DAMNATORY — Docta Ignorantia (review)

DAMNATORY — Docta Ignorantia album cover EP · 1993 · Death Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
siLLy puPPy
The second DAMNATORY release is another short EP titled DOCTA IGNORANTIA that came out two years after the first. While the band would only release two EPs and no albums during its existence from 1991 to around the 2000 timeline, there were many demos released before, in between and after. Everything the band recorded can be obtained on the 2018 compilation “The Complete Disgoregraphy 1991-2003.”

DOCTA IGNORANTIA finds the band improving its old school death metal sound in virtually every way. While the production is better than the muddy “Hybridized Deformity” and the EP appears on the Black Jack label, this is still very much an underground sounding raw death metal release in the vein of early Incantation, Immolation, Dead Congregation and many other 90s old school death metal bands that sounded like they emerged from the bowels of hell.

DOCTA IGNROANTIA featured five tracks and although they only amounted to slightly over 18 minutes of playing time, provided enough variation and intensity to give a full-album experience and the brevity sometimes keeps things from stagnating which can easily happen in this type of extreme metal if the band cruises on automatic pilot.

The intro title track is an ominous swirling of creepy keyboards that sets a foreboding atmosphere and provides the perfect tone for the album. Once the death metal rampage begins, the atmospheric keyboard parts remain as opportune backdrops that emerge at select moments. On the metal side of things, DOCTA IGNORANTIA sounds a lot like “Hybridized Deformity” with down-tuned chugging heavy guitar riffing, bass and drums (no blastbeats) however this one provides faster tempos although the doomy segments still exist but less emphasized.

Overall this is a much better representation of DAMNATORY and if you only check out one release from this Swiss band then this would be the one i recommend. Unfortunately DAMNATORY never really went anywhere. Switzerland wasn’t exactly a hotbed of death metal and this was before the internet became popular so promoting yourself in the isolation of the Swiss Alps must’ve been nearly impossible. Although DAMNATORY may not have been the most original band, they nailed that filthy raw old school sound and probably sounds closest to what Incantation was doing on albums like “Onward To Golgotha.” Well worth checking out for those who can’t get enough of those primeval sounds of the early 90s.
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