Wow, where do I begin?! To say this is a complex album is a huge understatement but I mean that in a positive way as I thoroughly enjoyed getting to grips with the fifth full length from this Swiss extreme metal troupe.
The album is a true opus clocking in at an hour and a quarter, and at times it is more akin to a horror film than an album such are the atmospheres and variations in mood that it creates. It is undeniably black metal at its core but it is also symphonic, cinematic, gothic, macabre and at times downright sinister.
Things get underway with ‘Wiederauferstehung’, which is predominantly a German spoken word piece, initially over subtle instrumentation which explodes into a sinister rage as a female voice joins the fray. The effect is malevolent, and sets the scene nicely for ‘Die Korrektur’ which is melodic yet vehement black metal, and ups the aggression levels.
The album continues to build, with clean female vocals joining the mix during ‘Sei Gedankt’, and retaining prominence with great effect during the rest of the album, sometimes as backing vocals, sometimes as lead. Each passing track seems to incorporate new elements, building on what has come before until midway through when things take a more theatrical turn on ‘Stechpalmenholz’ and ‘Schoenes Finale’ with spoken word vocals akin to a deranged ringmaster orchestrating over the madness through his stomping, driving rhythms. The album veers in one direction then another with orchestrations and varying dynamics before being pulled to a close with a 16-minute epic ‘Schalt es aus’ which degenerates to maniacal, barely audible hysterical voice over white noise after six minutes or so.
A lazy comparison to some of the more straight forward melodic black metal might be mid era Dimmu Borgir or Cradle of Filth, but this really doesn’t do justice to this complex elixir being spewed forth here. At times I was reminded of Carach Angren and perhaps Angtoria, at others early Samael and the twisted theatrics brought to mind Slagmaur, but even these only give a flavour.
Often things get messy when bands try to blend so many styles, but here it is done perfectly, creating the illusion of sitting in the front row of Majesty of Silence’s twisted mind.
(8.5/10 Andy Pountney)
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