It’s interesting that despite the ever-onwards march of Black Metal into new and fresh areas, few bands want to make use of what was once called the future of the genre: electronics. Of course, the likes of Aborym, The Axis Of Perdition and Mysticum have built a large part of their sound around electronics and done it well, but it’s hardly as popular as once predicted – if anything, electronics seem rather dated now.

What this ultimately means for those of us who like little bleepy noises with our Black Metal is that when a band does appear that’s electronically augmented, it tends to be a good one. Reverence is no exception, clearly influenced by the atmospheric path of The Axis Of Perdition and Blut Aus Nord, boasting a past split with the latter. The French three-piece has been in existence since 1998, yet have only officially released one album and a few splits so far; Chamber Of Divine Elaboration being the second full-length from the band.

Fortunately for those looking for another slice of spooky Black Metal after the last Axis Of Perdition album, this is an excellent piece of work. Comprising a group of lengthy songs (the shortest at just under seven minutes long) that all make full and complex use of everything from samples to strange noises, it adds up to a compelling listen. It’d be impossible to take you through each track and describe what happens exactly, but take my word for it, you’ll be hooked within seconds, especially when you realise a few minutes into opening track Infra Code Of Perdition that the band has a real drummer. That track especially is excellent, as huge, expansive riffs rise and fall, a background piano tinkles away almost invisibly, whilst air-raid sirens and technical drumming create an atmosphere all of their own. The music itself is somewhere between Funeral Doom and Black Metal yet with a wonderfully clear sound, each instrument given its space, and the layering of effects working wonderfully. It’ll definitely take more than one listen to fathom completely, and it’s hard to believe that the tracks are as long as they are, as they never get dull.

After a short yet disturbing film sample (I’m assuming it’s from a film, it could just as easily be the band themselves) that closes the first track, Institution Of The Dirt Archetype begins in more typical Funeral Doom form, group vocals droning over a swirling riff as keyboards swell, before a Classical interlude turns into a complex section fronted by what sounds like an accordion. There’s simply so much going on in every song that it would be fully fitting if Reverence had an Avant-Garde tag – the fact that it all fits together wonderfully holds it off, however. It lacks the sheer creepiness of The Axis Of Perdition overall, but it’s much easier to listen to, and rather than repels it pulls you in from the start.

From the pulsing techno and clean vocals of Infected Forms Of Distance, to the echoing Industrial noise that opens Astral Noise Projection, this is a journey across atmospheric landscapes that only a lucky few get to hear, and even then rarely. By now you know if you like this kind of Black Metal or not; if you do, snap it up.