'The world is a theater and human life is the boundary of all worldly things. Life is the personification of vanity. Death breaks and dissolves the illusion and is the boundary of all mortal things. Let those who visit this place ponder well these maxims and carry them with lively remembrance of death...'

These are the words chosen by Ill Omen's sole member, IV, to preface the recordings contained in Compendium Melificarum ? Esoterica, a collection of demo, rehearsal, live, and split tracks from the band's archive. Nuclear War Now! and Ill Omen first began their alliance with the release of ?Enthroning the Bonds of Abhorrence,? the band's second full-length album from 2014. With the current release, the listener is invited to take another step back to recordings that represent some of the more formative years of the band's development. Although these recordings predate those of the aforementioned releases, the trademarks of Ill Omen's sound had already been clearly established. As such, listeners who have only come to appreciate Ill Omen due to their acquaintance with the more recent recordings are sure to not be disappointed. Present are the familiar low-to-mid tempos punctuated by the voluminous and echoing bass lines, as well as the ubiquitously shimmering and refracting strata of guitar tones that weave in and out of each other before seemingly dissipating into nothingness, all of which is complemented by IV's afflicted vocal delivery. With this release, Ill Omen confirms that quality in consistency is best achieved with an effective original recipe.

CONTENTS

Track 1: Demo 2013
Track 2: Split with Pestilentia 2013
Tracks 3-5: Wrath of a Thousand Suns demo 2013
Tracks 6-11: Spear of Salvation demo 2010
Track 12: Rehearsal 29.2.12
Tracks 13-15: Live at the Devil's Arcana 31.3.12