Ludus Umbrarum — Ascensus Cadentium Review

The Gates of Ascension

As soon as the listener presses the play button, the grand gates of the underworld slowly turn on their hinges. The opening hymn, Ascensio Arcana, greets the listener with a deeply atmospheric opening — a cinematic gathering of shadows that builds a palpable tension for what is about to come.

Dreams Beyond the Mortal Veil

As the journey continues through the remaining hymns, the full scale of this forty-six-minute opus gradually reveals itself. Emerging, not merely as a collection of hymns — but a fusion of relentless, aggressive black metal, atmospheric and symphonic elements, haunting orchestration, and melancholic passages that draw from the darkness of the human psyche, occult philosophy, and visions beyond mortal perception. 

Thus, the album creates a cinematic and immersive experience, resulting in a hauntingly exquisite dichotomy — akin to a portal revealing a neglected chamber of the soul:

• The raw black metal components represent the fracturing of the mind — the violent, chaotic reality of spiritual ruin.
• The haunting orchestration represents transcendence — the vast, terrifying beauty of the cosmic unknown.
• The production favours clarity over empty spectacle, and deep atmosphere over modern studio gloss
• Together, these elements create a controlled, inward-facing soundstage where every component serves the album’s dream-submerged descent.

It is a musical translation of a lucid nightmare, capturing the exact moment the soul detaches from reality to gaze into the infinite.

The Architect of the Ritual

At its core, Ascensus Cadentium is a solo creation. The project’s mastermind handles the entirety of the songwriting, lyrics, instrumentation, and intricate drum programming, alongside the additional vocal contributions of Nino Đurić. 

To manifest a vision this vast and multi-layered from a singular mind requires a devilmanship of the highest order. The composition of the instrumentation and the grand architecture of the music are tightly controlled, ensuring the narrative never loses its way in the dark.

Yet, to fully unlock the hidden corridors of the subconscious, the architect summoned a select circle of key collaborators to leave their mark on the ritual:

• Srđan Todorović — delivers the dominant lead vocals, acting as the primary, commanding voice slicing through the symphonic chaos.
• Alesha Hurlock — provides guest vocals to Her Screams From Depths, adding a harrowing contrast to the aggression.
• Nikola Dušmanić — presents session drums on the final assault of track nine.

Sub-header IV

The synthesisers are the atmospheric bloodstream of the album — the vital element that elevates the release from standard black metal into something far more cinematic, surreal, and occult.

Rather than fighting the guitars for dominance, the keys are woven into the very fabric of the mix to define the album’s dream-occult character.

Ludus Umbrarum employs sweeping choir pads, ominous low drones, and shimmering, high-end layers that feel suspended in air. These are punctuated by occasional bell-like tones, solemn organ notes, and dramatic piano swells that rise and fall like a tide of shadows.

The keys serve three distinct purposes across these hymns:

• First, they construct a sacred, ritual space around the feral guitars, giving the raw metal a vast cavern to echo within.
• Second, they guide the emotional contour of the narrative arc—surging majestically during motifs of cosmic ascension, and thinning out into fragile, icy lines during moments of psychological collapse and spiritual ruin.
• Third, they function as a silver veil rather than a lead instrument, ensuring that the raw, aggressive core of the project remains grounded in the black metal underground while the atmosphere touches the infinite.