Written by: Nameless-n00b_86
As the temperature where I live begins to inch downward, I find serenity in bleak yet beautiful post-black metal. Weltenbrandt is a relatively new Austrian post-black band looking to make a name for themselves in the review scene with their second full-length album Transzendenz Schatten Romantik. This is fitting because I, too, am attempting to make a name for myself—both literally and figuratively—on the other side of the review process. I eagerly tore open my very first promo, which informed me of several guest vocalist appearances from bands like Harakiri for the Sky and Ellende (among others). While I went in with few expectations for Weltenbrandt, they were slightly raised by virtue of association with such heavy hitters in the genre. Can Weltenbrandt reach the same level of quality and—perhaps more importantly—differentiate themselves from their peers?
A somewhat paradoxical duality is immediately apparent when listening to Transzendenz Schatten Romantik. Half the album is composed of melodic black metal, most commonly with mid-paced tremolo riffs and a dolorous atmosphere similar to NONE. The other half expands upon the sound of the debut album Schöpfung with heartfelt instrumental sections in the vein of Unreqvited. On paper, neither of these components is particularly new or noteworthy. However, what makes Transzendenz Schatten Romantik impressive is the ease with which it ebbs and flows between the black metal and the peaceful instrumental passages. For instance, “Prana” opens with a simple choral melody that melds into a post-black verse and then aids the handoff to the string arrangement in the middle. Like a pair of tightly entwined ropes, both parts are stronger together than they would be individually.
If I had to choose a single word to describe Transzendenz Schatten Romantik, it would be “varied”. Founder, songwriter, and vocalist Bernhard Zieher has a knack for using many different tools in ways that feel natural. Many of the songs pull from an array of pianos, strings, choral backing vocals, synths, and acoustic guitars to infuse emotion into the music. There’s also a range of tempos within and between songs. While none are quite funereal in tempo, some are slower and tend to feature more of the aforementioned alternative instrumentation (“Melancholia Urgewalt,” “Resilienz,” and “Broken Crosses”). Others are faster and more guitar-heavy, reminding the listener that this is still black metal at heart (“Apotropaion” and “Tiefste Rast”). Then there are, of course, the two interlude tracks. In my experience, instrumental interludes usually fulfill one of two roles in an album: pleasant palate cleanser or pointless distraction. Thankfully, both “Ornament” and “Serenade” fall under the former category and contribute in a small way to the overall atmosphere and flow of the album.
As refreshing as the instrumentation is, the element that could benefit from more diversity would be the vocals. No less than four guest vocalists are crammed into Transzendenz Schatten Romantik: P.G. of Groza on “Apotropaion,” J.J. of Harakiri for the Sky/Karg on “Prana,” Silvano of Regnum Noricum on “Broken Crosses” and L.G. of Ellende on “Tiefste Rast.” That’s an abundance of guests, considering the total runtime is only 39 minutes across 9 tracks (7 full-length songs). While they certainly don’t detract from the record, they all perform harsh vocals that don’t add much above and beyond Zieher’s snarls and screams. Having relatively few tracks with solely the main vocalist undermines this fledgling band’s identity to some degree. Furthermore, this brand of highly melodic and emotional black metal can be elevated by clean vocals—Vorna’s gorgeous album Aamunkoi from last year is a stellar example—so the lack of a guest singer to complement Zieher seems like a missed opportunity.
Despite these minor concerns, almost everything that Weltenbrandt attempts lands well, which is surprising for such a young band. They have succeeded in writing an album worthy of being mentioned and played alongside the more established groups that lent their voices to Transzendenz Schatten Romantik while carving out their own style in the genre. It’s a strong effort that is barely held back from a higher score by some slight reservations (and the fact that Steel removed the 4th key from all n00b-issued keyboards after Holdeneye went through the program). I can heartily recommend this album to any inclined towards the softer side of black metal or those looking to get a head start on autumn moods in the Northern Hemisphere.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: WAV | Format Reviewed: WAVY
Label: Self-Release
Websites: weltenbrandt.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/weltenbrandt
Releases Worldwide: August 25th, 2024