you. And all that basks in Hesperus‘ merciless and relentless Black Metal rasp that will brutally break up any other melodic part there might be. Now, Hesperus here truly is no friend of needless refined elements. Much in line with the description of the brutal landscape on offer, you won’t find any modern accouterments. And this leads to a certain abruptness when a change from harsh to snazzy storytelling occurs. A fact that might indeed lose Hesperia some further brownie points down the road.
Ultimately though, Fra Li Monti Sibillini turned into yet another of these eerie out-of-the-box experiences. An almost picture-perfect description, not only of the arid lands of the upper reaches of Italy’s wild mountains, but also a case of great storytelling. All of that is told with a medieval touch and by employing rough-hewn Extreme Metal as the weapon of choice. And coarse as it might be, this record talked to this crew at an almost subconscious level. Now, is it one of the greatest Black Metal albums that ever was? Absolutely not. But together with the spicy yarn on offer, this indeed turned into a compelling piece. One that won’t let you leave until you consumed its last note.
And now, we yearn for more of that.
Record Rating: 7/10 | Label: Hammerheart Records | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 17 January 2025