Let’s get something out of the way; I usually find it hard to digest Black Metal when it’s a bit too polished or a tad too symphonic. There are some examples out there of bands that I do listen to from time to time, but it’s not nearly enough that I’ll follow any new releases, so when the new album by up-and-coming Weltenbrandt came, a band I did not know before, I was sceptic to say the least.
Theoretically speaking, I shouldn’t like this album. It basically contains a ton of stuff I am not supposed to like, yet I do like it quite much simply because of the fact it’s written in a way that flows from one component to the next and there are enough interesting moments that even an ape like me would find himself listening to again and again.
A certain form of sad elegance covers the whole album, from the moment “Melancholia Urgewalt” starts. The cold guitars that dictate the rhythm and the keyboard that performs a mighty act of support, turn this into something that’s unexpectedly captivating. The same could be said about “Apotropaion” and “Resilienz”, yet having these also shows that the band keeps their beats per minute varied, as they switch from slower, melodic tunes to fast paced aggressions, to complete instrumental emotional pieces such as “Serenade”.
The album does well in building up layers of symphonic walls, which is both good and bad at the same time. Good, because songs like “Prana” are being led by those notions exactly, and not so good since the music doesn’t seem to overcome it, and has less space for that certain kind of rawness that perhaps should be present from time to time, to turn it all into a more memorable moment. It does exist, as “Broken Crosses” shows as well as in “Tiefste Rast”, but it’s akin to a moment that you want more of.
Having said that, it does not take away from what we have here, and that is a polished second release that knows exactly how it wants to sound like and knows their target crowd even better.
The young Austrian group exists only a few years now and I have to say, that with such high level as a second album, it’s just a matter of time until they get more recognition that would situate them higher up.
7/10
Release Date: August 2024
Label: Independent
Tracklist:
- Melancholia Urgewalt
- Apotropaion
- Resilienz
- Ornament
- Prana
- Vergängnisdenkmal
- Serenade
- Broken Crosses
- Tiefste Rast
