Fuck Dødheimsgard and Blackbraid...

Listen to these two albums instead!

AOTY lists are overrated…

I am not going to beat the oft-exhumed, mutilated, and desiccated (horse’s) corpse that is the “albums of the year” list. However, I will take a moment to go over two albums that made an impact on me this year. I will begin with the album that is more widely known and recognized, finishing with the piece that I believe made the biggest impact on me this year. Obviously, the two records are black metal and I highly recommend taking the time to listen. They are both available on Spotify, links will be posted at the end of this article.

Earlier this year I took the time to run through Absurd’s discography album by album. Naturally, the development of the band following Werwolfthron caught my interest. Totenlieder was a solid album, but I could tell the new lineup (Wolf and Unhold) were figuring out what to do with the band. Several people online recommended I listen to the 2004 EP Raubritter before diving into their next full-length, Blutgericht. To put it lightly, Raubritter rips. A bit rough around the edges, but one catches a glimpse of something that feels a bit bigger than Absurd. There are the trappings of this high-medieval fantasy trapped in the framework of Absurd. It has riffs that hit hard and fast, all while entertaining this German folky overtone. I assume this new trajectory for the band was interesting enough to keep Wolf and Unhold on a similar thread for their next full-length album which released the following year. Blutgericht, I believe, was the blueprint for the band that would produce the first album I wish to discuss…

Der Tod Une Die Landsknecht’s debut full-length album, Wir fürchten weder Tod noch Teufel.

Der Tod Une Die Landsknecht (D.T.U.D.L.) is a band created in 2019 by Wolf (of Absurd) and Bile, a prolific German musician with associations going back to the dawn of the German black metal scene. I was anticipating the release of this album; I would say it is one of the few black metal records I have been excited for in recent memory. It is the formula laid down by Absurd in Blutgericht distilled to (relative) perfection. It is obvious D.T.U.D.L. had a clear vision and furious desire to execute that vision. This is good, clean, and unsophisticated folky black metal with a serious high-medieval flair. I can see the intrepid company of Landsknecht as they march into battle, celebrate heroic victories, and reflect on the harsh realities of war. This record practically drips with the blood they spilt and the beer they drank… Wir fürchten weder Tod noch Teufel is a fun experience that does not compromise or cut corners. The record remains a savage wall of riffs and climactic songwriting that delivers. Wolf’s triumphant return as vocalist is perfect. At times, his vocal performance makes this album. His impassioned delivery on the final track, “Dem Sterben überlassen,” sticks with me in particular. Does D.T.U.D.L. have a gimmick? Maybe… But even if they do, they are doing it right by owning while making savage black metal. The album builds this triumphant fantasy without cracks or flaws that could weaken the integrity of the experience. That is, in part, why this record was so impactful on my year. Black metal is not pretentious. In actuality, it is the antithesis of pretentious… But out of all the records I have thoroughly enjoyed this year, Wir fürchten weder Tod noch Teufel strikes me as a particularly anti-pretentious offering of black metal. It helped me reconnect to more accessible and fun music that still keeps a sharp black-metal edge. D.T.U.D.L. gave me an album that I could listen to running, lifting weights, working, driving, and spending time with friends. Between the all the Ildjarn, Kristallnacht, Peste Noire, and obscure demos… It was great to listen to a new black metal album that I could experience with friends at the gym. They might have thought it was a bit goofy (and they did), but after the end of each track they had to admit… “Man, this fuckin’ rocks.”

Favorite track(s): dead tie between “Hinweg Die Besten Streiter” and “Dem Sterben überlassen.”

The second album I would like to discuss quickly left an impact on me. I had forgotten until a few weeks ago it was, in fact, released this year. For some reason, I feel like I have been listening to it for much longer.

“Atmospheric black metal” is a genre-descriptor used so flippantly it has lost most of its meaning. These days, “atmospheric black metal” refers (primarily) to a lazy, uninspired movement of bands that crank out overly-minimalistic music that serves as a novel experience for entry-level listeners. If people want to make boring black metal and slap a label on it so Reddit users can more easily find it, that’s completely fine. But I wanted to take time to discuss an album that I believe is worthy of the title, “atmospheric.”

Leander’s third full-length album, On The Hall Hill…

True atmosphere is achieved a variety of ways. Burzum used lengthy repetition, synthesizers, and experimental tracks to weave together a “sleep spell” of surreal black metal. Transylvanian Hunger spoke through intentionally poor production, simple riffs, and silence… Giving the artistic process space to speak for itself. Leander creates varied mosaics of black metal riffage and refrains that, over the course of the album’s four tracks, take me on a journey through the natural spaces that inspired the record. On The Hall Hill… is a dedication monument (thanks Ash) to the beautiful Southern landscapes of Eastern Tennessee. The sole contributor to Leander, Losain, told me personally that he sought to pay homage to his home through this album. There are few black metal bands that I believe truly embrace Southern heritage and incorporate it into the music. Sonically, there is something about Leander that feels familiar. Hailing from the great state of Alabama myself, I hear a certain reverence on the album that most Southerners share for the landscape we grew up around. There are no gimmicks present on the record, just solid first and second-wave-inspired black metal. The riffs take me from Darkthrone, Burzum, and early Satyricon to (and this surprised me) even, at times, Venom. However, there is an overall airiness and brightness to the record’s sound that transcends mundane comparisons to 90’s black metal. Additionally, this style of composition goes far beyond what 90’s bands were attempting. Leander does not hold back. For an album with only four tracks, the breadth and complexity of each moment create a deeply atmospheric listening experience. Each song throws a wide variety of riffs and musical variations that paint vivid aural pictures. Despite this complexity, the songs feel focused. Everything is intentional and united in a tight artistic vision. The increased song-length gives the band time to slowly build momentum, and listeners have time to let the resonance sink in. I never had difficulty processing where the band was taking me, because Leander gave the music room to breathe and speak for itself. On The Hall Hill… is a bold, competent, and well-rounded album that stands as an example of beautiful black metal. I believe this is why this album left such an impression on me. I hardly ever hear beauty like this expressed through black metal in such a clear package. It is like black metal tone poetry, and I need more.

Favorite track: “Hearthpine Elegy.” Marvelous conclusion to the album. Synth-introduction with gritty and triumphant riffs that ride off into the sun setting over the mountains… Fuck, do I love a good ending…

Listen to the albums here:

…Hail the underground!