‘Rervm’, Lotus Thief’s debut recording, is a translation-based retelling of ‘De Rerum Natura’ (or ‘On the Nature of Things’) by the Roman poet and philosopher Titus Lucretius Carus, 1st century BC.
Thankfully, no a priori knowledge of Carus’ work is required to appreciate the epic progressive post-rock magnum opus that is ‘Rervm’, which is huge and ambitious in every sense. As the press release explains, ‘Rervm’ represents a ‘compelling union of metal, space rock, and ambient sounds’, which means that the album belongs to no single genre but straddles many and as such occupies a space uniquely its own.
It is, of course, magnificently heavy, with epic riffing interwoven with chiming lead guitars and the lengthy tracks – the eight-minute opener, ‘Aeternvm’ echoes early Oceansize and manages to avoid pompousness in favour of sweeping atmosphere and surging crescendos. Elsewhere, ‘Miseras’ amalgamates elements of heavy rock and psychedelia and also boasts delicate vocal melody that all intertwines to forge a thunderous tumult of sound that spreads over an expansive vista that extends over some nine minutes. We’re certainly not talking about radio-friendly pop ditties here.
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‘Discere Credas’ is more of a goth / shoegaze crossover than anything else, and again, big, big guitars drive the drama, while ‘Lvx’ is more than deserving of the ‘epic’ tag. It’s perhaps ironic that closer ‘Mortalis’ is the album’s shortest and most accessible song, a vaguely Curve-esque wash of noise that packs some bluster and crackling energy into its cavernous depths before powering to a surging climax.
Everything about ‘Rervm’ is considered, articulate and magnificently realised. As long as the concept doesn’t prove to be too ‘highbrow’ for them to connect with a wider audience, Lotus Thief should, by rights, be massive.
Lotus Thief Online
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