Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio Feat. Spiritual Front - Your Sex is the Scar
Spiritual Front - Song for the Old Man
Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio - Hell is where the Heart is - The Gospel of Tomas
Spiritual Front - Autopsy of a Love
Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio - Three is an Orgy, Four is Forever
Spiritual Front - Border
Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio - Dreaming of My Scarlet Woman
Spiritual Front Feat. Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio - The Pleasure of Pain

How not to trip over the hype? One of the more well known apocalyptic folk stalwarts, Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio slice half a disc with dark folk nihilists, Spiritual Front, and more than that both acts feature on the start and final track, dichotomized in position.

As ribald as their latest offerings, Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio – featuring Spiritual Front in the first of the co-conspiracy – salute the past with a Lynch-esque jazz swagger in 'Your Sex is the Scar', where trumpets blare horned with striding guitar. Spiritual Front, drag licentious fun away from the first track with a swaying folk waltz in ‘Song for the Old Man’ buoyed on by accordion and bell-chiming guitar, which rings certain similarity with Australian, Nick Cave. Familiar thematic and stylistic strokes evinced by Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio continue a wanning seriousness through ‘Hell is Where the Heart Is…’, coronets of decay. Simone Salvatori’s sere graveled voice launches a familiar tune for those familiar with their previous work, ‘Autopsy of a Love’ that finds a velveteen arrangement here. Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio’s ‘Three is an Orgy, Four is Forever’ accouters the release with profligate alchemy that leaves you wishes the lyrical round would never end. ‘Border’ sets up another acidulous anthem for Spiritual Front, cutting words wrapped in pensive folk. The last track from Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio, ‘Dreaming of My Scarlet Woman’ genuflects Douglas P. with its luxuriant guitar, horns and poignant pianoforte. Finally, one sees Spiritual Front take the lead in the collaborative tracks, beating a trip-hop masochism.

So is the hype worth its publicity? Absolutely, if at all you’re a fan of either act, especially their more recent work you will not go astray with this release. The oscillation of each act’s tracks tailed and topped with mirrored commingling seems to work in this blend of debauched nihilism. Oddly enough, each band’s offering are two years apart in the studio despite the split release.

NYR