Veni Domine: Fall Babylon Fall | Back To A Classic
(2024 – Melodic Passion Records)
Classics never die. They may fall out of favor for a while, but when an album is a classic, somehow you always come back to it. That’s exactly what happens with an album like Veni Domine’s “Fall Babylon Fall.”
When these kinds of historical gems are rediscovered, it truly fills our souls—especially knowing that good music and good Metal never go out of style; it’s something that stands the test of time, and if there’s one thing that has truly stood the test of time and survived it all, it’s the music and sound of Veni Domine—a true Metal band through and through—which, thanks to a careful reissue of its discography, is making its presence felt once again in the music market.
It’s true that the band doesn’t have an extensive discography, but even so, their albums are cult classics and had been out of print. In any case, one of the most sought-after—and perhaps even the best—albums in their history is “Fall Babylon Fall”, and there’s no shortage of reasons to support that claim. Not only is it Veni Domine’s debut album, but it’s also their most legendary and is almost solely responsible for the band’s legendary status.
Yes, we agree—the albums that followed shouldn’t be overlooked—but for longtime fans, “Fall Babylon Fall” has that special something, and for this occasion, this reissue comes with a deluxe production, meticulously crafted in every detail and, above all, featuring an excellent remastering of the original recording.
“Fall Babylon Fall” defined Veni Domine’s style, inspired by epic Heavy Metal and Doom—the genre in which Swedish bands truly excel—with certain melodic and classical touches, yet always keeping one foot firmly in Metal. There are many comparisons—Candlemass, Queensryche, Trouble, Black Sabbath, etc.—a whole combination of factors that culminate in Veni Domine’s distinctive style, which, on top of all that, possesses its own personality and originality.
The fact is, this reissue compels us—with a certain pleasure, I must confess—to revisit material we’ve heard time and time again, material that stirs emotions and evokes different moods. From that gloomy opening with which “Face Of The Prosecutor” greets us, and that riff that’s as groovy as it is hypnotic, Veni Domine takes us on a journey through an album that makes its versatility and skillful handling of tempos one of its most notable characteristics.
In fact, that first track is perhaps the closest Veni Domine comes to traditional Heavy Metal—always with that special atmosphere the Swedes knew how to create—but it’s immediately followed by one of the album’s true gems, and if “King Of The Jews” doesn’t give you goosebumps, you’re reading the wrong review and are on the wrong website. A true classic not only for the band but for White Metal in general. Its melodic, classic, and epic lines are truly striking. Undoubtedly a showcase of Veni Domine’s virtuosity turned into a song.
But that’s just the beginning; “In The Day Of The Sentinel” suddenly takes us through a piece with operatic and epic undertones, driven by those Sabbath-esque riffs that set the pulse of every chord and moment; and speaking of riffs and powerful guitars taking center stage, there’s another Veni Domine classic like “Wisdom Calls,” with a more progressive concept and a more direct approach to classic and melodic Metal.
And for even more classics, we can’t overlook “Armageddon,” another tremendous display of riffs, intense drive, and just the right, precise speed to make it unmissable, even with its interesting interludes that showcase Veni Domine’s most epic and versatile side—a quality that’s greatly amplified when we get to “O Great City,” a true must-hear gem with its melodic and orchestral lines achieved through the various riffs and strumming on the six strings. Masterful and epic in every way, Veni Domine proves that it doesn’t need separate orchestral arrangements—everything flows from its bulletproof creativity.
But when it comes to creativity and genius, we can’t fail to mention the album’s great epic piece. I’m referring, of course, to “The Chronicle of the Seven Seals,” a long and elaborate interpretation of the apocalyptic narrative. A true masterpiece that fully showcases Veni Domine’s creativity and brings out the very best of their essence. Clocking in at a full 21 minutes, this track is the album’s high point, where the band masterfully creates a unique atmosphere for the part of the Apocalypse dedicated to the judgments of the seals. To call it tremendous is an understatement.
An anecdote the band shares—as part of the story told in the album’s liner notes—has to do precisely with the length of this track, which is so epic and grandiose at the same time that they had a hard time finding a studio to record it, since not all studios had tapes long enough to accommodate it. It’s truly crazy, but effective and majestic.
But it doesn’t end there. For this reissue of “Fall Babylon Fall,” the track “Visions” was added as a bonus track—a song that was already included on the 1997 version of the album, having been recorded in 1997, that is, long after the album’s original recording, but intended for a Japanese release.
Returning to “Fall Babylon Fall” is like going back to the roots—to that heavy, raw sound that, above all, hits you from every angle. A true powerhouse from Veni Domine. And in this reissue, the original recording has been carefully remastered, with a strong emphasis on boosting the bass and giving the entire album a much sharper clarity than the original release—all without unnecessary tweaking. The studio work was handled by a master in this field: C.J. Grimmark, who truly did an excellent job fine-tuning this historic album.
The band notes in the inner sleeve that they had considered releasing “Fall Babylon Fall” on vinyl at the time, but ultimately decided to release it only on CD and cassette. Finally, we’ve gotten our chance to make up for that, as the album can now be enjoyed on vinyl with this reissue, in addition to its corresponding CD version. It’s worth noting that the double vinyl set comes with a few surprises, such as the 2024 re-recordings of the tracks “Wisdom Calls” and “The Day Of Sentinel.”
And while we’re on the subject of the artwork, we should mention that the original cover has been faithfully reproduced, with much more color and definition added to the cover art; as for the inner booklet, it’s of excellent quality, featuring several impressive photographs of the band and chronicling the band’s history from its beginnings up to the release of “Fall Babylon Fall.” In any case, it’s truly worth checking out.
In principle, Veni Domine appears to still be active as a band, although in reality it has been at least 10 years since they released any new material. Their latest developments revolve around this meticulous reissue of at least their first four albums. Let’s hope for new releases soon, and in the meantime, I highly recommend rediscovering their discography—and this reissue is the perfect excuse to do so.
To wrap things up, here’s the video filmed during the band’s full-band re-recording of the classic “Wisdom Calls” in 2024 to support this release—a version found exclusively on the double vinyl released as part of this reissue, as we’ve already mentioned. And as is our custom, here are the band’s social media links and where to get Veni Domine’s reissued material… ..
https://www.nordicmission.net/en/products/veni-domine-fall-babylon-fall-remastered-cd-pre-order
https://www.facebook.com/venidomineofficial
https://www.instagram.com/real_venidomine
