LINGUA IGNOTA – “CALIGULA” (2019)

Sargent House

Review by Warren Mayocchi

Though LINGUA IGNOTA means “the language is unknown” in Latin, here it means Kristin Hayter. While knowing the artist’s name is not essential in listening to music, it helps to understand it. Kristin Hayter‘s background includes abuse. Proceeds of her first album were given to the National Network to End Domestic Violence. “CALIGULA” sounds like it is full of anger and despair. There is a solemnity and underlying style to the tracks which is reminiscent of the songs from Sunday sessions in church, indeed God and Satan make appearances in the lyrics. The first track is named “FAITHFUL SERVANT FRIEND OF CHRIST” and another track contains the lines “Today I fear nothing / For heaven is my consolation […] Today I rejoice / For God alone / Knows my sorrow / And he will shelter me“. Shelter from what you might ask, but you only need to listen, in the final track, “I AM THE BEAST”, Hayter sings, “All I want is boundless love / All I know is / Violence”. At times the lyrics are intoned with the churchlike solemnity, they are also delivered with the harsh screams coming from the depths of personal pain. With a sparse instrumental background, the vocals carry the album. There is variety in vocal delivery across songs, though there is little contrast in the musical themes. The only real contrast on this album is the love is expressed lyrically on a few occasions. For example, “DO YOU DOUBT ME TRAITOR” contains, “When all this is ended / As cruel as I am / Remember how I loved you“. Lest you receive an impression this album is one was misery dominates, consider “BUTCHER OF THE WORLD” and it’s opening lyrics, “I’m the fucking deathdealer / I’m the butcher of the world / Rise up and I’ll cut you down“. So, the message from me about this album is to be prepared to receive a deluge of anger and despair. If this is what you want, the emotional waves of “CALIGULA” might be for you. The problem I found, which you may not, is how personal and specific are the lyrics. This is an album about Kristin Hayter, her abuse, her experiences with a world which has probably betrayed her, and minor solace in the religious. For me, it would have been better presented in full Latin, or something else I cannot understand. The lyrics are clear, and the clarity created a distance between myself and the song. Resonance was only found on the track “IF THE POISON WON’T TAKE YOU MY DOGS WILL”, which interestingly seems to be the one track where the lyrical content seemed to reach out to the world in an attempt to convince another person of something. It states, “Life is cruel / And time heals nothing“. Though it was not generally for me, for an album created to be purposefully ugly and with unflinching brutality, “CALIGULA” is a masterpiece

Rating – 75/100

Tracklist:

1. FAITHFUL SERVANT FRIEND OF CHRIST
2. DO YOU DOUBT ME TRAITOR
3. BUTCHER OF THE WORLD
4. MAY FAILURE BE YOUR NOOSE
5. FRAGRANT IS MY MANY FLOWER’D CROWN
6. IF THE POISON WON’T TAKE YOU MY DOGS WILL
7. DAY OF TEARS AND MOURNING
8. SORROW! SORROW! SORROW!
9. SPITE ALONE HOLDS ME ALOFT
10. FUCKING DEATHDEALER
11. I AM THE BEAST

Line Up:

• Kristin Hayter – Vocals, all instruments

Links:

facebook.com/linguaignotamusic

twitter.com/LINGUA_IGNOTA_

linguaignota.net/