Like I’ve said a few times throughout this blog’s existence, I’m not the biggest fan of Black Metal. From the lo-fi production that felt lazy to me, to musicianship that sometimes feels like people just banging on instruments, and to the vocal work that comes across like screeching & screaming (Even though it really isn’t). All of those factors kept me away from the genre for a really long time, until I began to expand my horizons back in 2015 when I began getting into Darkthrone (Read Here). Even with opening up my musical tastes in that direction, I still wasn’t giving it the chance that it deserved. It wasn’t until early 2019 when, by genuine accident, I clicked on a suggestion in my Youtube page that I really began to appreciate Black Metal more than I did.
As you can tell by the title of this review, that band in question was Waldgeflüster. Translated into Forest Whispers, the band has been around since 2006, and began to properly put out albums since 2009. Unlike a lot of groups in the style that leaned towards the Satanic side of things, these Germanic fellows were incredibly influenced by Nature & Heathendom as the subject matter of their music (With other subjects being supplementary), and it shows. The music is still incredibly brutal and heavy, but there’s plenty of times where it’s incredibly beautiful, and oddly peaceful as well if you can believe it. I first showed them off back in 2019 when I had them on my top 5 albums list of that year (Read Here), and that was where my love for them began. It’s only grown over the years since then, and in 2023 it became solid when Unter Bronzenen Kronen was released on the 29th of September.
Unter Bronzenen Kronen, or Under Bronze Crowns, is essential Waldgeflüster distilled into a bite-sized package. 4 tracks compose this little release, and each one is nothing short of fantastic. Each song is nothing short of beautiful, emotional, & heavy, and they all feel satisfying to listen to. All of the tracks conjure up images of Autumn, the forest, old memories, and spirits from bygone times. The experience is easy to describe, yet oddly difficult to describe as well. It really does feel like everyone will have their own experience with Unter Bronzenen Kronen, but they’ll all talk about it with people that haven’t listened to it.
Picking the best track off of here was easy, and that honor goes to The Pit. A cover of the Panopticon song of the same name (Listen Here), it trades that version’s Kentucky Bluegrass clothes, and fully embraces Waldgeflüster’s brand of Black Metal. It’s sweeping, epic, powerful, and unless I’m wrong, marks the very first time that the lyrics were sung in English. You really have your heartstrings pulled incredibly hard the first time you listen to the song, and it doesn’t really let up on subsequent hearings (Especially if you watch the video for it). I’ve kind of been in a rough place for months, and for some reason I’ve found that this track oddly fits how I’ve been feeling all this time so far. If you’re in the mood for a track that’ll put you on the edge of tears, you can’t get much better than The Pit.
The Pit
The Pit (Music Video)
So, with all of the positivity out of the way, you’re probably asking if there’s anything bad about this release? To be perfectly honest, there really isn’t anything to complain about. Unter Bronzenen Kronen from beginning to end is truly a perfect release, and really shows that Black Metal can easily break out of the stereotypical Satanic shell. That being said, the release is a bit on the short side. Playing for 28 minutes & 10 seconds, to be exact. It’s really funny that it goes on for just that amount of time, because the 4 songs on here don’t feel short. Again, they’re incredibly substantial, and will hit you hard every time you listen to them.
Unter Bronzenen Kronen gets a solid 10 out of 10. It might be on the short side of things, but it’s one of the most fulfilling releases of 2023, and more than deserves to be at the no. 1 spot. So, we’ve got one of my number 1 releases out of the way, and the second pays homage to one of Shock Rock’s most iconic figures. See you all next week!
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If you’d like to listen to this album, click on the link below:
Unter Bronzenen Kronen
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