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░ ██ ██ Artist: Todessehnsucht ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Stillstand █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2016 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-09-26 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Black Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: War Against Yourself Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Reissue ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Todessehnsucht is one of a great many bands within █
█ the depressive black metal scene that seem to have █
█ flown under the radar, drawing in the respect of a █
█ handful of listeners, but overall remaining █
█ obscure to the metal community at large. In my █
█ search for hidden gems, I have sifted through █
█ heaps of demos like this, and it's difficult to █
█ say that this one-man band stands out from its █
█ peers. 'Stillstand' is a dreary, raw journey of █
█ depressive black metal, and although there is a █
█ sense of promise towards the beginning, the █
█ potential is soon squandered by uninspired █
█ songwriting and a weak sound. █
█ Todessehnsucht follows a fairly predictable █
█ formula for depressive black metal. After a █
█ relatively well-arranged synth intro to open up █
█ the demo, the composition falls into an █
█ unchanging, mid-pace plod of basic chord █
█ strumming, 'baby's first black metal' type drum █
█ simplicity, and the sort of high-pitched moans and █
█ howls that may have come off as haunting if it █
█ wasn't so bloody generic for DSBM. The composition █
█ ultimately makes or breaks an album of this style, █
█ and where Todessehnsucht goes wrong is in regards █
█ to the blatant repetition instilled in the song █
█ structure. The songwriting favours ten minute long █
█ depressive hymns, drawing upon a theme or two and █
█ drawing them out to near-infinity. Each of the █
█ songs follows a near identical formula and sound, █
█ and the monotonous instrumentation is broken only █
█ by Neideck's vocal shrieks. They avert the █
█ typically aggressive black metal rasp in █
█ preference for a moan. Like the rest of █
█ 'Stillstand', they fulfill the standard sound of █
█ depressive black metal, but feel utterly listless █
█ long before the end of the demo. Although █
█ Todessehnsucht opens up this demo with a pleasant █
█ atmosphere, the hopes I had for it are largely █
█ drowned; the music may achieve dreariness, but █
█ goes nowhere with it. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ Whenever someone says there is something missing █
█ from the depressive scene these days, I always █
█ picture GermanyÆs face printed on a milk carton. █
█ Though we all know by now that Germany arenÆt the █
█ founders of this sub-genre, we respect their heavy █
█ influence upon the scene as the number of █
█ inspirational bands from this depressed nation █
█ grows steadily each day. Despite the fact that █
█ Todessehnsucht, and its only member Neideck, have █
█ been around since the middle of the decade, █
█ neither the band, nor the man, have managed to █
█ ascertain much credit for the role they have █
█ played in the underground scene. Neideck has █
█ played his part in helping other, more noticed █
█ bands, reach the heights of stardom within this █
█ stricken scene, but Todessehnsucht have never even █
█ managed to cause a minor stir. This band are known █
█ to a few, and although theyÆre seemingly well █
█ liked, its name does not ring around the █
█ underground to mass approval. TodessehnsuchtÆs █
█ first and only recording, the æStillstandÆ demo, █
█ is typical of the sub-genre and doesnÆt break the █
█ mould. Instead, like a sheep, it follows the █
█ traditions of this field. This demo will only draw █
█ appraisal from the hardened fans of the scene, so █
█ those who are accustomed to listening to bands █
█ like fellow German act Wigrid, for instance. █
█ Though the Burzum feel is very much alive in █
█ WigridÆs music, as well as another influential █
█ German band - Nyktalgia - some even classing them █
█ as ôBurzum clonesö, a term I have come to loathe, █
█ Todessehnsucht do not conjure up many, if any, █
█ comparisons to the trend setters Burzum. Given the █
█ fact that material like that on æStillstandÆ has █
█ been done to death, this band wonÆt amass the sort █
█ of hype that more notable acts have received █
█ because theyÆre too late in jumping on the █
█ depressive bandwagon which includes the likes of █
█ Wigrid, who have already established themselves █
█ with two very successful full-length efforts. █
█ Though this is only a demo, it could easily class █
█ itself as a full-length if it wanted to. The demo █
█ is of a lengthy duration, with three songs around █
█ about the ten minute mark. Although none of the █
█ songs, apart from the lacklustre introduction, █
█ really deviate from the standards of the first █
█ full epic on the demo, theyÆre all well within █
█ their rights to exist as the material present on █
█ them is some of the strongest in the underground █
█ scene. As a fan of the depressive class of music, █
█ I welcome bands like this as theyÆre much more █
█ worthy of recognition than other half of the bands █
█ who receive it daily, usually for all the wrong █
█ reasons. █
█ Bands and musicians with minimal talents have █
█ managed to increase the popularity of their acts █
█ by getting on the internet and preaching their █
█ music like some stereotypical religious head case █
█ who is intent on changing our lives with their █
█ art. A lot of these musicians, unfortunately, have █
█ surpassed bands like Todessehnsucht in the ranks █
█ because of this fact, not due to their music being █
█ of a higher standard. æStillstandÆ deserves more █
█ credit and hopefully this review will remind █
█ people this does exist, or alert them to the fact █
█ that it does as it is wallowing in the darkness, █
█ unheard and unloved despite its quality through █
█ minimalism. The word ôminimalismö is key to █
█ describing most black metal bands of this nature, █
█ but specifically Todessehnsucht. The songs are █
█ very simple. No real creative touches apart from █
█ an audible bass section, though that in itself is █
█ very repetitive. No true spark. No nothing, but █
█ that is exactly what makes it good. Depressive █
█ black metal was one area of the genre that was █
█ meant to depict the negativity of life through █
█ dark minimalist efforts and æStillstandÆ is true █
█ to the traditions that ruled this sub-genre at the █
█ beginning. █
█ As this is a first time effort, a one man band and █
█ only a 2007 released demo, one can forgive the █
█ lack of creative spark because this was, even only █
█ two years ago, a different era. Nowadays, bands █
█ like PensΘes Nocturnes are trying, and succeeding, █
█ to transform this area into a more creative field █
█ by intermingling outside factors like classical █
█ music, a section of the music industry not often █
█ associated with any black metal style. █
█ Essentially, in my eyes, this is a creation like █
█ WigridÆs debut, but with a more audible production █
█ placed fittingly on top. The vocals from Neideck █
█ are tantamount to the songs. His vocals for bands █
█ like Todeskult have been well documented and often █
█ praised. He is an accomplished vocalist of the █
█ highest order. Intense wails of pain and sorrow █
█ that are completely believable, which adds a █
█ certain charm to the characteristics of the music. █
█ His performance as a sole creator is good, █
█ essentially, though unless you enjoy a lot of █
█ minimalism and repetition, this wonÆt speak █
█ volumes to you. Black metal used to rely almost █
█ solely on atmosphere until musicians started █
█ getting creative and the traditions apply here. █
█ This slowly paced demo is rather supernatural in █
█ its aura. The vocals add a lot to this feeling, █
█ with Neideck supplementing presence for █
█ innovation. He takes control of the atmospherics █
█ and drives the band forward with power and █
█ precision. Epics like æIsolationÆ epitomise the █
█ embodiment of depressive black metal as they █
█ repetitively churn out heart achingly beautiful █
█ guitar movements along the skyline of the █
█ soundscapes and the bass solemnly plugs away on █
█ the underbelly of the soundscapes as it is all █
█ audible. Surprisingly, NeideckÆs vocals are the █
█ best element of this demo, despite the sullen █
█ material sticking to the best roots of the █
█ depressive scene. Despite the fact that this is █
█ minimalism to the very core, it is still very █
█ good. I really do hope Neideck doesnÆt forget █
█ about this creation and solely concentrate on his █
█ other, more established bands. I look forward to a █
█ full-length in the future along the same lines of █
█ this melancholy beast. For fans of the mighty █
█ Nyktalgia and the wieldy Wigrid. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Stillstand 4:17 ░
░ 2. Isolation 12:01 ░
░ 3. Verlust 9:21 ░
░ 4. Niedergang 13:40 ░
░ 39:19 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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