Van Records – Out Now
When the second wave of Black Metal, the one instigated by the likes of Darkthrone, Mayhem and Burzum, first made its impact on the world in the early 90s, the idea of Black Metal bands incorporating elements from different genres in their music was not only an alien, but also a truly an inconceivable idea.
Luckily such restraints have disappeared with time and I say ‘luckily’ because we are now in a position to enjoy more varied and musically challenging pieces of work from bands both young and old. One band that seems to enjoy ‘mixing things up’ is the German duet Freitod and proof of this can be found in their second full length release “Regenjahre”.
Freitod likes to wear its influences on its sleeve and these influences are not only easily identifiable but also many and varied. When in the gloomiest of moods, their riffs behave in a fashion that is typical of bands like Katatonia and My Dying Bride.
There is, however, also a part of this band’s character which is more positive and upbeat, manifesting through the use of solid mid-tempo head banging riffs which are reminiscent of leading outfits such as latter-day Satyricon and Darkthrone. That would seem a fine blend of sounds and styles, don’t you agree?
Listening to the harmonic opening riff of “Regenjahre” brought back memories from the days I was hooked on Katatonia’s magnum opus “Viva Emptiness” and so it won my appreciation and interest almost instantaneously. The follow up “Der Traumstrum” is more old-school in its aesthetics and approach but still pretty varied, whereas the mid-tempo head banging riffs of “Neue Wege”, signal a certain change with regards the album’s musical route.
The first song to really grab me was “Letzes Wort” – a five and a half minute head banger whose Satyricon-style riffs and vocals are unbelievably catchy. It is at this point that the album slightly loses momentum, not that there is something wrong with either “Sterbenswert” or “Nichtssagend”, but they come across as less ‘urgent’ when compared with their predecessors. It is at the very end, however, that this album makes its true impact, as the eleven-minute “WennAllesZerbricht” is a cleverly structured piece of music holding many pleasant surprises for the unsuspecting listener.
Freitod are a good example of yet another impressive band that somehow managed to fall below my radar and I wouldn’t have been surprised if many of you have had the same experience. Well, the fact that “Regenjahre” is only the band’s second ever release makes the guilt more bearable and if both the German duet and their label Van Records play their cards right with regards this album’s promotion, it won’t be long before far fewer of us can claim to be unaware of the name Freitod.
John Stefanis
Rating: **** (4.0/5.0)
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