Dies Irae

With Latin names and Biblical references galore, Atrium Animae pretty well had to be on the level with their mindset, or romantically inclined goth, or stern invocatory metal, or all three and more. On balance it's the latter two, though just listening to the opening "Psalmus 57," with distant drum pulses, muted horn fanfares, and the treated vocals of Alessia Cicala sounding half like a call to prayer and half like a theatrical moment, it's enough to make you think you've stumbled upon a very elegant religious recording. The album follows this generally slow-paced and unfolding approach throughout its seven songs, sometimes with Cicala sharing vocals with the duo's other member, instrumentalist Massimiliano Picconi, other times letting the layered overdubs do their business. "Signum Lucidii"'s a capella break might be a standout, letting their vocal approach carry everything before it. It's all appropriately moody and inviting, less about the groundbreaking than the encapsulating and presenting, and as such Atrium Animae are pretty good at what they do: dark shadows, opera spotlights, and a sense of ritual that's nothing if not melodramatic.