Plodding tempos and a swarthy landscape echoing the doom like but distinctive to epic and orchestral arrangements, a high-end and soaring lead vocalist with near unlimited range and lengthy, technically intricate songwriting rooted in progressive aesthetics. Further factor Rodney Matthew’s apocalyptic themed cover art and lyrics drawing heavily from scripture, particularly the Book of Revelation, and the picture is complete. That is the Veni Domine 1992 Kingsway Music (licenses to R.E.X. in the States) debut full length Fall Babylon Fall.
The Stockholm, Sweden based act traces to 1987 when guitarist Torbjörn Weinesjö, drummer Thomas Weinesjö and bassist Anders Olofsson founded it under the Glorify moniker. With vocalist Fredrik Ohlsson rounding out its initial lineup and Magnus Thorman supplanting Olofsson on bass, the group switched to the Seventh Seal designation ahead of recording in 1988 a pair of three song demos. A third demo (also three songs) ensued in 1990 prior to Seventh Seal receiving an invitation to perform at the British Greenbelt Festival in which Kingsway Music was attending. Kingsway was impressed to such extent it signed the group to a contract, but before work could begin on Fall Babylon Fall, the threat of a lawsuit from an American band also going under the Seventh Seal heading necessitated a name change to Veni Domine (Latin for ‘Come Lord’).
With the passing of thirty years, Fall Babylon Fall turned into an out of print and hard to find collectors item. Good news is that in September of 2024 Melodic Passion Records re-mastered (courtesy of Carl Johan Grimmark) and re-issued the album via CD, black or white gatefold vinyl (300 copies each) and digital download. Updated graphic design attributes to Janne Stark. CD and digital versions feature bonus material in the form of the song “Visions (initially a bonus track on the Thunderload Records re-issue from 1997) and re-imagined re-recordings of “In The Day Of The Sentinel” and “Wisdom Calls”.
Lone misgiving with the original release is some slight production thinness, which the Melodic Passion re-mastering rectifies with a needed dose of polish allowing for the cleaner and brighter sound. Gist is a low end delivering added punch, rhythm guitar the crisper edge and keyboards a silkier feel.
“Face Of The Prosecutor” is first of six songs in the seven to eight minute range to open the album. An ominous synthesis of barging guitars and orchestral keyboards to start soon joins with Ohlsson’s ascending vocals, with the unquiet overtones to impart the songs distance highlighted by periodic church organ and double kick drum. An unfailing melody allows “Face Of The Prosecutor” to hold up despite the span, a particular distinctive to albums material. I further applaud the group for the classical guitar fringed final seconds.
With the roar of a thunderstorm to start, “King Of The Jews” besets from the get go in upholding an unwavering mentality but making occasional time signatures to taciturn moments covered by church organ or those in which the thunderstorm returns. Incentive restrains for the extended instrumental run heralded by Torbjörn Weinesjö’s bluesy soloing, which is ensued by a daring passage in which bounding energy amplifies the chanted ‘Arise!’ backing vocals. Again, a subjugating melody allows the song to remain fresh for time to come. Lyric snippet:
So death couldn't hold the Son of Man
And you abuse His name for profits for yourselves
You misguided men with hearts of stone
Soon you will answer for your actions
See Him come like the wind
With the word in His hand
Dungeons deep and mountains high
The father's will invades these barren lands
Arise- King of the Jews
“In The Day Of The Sentinel” gives prominence to a progressive semi doom ballad semblance. No, not heavy as some here but regal, astute and august all the same, lightened with its acoustic guitar and church bell opening (hinting of the portentous) but also implacable as verse sections toil to a chafing but catchy guitar riff. Yet, refrain speaks of the endearing as the phrase ‘Sentinel!, Sentinel!’ repeats in imposing fashion. Imagine Theocracy with a touch of the doom like.
“Wisdom Calls” ensues as one of groups most identifiable songs. It contrasts with a much heavier form, with the brief keyboard solo to start giving way to the castigating rhythm guitar lambasting the epochal verse sections and equally fathomable and distinctly memorable refrain. Quiescent moments reveal in the moody mid-point passage followed by the distorted lead guitar run in which rhythm guitar drops from the mix in favor of choral keyboards. Lyric snippet:
Wisdom calls aloud in the streets
Hear her raising her voice in the squares
How long will you simple ones
Love your evil ways
Turn around and listen to my rebuke
And I will pour out my spirit on you
Turn around and listen to my rebuke
And I will let you hear my words
“Armageddon” distinguishes as albums fastest and most upbeat, aligning a speed to power metal slant with the Veni Domine innate progressiveness. Thomas Weinesjö leads the way with his shattering double kick drum, pillaring equally exhilarated rhythm guitar and gossamer keyboards, as does Ohlsson in light of his fathomless vocal affinities, bestowing further radiance to the endearing refrain. Time signatures reveal in the slower mid-point passage including narration from Revelation 20:9-10 over militant drums and final seconds accented by classical guitar.
Opening to “O Great City” runs the gamut from spacious keyboards to church bells to Gregorian chanting. It revels in doom like eccentricity rest of the way, trenchant in light of the discordant guitars and foreboding aptitude to take a hold but also grandiose when factoring the intermittent lucid passage intertwined acoustically. The chanted choirs that repeat ‘Babylon has fallen’ imbue the sublime refrain with an apocalyptic resonance. Lyric snippet:
When all the kings who shared her pleasures
See the smoke from her burning
Terrified they will stand far off and cry
O great city - O Babylon
Fallen fallen is Babylon the great
Eyes never to behold her again
By her magic all nations were led astray
In her was found the blood of the saints
Closing album is ambitious twenty-one minute mega epic “The Chronicle Of The Seven Seals”, which breaks down between three ‘Parts’ detailing events as described in Revelation chapters five, six and eight. Song sets a dramatic tone from the onset, as an ethereal keyboard driven ‘Prologue’ with narration from Revelation 1:3 and 9-11 transitions to ‘Part 1’, “The Scroll And The Lamb”. Revelation 5:1-8 is the topic as a pair of serene passages fitted with choral keyboards and classical guitar bookend around a string of verses in which imposing rhythm guitar and beguiling melody coalesce. Lyric snippet:
Then I saw in the right hand of him
Who sat on the throne
A scroll with writing on both sides
And sealed with seven seals
I heard a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice
Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?
Revelation 6 themed ‘Part 2’, “The Seals”, breaks each of the seals down into a separate verse. The placid reticence closing ‘Part 1’ carries to ‘Seal 1’ to establish a dreamy landscape, while the splintering rhythm guitar covering ‘Seal II’ and “Seal III’ gives way to the acoustic tincturing of ‘Seal IV’. The audacious guitar driven form returns to propel expeditious ‘Seal V’ and “Seal VI’ but yields to the doom like passage at the end. Lyric snippet:
I saw those who had been slain because of the Word of God
And I heard them call out in a loud voice
"How long Sovereign Lord holy and true
Until you judge the earth and avenge our blood?"
Then each of them was given a white robe
And they were told to wait a little longer
Revelation 8:1-5 is the subject to ‘Part 3’, “The Golden Censer”. Aggression asserts from the get go as a speed based tempo grips the opening three verses, with the fourth tempering in echoing fashion as choir like backing vocals repeatedly chant ‘prophecy’. A rattling instrumental run leads the way to the equally brisk but palatial final two verses, with the magnum opus reaching its conclusion for the toiling instrumental final minute. Lyric snippet:
I may see the coming King appear in majesty
To proclaim His Kingdom's coming
Meanwhile at the world's dark end
The nations raise their hands
Waiting for the serpent to strike
The seals are broken
Of the bonus tracks, “Visions” is a swarthy four-minute keyboard and piano driven plodder that while good I rate a notch below albums material. That said, and to be completely fair, song brings a darker almost Gothic hue that in my opinion would be a better fit for more somber turn of the century albums The Album Of Labour (2004) and 23:59 (2006).
Veni Domine takes the “In The Day Of The Sentinel” re-record in a completely different direction, with the metal guitars burnishing the original supplanted by a laid back and reserved aligning of leaner guitar and keyboards. Likewise, “Wisdom Calls” revamps as an acoustic rocker speaking of the atmospheric with a gossamer bluesy presence. Credit the group for retaining the same song structure in terms of recognizable melody while imprinting a unique and creative re-imagining either way.
Fall Babylon Fall equates to nothing less a progressive doom metal masterpiece. First seven songs are classics and go a long way towards a much-deserved 100% score. Of course, improvement from the Melodic Passion re-mastering plays no small role in this regard, allowing for an element of polish missing from the 1992 original. Album finds Veni Domine in prime form by delivering the adept musicianship and top-flight vocals required of the progressive genre. If a fan of Veni Domine not to mention any combining of the progressive and doom like or interested in an upgraded version to the original, make the Melodic Passion re-issue a priority purchase.
Review by Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing: “Face Of The Prosecutor” (8:09), “King Of The Jews” (8:07), “In The Day Of The Sentinel” (7:10), “Wisdom Calls” (6:39), “Armageddon” (7:29), “O Great City” (8:00), “The Chronicle Of The Seven Seals” (21:17), “Visions” (4:01), “In The Day Of The Sentinel” (2024) (6:06), “Wisdom Calls” (2024) (8:19)
Musicians
Fredrik Ohlsson - Lead Vocals & Acoustic Guitar
Torbjörn Weinesjö - Lead, Rhythm, Acoustic Guitars & Backing Vocals
Magnus Thorman - Bass & Backing Vocals
PA Danielsson - Keyboards
Thomas Weinesjö - Drums & Backing Vocals
Reference List
Gustafsson, Staffan. “Veni Domine: Out From The Unknown.” Heaven’s Metal 50 (1994): 23.
“Discovering Veni Domine.” Heaven’s Metal 40 (1993): 12-13.
