Genus Ordinis Dei reveal The Fortress Without Gates,
final episode of The Beginning,
their second Metal Music Series & concept album
GENUS ORDINIS DEI unveil today, December 12th 2023, their The Fortress Without Gates music video & single via Eclipse Records. The Fortress Without Gates is the fourth and last video episode and single from The Beginning, which was released on December 8th, 2023 via Eclipse Records.
The album was produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Tommaso Monticelli at Sonitus Studio in Crema, Italy. The video series was directed by Genus Ordinis Dei, and filmed by Steve Saints.
Listen to the album and follow the video series HERE.
The Fortress Without Gates shows us unbridled ceremonial cannibalism in a burst of horrific, violent beauty as The Brother is consumed by sensuous, barbarous tribal women, some wearing animal skulls. The magic of the music works to multiple climaxes where amazing hummingbird sixteenths lay down a red carpet for the guitarwork and emotion-filled vocals. Hearts are devoured here, and treasures are fatally ignored.
THE FORTRESS WITHOUT GATES official video
“The video was shot at night along the sandy banks of the Adda River” says guitarist & producer Tommy Monticelli. “Throughout the day, we set up the sandy camp, decorated the ritual circle, and did the makeup. The band looked like a group of seasoned farmers. Certainly, the intense scene of the heart extraction was the most challenging and incredible ever. The props and SFX from our collaborators Beatrice Tell and Valentina Radenti were amazing. There was no room for error, but at the same time, synchronizing the extraction with the camera and the blood while actor Lorenzo (The Shaman) performed was a real feat. There were actually two hearts, one edible (less realistic) and one absolutely inedible. The edible one tasted like terribly sweet raspberry. We spent a fantastic day together with all the fantastic girls, assistants, and actors who collaborated in the shooting. We will never forget it!” Guitarist & vocalist Nick Key adds, “This final episode recounts the epilogue of this story and the genesis of a mysterious black stone that the brother now wears around his neck. The brother’s return to the tribe is welcomed by The Shaman, who, along with his harpies, escorts him towards the dreadful cannibalistic ritual he must undergo. In the midst of this whirlwind of emotions, the brother is placed on the altar, and his mind returns to the last farewell and embrace shared with his sister during their journey.”
The Beginning is the fourth studio album from symphonic death metal band Genus Ordinis Dei, which redefines the way we listen to music and process cinematic theater. In simpler terms, the final product is an exceptional twelve-track album and a stunning set of representative videos called “Episodes,” that directly address the way we use our senses. Interspliced in a clever foreshadowing technique, are images of blood pouring over a stone, advancing like the crooked fingers of some skeletal miscreant, and when the Brother character starts singing, we are startled into the recognition that this is not merely some standard high-quality film, but the vibrant offspring we get from a brilliant, well-produced metal album. Symbolically, the parallel is clear. We are watching exquisite savages at the dawn of existence, who are shockingly similar to us in terms of their passion, physicality, and natural tendencies toward glorified violence. More thematically, Genus Ordinis Dei shows us quite clearly that brutality is the lifeblood of society, as we still so ironically fool ourselves with carefully crafted social constructs. The Beginning is not just music. It is an experience. A red dawn. An awakening.
GENUS ORDINIS DEI discography
The Beginning (album) – 2023
Glare of Deliverance (album) – 2020
Nemesis feat. Melissa VanFleet (single) – 2019
Great Olden Dynasty (album) – 2017
EP 2016 (EP) – 2016
The Middle (album) – 2015
GENUS ORDINIS DEI lineup
Nick K (vocals & guitar)
Tommy Monticelli (guitar & orchestra)
Nico Pedrali (drums)
