MERCIFUL NUNS are one of the few bands that foster their own unique style which is actually rather cool. Seldom have I encountered such a telling and comprehensive work of art comprising graphics & cover art, stage imagery, lyrics, videos, trailers and still images of the band as that which has become representative of the MERCIFUL NUNS. “Post Goth?” - Artaud’s telling response to the question how the MERCIFUL NUNS’ sound could be defined. Somehow one cannot help but agree with such sentiment. What Artaud Seth, Jawa and Jón Tmoh deliver with METEORA VII is arguably an outstanding work of art, laced with Post-Goth hymns as only the MERCIFUL NUNS can offer. Setting an extraordinarily elevated standard in musical quality, never excessive but always hitting a point of focus, we find ourselves taken back to the mystical places Artaud traversed during his first musical incarnation: GARDEN OF DELIGHT and their seminal album NECROMANTEION IV – ancient Greece and the Hellenic Pantheon.
METEORA (ancient Greek: “to elevate”)
“When fog envelopes the METEORA rock at dawn we can sometimes see the monasteries. They appear to be floating.” Artaud
When listening to METEORA one quickly realises that the contextual lyrical plane recently occupied by Artaud has changed. Surreal and fictionalised events replace otherworldly themes as well as complex and universal questions pertaining to the origins of mankind. We move into a “Soul Room” in the KARMA INN, accompany ELEKTRA along “Concubine Street”, interpret signs & symbols from the future on the PHANTOM WALL, race through life at the SPEED OF LIGHT and lose all earthbound traction whilst exploring curious and strange entities, traverse Eleusinian grounds and observe the spawning of new galaxies until we finally reach an Acheronian place of calm and solitude in A PLACE BEYOND.
The KARMA INN
“…a cosmic hotel with 12 rooms at the event horizon between this world and the beyond. A place of transformation and the stomping ground of earthbound, corporeal and exoplanetary entities.” Artaud.
It is nothing short of a remarkable achievement; considering the short period of time in which Artaud Seth and his MERCIFUL NUNS have managed to establish themselves at the pinnacle of the international Goth Rock Scene. Having amassed a comprehensive and richly diverse following, with a level of interaction exceeding conventional musical horizons and regular gatherings in a global network of Lodges imbued with the scent of exclusiveness; they organise gigs, release-parties and serve as the band’s mouthpiece in their respective countries. Currently there are 21 Lodges operating in 21 countries.
33 Degrees of the A.A.S.R. (Ensoph)
“For me the 33rd Degree represents a metaphor for perfection, alluding to Freemasonry as something that can be deemed god-like.” Artaud
The album is available in a beautifully created, rendered in an almost pitch black 6 panel digipack featuring an integrated booklet. As with all previous MERCIFUL NUNS covers an archaic logo designed by Artaud adorns the album’s front cover. “The graphic representation of my conceptual and contextual ideas is rather important to me. Every element ought to complement, even supplement each other as an integral unit. If a symbol by itself is deemed not entirely sufficient I simply create character fonts to add contextual weight and this particular style has developed into a secondary, explanatory level to my art work.” Artaud
METEORA raises many questions to which we humans have been seeking answers since time immemorial. Who are we? Where do we go? Where do we come from? Who created us? Such and even more fundamental aspects which compel us to acknowledge in reverence the beauty and complexity of our universe. METEORA offers suggestions, thoughts and ideas without preaching them, it asks questions and shares insight which should lead the listener to his or her very own conclusions. Rather fittingly and somewhat reminiscent of Socrates the Greek philosopher. Elektra, Triton, Hades, Eleusinian Grounds and Morphogenetic Fields escort us through the ancient mythology to METEORA - that place of contemplation in which we find close proximity to the Divine. And I am certain that the MERCIFUL NUNS have erected the superstructure of their own KARMA INN in this most sacred of locations, where we can pause for a moment or two in order to marvel at the beauty of transformation.
