Album Type: Full Length
Date
Released:
04/11/2016
Label: This Charming Man Records
This is only the
band’s debut but there is a ton of promise here, they present an engrossing style, smart arrangements, and
excellent production, but as good as this is, I only see them getting better
from here.
‘Aeternus’
CD//LP track listing:
1. Auferstehung
2. Verstoßene
3. Niedertracht
4. Illusion
5. Dämmerung
6. Schatten
7. Heimkehr
The Review:
Try as we might, it’s impossible to catch every
worthwhile release in a year, even for someone with a pretty limited musical
taste, like myself. With that in mind, Ånd’s debut album ‘Aeternus’ was released a couple of months ago,
and it is absolutely worth your time. There’s plenty to dig into here, despite
the album’s extra-lean running time.
Post-black metal has been around as a subgenre,
in some form, for more than ten years now. To this point, the term has largely
been reserved for a couple of key stylistic groups. The first would be bands in
the Alcest or Deafheaven vein; black metal and shoegaze hybrids.
The second group occupies a heavier space, focusing on sludge or grind and
hardcore as musical counterpoints. While much closer to that second group than
the first, Ånd doesn’t truly fit into
either mould.
Over the course of the album’s twenty-six
minutes, the band showcases a sound built upon a contrast between slowly picked
black metal melody and deep resonant chords for added heaviness. This gives the
songs a full, layered sound, and it’s easy to get swept up in the moment as the
album goes on. This leads to a very cohesive overall sound for a first album,
though stopping well short of ever feeling repetitive, even as the songs are
often variations on a similar musical theme. “Schatten” stands out for
being speedier than the vast majority of the album, but even then it’s reserved
compared to most other black metal.
Another key point to consider about Ånd is their inclination to remain concise. None of
the songs on the album breach the five minute mark, which is quite the rarity
for a black metal band, a reliance on building mood and atmosphere. It speaks
to the band having a strong grasp of what their sound is and should be, and to
their strength as songwriters. This is only the band’s debut but there is a ton
of promise here: the engrossing style, smart arrangements, and excellent
production. As good as this is, I only see them getting better from here.
Band info: Facebook
