Not to be mistaken with their first release, ‘Geist ist Teufel’ (spirit is devil), ‘Teufelsgeist’ (devil’s spirit) is the sixth full length from Dutch duo, Urfaust. In true pretentious black metal nature, to fully appreciate this album, it has of course got its own signature gin to accompany it. With song titles such as ‘Van alcoholische verbittering naar religieuze cult’ (from alcoholic bitterness to religious cult) and ‘Offerschaal der astrologische mengvormen’ (sacrificial bowl of astrological hybrid forms) it’s clear to see that Urfaust wrote ‘Teufelsgeist’ with the idea fixed firmly in their mind of a philosophical type, stroking their beard while supping alcohol.
Urfaust have never trodden the path of black metal directly, always keeping to the atmospheric outer edges, and while Teufelsgeist isn’t quite as “out there” as the likes of 2016’s ‘Empty Space Meditation’, it’s certainly experimental enough to raise a few eyebrows. Relying heavily on dramatic flair, this opus undulates between grandiose, almost operatic sounding passages and creeping, murky shamanistic episodes that wouldn’t come as a shock if they were found in the track listing of a Sunn O))) record. It’s sparse in terms of instrumentals, but fills the void to near claustrophobic proportions with synths, electronics and a wide ranging vocal display.
As an ambient/drone/noise release, this is a great listen and well worth checking out if you’ve previously avoided Urfaust for fear of tremolo picking and scratchy production quality. Those anticipating a high class black metal affair will be sorely disappointed, as this particular element is barely touched upon. At 35 minutes it’s relatively short but crams a lot in in terms of how sprawling the soundscapes contained therein are. Definitely not for the casual listener, ‘Teufelsgeist’ requires a particular mood and mindset in order to be truly enjoyed – perhaps that’s where the accompanying gin comes in – everything sounds great when you’re half cut.
(6/10 Angela Davey)
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