Tableau Mort – Veil of Stigma – Book 1: Mark of Delusion

Tableau Mort is a British Black Metal quintet that came into being sometime in 2017. Despite being of British descent, they do seem to have some kind of connection to Romania, since their lyrical themes revolve around the Romanian orthodoxy – But with the usual blasphemous twist one nearly always finds within a Black Metal album.

Veil of Stigma – Book 1: Mark of Delusion marks their first Full-length album and, as a bonus, also consists both of Tableau Morts previously released Singles – Effectively meaning that this record is, for teh time being at least, their entire discography. However given the fact that their record has been well-received (and rightly so) so far, I doubt that will remain the case for long.

The name Tableau Mort translates roughly into ”Painting of Death” which seems fitting for the narrative found within Mark of Delusion. Lyrically the story seems to revolve around an unknown individual who turns away from the light and begins walking the long, arduous stride of life through the dark, unable or unwilling to bask in the corruption found within the light. The metaphors are poignant, each of the seven tracks fit together rather well and help to create a somewhat coherent whole overall – All the while relentless drums march along in the background and the screaming guitars occasionally lead the way.

And, just to drive the quasi-religious feel home, certain tracks (such as ”Carpenter of Sorrow”) includes a muffled, nearly indistinguishable chorus present in the background.

In many ways, Tableau Mort epitomizes what I have come to expect from modern Black Metal, and the rigorous attention in writing the lyrics is what really rises the band up above for me. Musically it is excellent as well, managing to couple together words and instruments seamlessly into a worthy addition to the world.

Recommended for fans of Batushka and, to a lesser extent, The Ruins of Beverast.

https://www.facebook.com/tableaumort/