BLACK VINYL // 180g (Heavy Vinyl), 300gsm Cover, Insert, Paperbag, Poster in A2 format
300x Black Vinyl, 100x Gold Vinyl, 100x Transparent-White/Smoke Vinyl
Traditional black metal normally makes up for only a small portion of the Dunkelheit label, with their main focus mainly being on more obscure stuff. With the release of “Maleficae Artes”, the fourth full length by German black metal commando Entartung, they prove that they have great taste when it comes to heavy music. The predecessor “Baptised Into the Faith of Lust” has been released by WTC and I have no info about the background and why the band switched labels, but the quality is still top notch and there are no drastic changes within the sound. This album is a fantastic example of captivating and atmospheric yet fierce black metal.
It could be argued that many bands of the style are just repeating the same stuff over again, but there’s still enough to squeeze out of it if the style’s put into the right hands. We’re given plenty of the flavors of what makes the style interesting to begin with as Entartung show a clear understanding of how to bring it all together wonderfully such that it fits together nicely, such that they all work off each other brilliantly. Etching sorrowful melodies out of the haze, Entartung create surprisingly melodic and beautiful melodies across the vast sonic landscapes of this record. The howls of the vocals wail mournfully beneath the moving passages and long-form builds, the drums pulsing mid-tempo runs and blasts beneath much of the melodious passages.
From the first track on the band shows that while staying true to formula defined by the founders and idols of the genre, they are not afraid to construct more complex arrangements. The opening song “Tower of Silence” starts in a mid-tempo groove, glides into atmospheric and subtly ambient sections with hypnotic harmonies and spoken vocal parts, before hammering away with tremolo attacks and blast-beats. It takes a bit of courage to start of the debut full length with a song lasting for more than nine minutes and present this variety within just one single track. It speaks for the songwriting skills of the band that “Maleficae Artes” entertains throughout its running time.
The lead guitar work is outstanding, creating various moods over the course of the record. These harmonies sometimes seem to have a slightly fragile character, which is kind of contrary to the battering drums and bleakness which is haunting this album. Pictures of cursed and long forgotten monasteries and the howling of the lost souls wandering the hallways have appeared before my inner eye while listening. The desperate vocals underline this impression.
The productions is great, crisp but not too modern. The guitars are highest in the mix, but the drum sound is also fine. The cover is also nice, telling a great story all by its own. All in all this album does not provide anything new and innovative, but as far as we are talking about classic black metal it is one of my personal highlights this year!!
Sample: youtube.com/watch?v=hjtWFSrRFRk&list=RDhjtWFSrRFRk&start_radio=1
