Alec Compton ’22
Arts & Culture Editor
Faith is a complicated concept that means many things to many people. As much as we have secularized as a society, it is undeniable that faith has influenced our art. Unlike most religious music, Ignota’s Sinner Get Ready does not simply sing God’s praises; instead, it takes a personal look into Ignota’s relationship with God and religion.
The first track, “The Order of Spiritual Virgins,” presents a cruel, uncaring God who exclaims, “Hide your children, hide your husbands / I am relentless, I am incessant, I am the ocean / And all who dare look upon me swear eternal devotion.” The second track is from Ignota’s point of view, displaying her growing frustration with God. She blames God for not granting her wishes despite her deep devotion. Her wish is to kill a man who she believes deserves to be dead.
She sees God as unjust for not acting upon her wishes. These first two tracks are easily the most instrumentally and tonally harsh on the record, which is by no means “comfort listening”. Even so, the middle of the album sees Ignota less confronting God, and rather at an uneasy acceptance of him. She acknowledges his existence, but she is deeply unsettled by it.
This is shown well in the song “PERPETUAL FLAME OF CENTRALIA.” Here, Ignota initially has a positive view of her faith: “I am covered with the blood of Jesus / Fear is nothing when the path is righteous / I rest my head in a holy kingdom / Mine is the venom of the snake of Eden.” However, this changes to a much more negative view: “Life is a song, a song / And the fires of hell burn long and dull / Life is a song, a song / And the raging fires of hell burn long.” The penultimate and final songs on the album show Ignota with a fuller understanding of her place in the world, and her acceptance of God.
The penultimate track: “MAN IS LIKE A SPRING FLOWER” details Ignota’s understanding of the human condition, and the conclusion she comes to on what man is. She expresses her conclusion through touching metaphors (declaring the heart of man to be an orchid, the hand of God extended, and the seventh gate of hell).
The final track is much softer and instrumentally lush than all other tracks on the record and has Ignota fully accept God into her life. She finishes her journey started at the beginning of the album.
Lingua Ignota’s Sinner Get Ready is a beautiful exploration of a woman’s struggle with faith. While it may not be the most pleasant, its harshness only adds to the message of the record. If you are at all interested in religion or more experimental music, be sure not to miss this one.
9/10
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