I grabbed this promo to review as I dug the 2020 debut from Germany’s Eisenkult, …gedenken wir der finsternis back in 2020 ( though I somehow completely missed last year’s Von Himmel, Hoch Herab) as it was a super melodic, medieval black metal release, and I love that shit.

So it appears somewhere between the debut and the last album, the duo of Baptist (bass/guitar/keyboards/vocals) and drummer Valfor (both also in Mavorim), have added another vocalist in Tiwaz (Asenheim) and undergone a bit of a style shift. While certainly still melodic black metal, it’s less medieval leaning, has some thrash elements, and a more unhinged and avant-garde and typically quirky german black metal (think Porta Nigra, Eisregen and such). But it’s still pretty cool.

The three songs are still catchy as heck, notably the punky little groove in “..den Mensch von meinen Knochenthe” or third track “Niederes Gewürm” which is frankly, stupidly catchy, with a cool little keyboard line in the awesome, rambunctious chorus. 

The other half of the split is 4 songs with one of Baptist’s many other projects, Atronos, this time with guitarist/bassist, Henker (Andras/Drudensang). And this project seems to be where Eisenkult’s medieval leanings have gone, as there is much more of a Véhémence, Heltekvad, and Passéisme vibe. The riffs are more traditionally black metal,  triumphant, and melodic and the rousing, clean choral vocals are far more in line with those bands just mentioned. Particularly of “Feuer und Stahl” and “Dein Zauber”.

This release is called a “Demo Split”, so I don’t know if these are truly older/demo songs, as both bands are preparing for full-length releases later this year. But they all sound like fully fleshed out fully produced (even the programed drums of Atronos) offerings. Let’s just hope the upcoming album is not these tracks plus just 3-5 other ones.

[Visit the band's website]

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