Todesstoß (Todesstoss) "Stelldichein" CD

The Depressive Age: Part I
So, we begin with a well established band in the underground black metal scene, Todesstoß. I'll be looking into bands that play a distinctly depressive style over the coming reviews. As I said, we begin with Todesstoß, a German band who came to my knowledge a while back and needless to say, with the brilliance of the German scene, I held high hopes for Stelldichein. However, what I got was far from expected.
Much of this debut full-length is instrumental. I had expected vocals to play a much larger part, so I was disappointed. Although vocals don't usually make much of a difference when it comes to black metal, they are often quite a useful tool in terms of impact upon the listener. The vocals Martin Lang, when they do come into play, aren't incredibly effective. Instead of making a positive impact upon the music, they detract from it. They're barely even noticeable for large parts when they are used which is again, another disappointing element about this full-length.
They are desolate, yes. They are despondent. They are distinctly average by anyone's standards. They become nothing more than an annoyance after a while. Just as the instrumental sections begin to build some momentum towards a joyless end, the vocals are used to poor effect. So much so, they take away from what the instruments are attempting to create, particularly the guitar sections. Also, I don't quite understand the introduction of the clean vocals. It's a mystery to me why they're used on an album like this, Stelldichein would be far better off without them. Instead of creating an unmistakable feeling of suicidal despair, they can only be seen as a humorous attempt at portraying raw negative emotions. At times they remind me of a dying seal. Which in itself is just laughable.
Although the medieval touches are aesthetically pleasing, they don't enhance my opinion of this overwhelming average assault. The instrumental parts are lacklustre. Whilst they have nice touches here or there, they're largely subpar. They add no depth to the record, nor do they have any real place amongst the overpowering suicidal feel that runs through the heart of this release. Largely they add little substance and are content to merely exist without persevering towards a far more productive end.
It's not all doom and gloom, you must understand. There are, however few and far between, clever pieces of play. Solid riffs acting as the backbone to the atmospheric depth Todesstoß so clearly desire to unfold before the listeners very eyes. There are occasions when the distorted nature of these riffs can become slightly tedious, but that's an element that can be easily overlooked. The use of percussion instruments is average, but they are some catchy patterns that will get your juices flowing. However, Stelldichein remains to be one of the greatest black metal disappointments of recent times and please will someone tell me why this full-length is so short!?

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