Some albums just work. It can be really hard to explain why, but they just have that certain X-Factor (no pun intended). Black metal bands are no exception to this, whether it be keyboard wielding symphonic warriors, Kvlt-er than thou lo-fi cave dwellers or anything in between, but some can be very bland with bands trying too hard to fit in to a certain style, resulting in a lack of personality. However, once in a while a band clicks and gets it just right – Kjeld are one such band particularly with their latest album, ‘Ôfstân’.
Drawing inspiration from Frisian nature, myths and sagas, Kjeld’s songs are soaked in culture and history and are even delivered in Frisian (Frisian’s are those native to Frisia, an historical coastal region incorporating a large part of the Netherlands and smaller parts of Northern Germany). Perhaps fittingly for this proud heritage, Kjeld deliver abrasive black metal with an undercurrent of compelling, atmospheric melody. While this has been present on previous releases, it has been honed to perfection on this, their best release to date.
Things kick off with ‘Betsjoend’ and its aggressive high intensity black metal with a subtle backdrop of melody before the track changes direction a little towards the end with a more atmospheric passage. The track is rounded off with an increase in fervour as the vocals morph into tortured howls. There is perhaps a little more control to the onslaught during ‘De Iensume Widner’ which feels more chunky in its outlook but is no less vicious. In slight contrast, ‘Wylde Rixt’ in uncompromising and unrelenting as it is spewed forth with vitriol. During this track it occurred to me that the vocals are sitting perfectly within the mix, neither overbearing nor buried.
The stand out track on the album is the title track. This behemoth takes time to build over eight minutes, with ferocious percussion and unrelenting riffs jousting with the venomous vocals for supremacy as the track evolves. The drumming becomes militaristic as swathes of atmospheric melody build, creating images of dense fog rolling over desolate landscapes. This is augmented by spoken word vocals before the track reverts back to the more familiar vocal barrage.
The album continues with more abrasive BM expertly blended with swathes of atmospheric melody during ‘Asbran’ and ‘Wite Fokel’. A short ambient intro lead into ‘Falske Doop’ before it erupts, perhaps with even more urgency than the tracks that have gone before. Midway through there is a drop in pace and an ominous spoken word passage before we are led back to more uncompromising black metal. The blending of acerbic metal and atmospheric undertones continues during ‘Skaad’ and ‘Konfrontaasje’ before the album draws to a triumphant close.
I spend a lot of time trawling the extreme metal underbelly, and listen to a lot of new as well as established black metal acts. Of course, personal taste and mood at the time of listening will come into it, but this mix of brutality, atmosphere and melody its spot on and this album is highly recommended.
(8.5/10 Andy Pountney)
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