If this German black metal band had been around at the start of the scene in the early 90s we’d be revering them as true pioneers of a genre they have made their own throughout their discography. Each of the bands previous three full lengths and two EPs has a defining aura that makes the band’s music distinctive, brutal, poignant and highly progressive, capitalising on their experience to ensure there is always something new for their fans which I am increase year upon year. There isn’t a single release I have not liked by Firtan, indeed their enduring sonic prowess is testament to a set of musicians who are not satisfied with churning out the same sort of material with each release. In fact there are tons of nuances and a plethora of surprises on this fourth spellbinding opus.
The moment that opener ‘Hrenga’ starts you get an enveloping shroud of evocativeness channelled through the atmospheric beginning that yields for a slower than expected blackened riff that is supremely heavy and borders death metal to a degree. Moreover I think this is the band’s heaviest album to date, yet is peppered with multiple gradations in tone to leave you stunned. The vocal arrangements are equally stunning too, harsh throaty snarls blended with cleaner shouted tones and occasionally a deep resonating roar that permeates the songs. I’d even say the opener is close to post-sludge due to its creeping penetrating slowness until the explosive increase in pace about half way in. I’m sure some of you will be think there are post-rock moments here and there primarily due to the mood dynamics and the intertwining guitar work that runs rivulets throughout the album’s course.
With a full thrust obsidian assault ‘Zores’ goes straight for the jugular and listening to this tune I was thinking about the UK’s Ante-Inferno due to the overarching intensity it wields. The abrupt change in snare speed is truly superb, increasing the momentum and smashing into you right before the morphing change to double kick and an absolutely stupendous riff change. The extremity of the track is distilled into its unmitigated and remorseless nihilism yet is entrenched with melody and reams of mutating tempos and personas.
An isolated riff starts ‘Contra Vermes’ before it plunges into blackened blasting velocities as the song contorts around the central riff ensuring there is that consistency before the tangential drop in speed for semi-acoustics and keyboard atmospherics. ‘Arkanum’ sees the most noticeable appearance of violin work as the song’s opening sequence is fraught with tension and morosity before the dramatic burst in metal that has that sense of building up with each passing second. The violin is mournful, saturating the song in despondency but is equally aggressive and sinister.
‘Wermut Hoch Am Firmament’ is an immense tune, the short fade in surrenders to the outright blistering blackened attack that arrives through the guitar work but also the caustic vocal tone. The colossal changes in pace reminded me of 90s black metal as the hostility is reined in marginally for a double kick surge. As I have mentioned already I feel this album is Firtan’s heaviest to date yet retains their core black metal identity as ‘Moloch’ is wholly savage and uncompromising. It is also extremely catchy, something the band has always done despite the unerring savagery they purvey. A wholesale change in mood appears on ‘Ruakh’, the calm melody listens like ambient black metal with what I believe is a dulcimer playing since that is what is stated in press kit notes though it doesn’t state which songs it is used on. As the vitriolic nature of the song unfolds through the blast beat there is also repeating hypnotic riffage that smartly switches into a very melodic phase.
At over seven minutes ‘Komm Herbei, Schwarze Nacht’ is similar to the album’s opener, slower with intrinsic dolefulness the song has a doom like soundscape but is instilled with a host of subtle changes via the guitar work, atmospherics and tempos. The eventual escalation in velocity is expected and possesses that inherent violence the band does so well leaving only ‘Wenn Sich Mir Einst Alle Ringe Schließen’ to conclude yet another astonishingly good album. The closer is more like an extended outro piece, sombre and ominous via the piano it leaves you with that feeling of re-emerging after some sort of cataclysmic event especially with the violin.
A magnificent new album from Firtan, one that captures the essence of old school black metal but is rooted with their own identity and outstanding song writing.
(9.5/10 Martin Harris)
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