By:
Daniel Jackson
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 15/7/2016
Label: Grau | Cold
Dimensions
Börner writes and creates music that should appeal to both purist
and tourist alike. Not because he haphazardly smashes the pieces into each
other, like a child with their toys, but because his instincts and strengths do
so organically. “Autumn’ is flush with
atmosphere and overall is a cohesive and brilliant listening experience.
‘Autumn’ CD//LP//DD track listing:
1.
Scars
2.
Void
3.
Womb of Emptiness
4.
Autumn Shades
5.
The Wind and the Leaves
6.
Climax of Sorrow
7.
Nightfall
8.
Escape II
The Review:
The
wait for a new ColdWorld album has been a long one. Georg
Börner’s last release under the ColdWorld banner was
2008’s ‘Melancholie²’, an album
rightfully adored by just about everyone who enjoys sorrowful black metal. It
also fell between two different eras, as it relates to which sub-style of black
metal were popular at the time. ‘Melancholie²’
came just as the wave of American one-man band projects (Xasthur, Leviathan)
had already crested and flattened out, but also just before the increased
popularity of post black metal (Amesoeurs,
Alcest).
‘Melancholie²’ was something of a bridge
between those two points in black metal history as well, having qualities of
both the claustrophobic production of American black metal just after the turn
of the century, but written with the dour melody and atmosphere of European
post black metal. The album also had a character that separated it from
anything else happening at the time, using violin, and soft electronics to add
character so many of the other bands of the time were missing.
In
2016, the black metal landscape is significantly different. ‘Autumn’ comes at a time when black
metal is in a state of change again, as we appear to be on a down cycle after
the proliferation of “blackgaze”, especially in the United States. In these downswings,
black metal tends to return to the basics in the interim, which is why so much
of the best black metal releases this year have been more traditional, sticking
closer to the late 80s / early 90s playbook. ColdWorld
again finds itself landing just as one trend is wrapping up, and presumably,
another will begin.
‘Autumn’ bears some resemblance to ‘Melancholie²’, as Börner has a certain
melodic style that carries over, even after eight years. But this album is
warmer, and sounds more natural (which is probably tied to the album’s title).
The guitars aren’t as abrasive as they were before, the drum programming is
less rigid. ‘Autumn’ is not as
straightforwardly black metal as its predecessor. While clean vocals were
definitely a factor on ‘Melancholie²’,
they were so often buried in the mix and used for ambience more than being a
focal point. “Womb of Emptiness” is
an example of how that’s changed to an extent. Börner gives a somber, fragile
performance on the song that recalls Jonas Renkse in his transitional period as
a vocalist, particularly during ‘Discouraged
Ones’. He doesn’t struggle to find the note like Renske did, but his voice
has a similarly subdued, gentle nature to it.
More
than anything, ColdWorld is no longer an omen of things to
come masquerading as a part of the old guard. They’re simply existing in their
place in time, and showing every other band and project the best version of
what they could have been. Börner writes and creates music that should appeal
to both purist and tourist alike. Not because he haphazardly smashes the pieces
into each other, like a child with their toys, but because his instincts and
strengths do so organically. ‘Autumn’
is flush with atmosphere, but not because Börner listened to Slowdive and
decided to shoehorn that sound into blast-centric black metal. Instead, ‘Autumn’ is a cohesive, brilliant
listening experience; a reimagining of its own sound rather than the awkward
pairing of two sounds from someone else. The distinction may seem like a small
one, but it makes all the difference in the world.
Band info:
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