Ars Diavoli is a Portuguese solo project of a cryptic character that goes by the name of Vilkacis. The work I previously reviewed from this act was a three way split I got from Debemur Morti in 2007.
The rigor mortis of the highly distorted guitar work echoes the darkly depressive spirits of this solitary soul. Even if this makes the sounds a bit raw, Pro Nihilo Esse is very far from being badly produced. The way it was recorded gives the opus an appropriately cold and stark aura. I believe that when Black Metal arts are combined with Doom elements, a somber symbiosis is created, and the final result can only be very appealing to fans of both metal genres. This doesn't mean that all the blast beats/double basses have been completely removed, at least not yet. This depressive Black Metal work contains its melodic moments as well. Ambient keyboards and clean arpeggios transcend a little hope of life, keeping the author away from the burying ground. I liked every single composition on this disc, with a weak spot for these great pieces of sadness: "Angustia Sufocante", "Vis Compulsiva" and "Derrames...". I shall not forget to mention the superb and ghostly discrete sick rasps, a haunting voice in the coldness of twilight!
On Pro Nihilo Esse, Ars Diavoli has accomplished, on his first full length, a work where Black and Doom collide in beautiful darkness. Looking for a long lasting reign in the shade empire.