At any given moment, it wouldn't be a stretch of the imagination to say that black metal is overflowing with names vying for their own little piece of territory to stake their claims, and that is especially true for the more atmospheric reaches of the sound. The influx of acts new and old seeking to gain some foothold is quite a thing to behold in virtually every capacity, yet there are always a few that rise to the surface while many that tend to thrive in the shadows of the unknowable underground where only a few are able to truly gaze upon their magnificence. With its first full-length album, Herfstdood poises itself to be a fantastic name of the latter.
Already having loads of experience across black metal for quite a long time now, the quality of this release shouldn't be any surprise with those who had experienced the previous split with Hikikomori not even two months ago utterly spoiled for what was thrown down there was but an appetizer for what Herfstdood summons for this full-length record. What was initially completed a few years ago but then re-done after the mastermind behind Herfstdood feeling like the final mix was too atmospheric, "Lijdensweg" finds itself closer to blackgaze than anything else, but no matter where this record particularly falls in the vast spectrum of black metal, it needs to be made clear this record effortlessly hits its mark every single time. Gorgeous in even its smallest moments, this is a record that has so much to offer should you simply allow the snow to cover your body and have the roots of the ancient wood take you. This is what happens when a sound that can very easily feel siphoned of any kind of intrigue or wonder is crafted by a soul that has a magnificent understanding of the inner workings and intricacies of the style down to its very core, and it's evident within every single one of these seven tracks that Herfstdood more than fits that very bill. This is what it means to make one hell of an entrance in this sound.
Everything within "Lijdensweg" is what we're constantly salivating for out of the overflowing realm of atmospheric black metal and beyond with very few acts able to even come close to delivering the goods on such a level that leaves you feeling satisfied rather than underwhelmed. Pound for pound, Herfstdood does not leave the listener hanging in despair.
"Lijdensweg" releases on February 10th!
LISTEN to an advanced track from "Lijdensweg" on Bandcamp here or via YouTube below.
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