Perhaps it is due to the fact that so much metal within this sub-genre is tarred with the “post” brush right now, almost as if those that play it have forgotten the origins and meanings. It’s unavoidable in a way and music has to progress to stay fresh. Putting Wolvish Grandeur on the player after a couple of said albums that I have reviewed all that is swept aside and this came as a true breath of fetid air. It’s so nice to get something you can truly call black metal, unadulterated by modern trends and in this case not having stewed and aged on a Norwegian wood-burner for the last couple of decades. Irrlycht are a German group with a few sporadic releases to their name. Their last and debut full-length ‘Schatten des Gewitters’ saw the light of darkness a full ten years ago via Undercover Records and no doubt passed many by and in the resulting years has seen the band all but forgotten. It’s certainly time to put them on the map again with this follow-up.
In the interceding years it would appear members have passed through these gates leaving predominantly vocalist Isegrimm and guitarist Nordger working here with a couple of session players. They have constructed a whopping 66-minute, 7 track album here which opens with classical strains, a guttural snarl and whiplashing riff work. What quickly stands out is Isegrimm’s vocal stance, put politely it ain’t normal and reading between the lines that translates as he comes across as an absolute loon! Spitting, growling, hollering, spookily speaking, orating, sobbing, cackling and practically every other superlative you can think about, he delivers everything with exuberance and gusto. It makes the album incredibly distinctive and far from stale as you never know what to expect from him next. Naturally everything is versed in native German and this adds to the mystery and full-moon lycanthropic madness of it all. If something has bitten him in the deepest darkest realms of the Black Forest it would come as no surprise.
The musicians keep things true with whiplashing frenzied guitar work and plenty of melody, driving ballast from the drums and occasional nostalgic keyboards which up the atmosphere. Subject matter is not obvious although song titles suggest mythology. We have translated songs as ‘Revitalization of Ymir,’ ‘Gaia’s downfall’ and ‘The wages of Sisyphus’ among these epic tales. Despite lack of understanding though it is hardly like pushing a boulder up a hill for eternity due to the angsty expressions and musical deluge that flies out the speakers like an untamed beast.
Great grooves and plenty of headbanging action await those who delve into this album and saying more about it is really kind of unnecessary. Put simply if you are a fan of the unhinged craziness of Bethlehem and the classicist style of Nargaroth this one needs to be on your playing list and you would be howling mad to overlook it!
(8.5/10 Pete Woods)
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