The stark reality of this band hits you straight between the eyes as soon as the play button is released. The dark, anxious strides of rhythm plumb out like billowing smoke fumes turns into a track called ‘Nordlicht’, which for the few people who do know ‘ein bischen deutch’ means ‘north light’. The track is sun ‘auf deutsch’ which makes it highly delightful hearing the tones of German ring through the speaker units.
‘Arktus’ spins us into a haunting madness but sadly just a filler – its eerie whispering voice and demonic darkness overshadows the light in this chilling track. ‘Eines Tages’ is the track that will wake you from a deep coma, as it preys on your weakness with mind blowing darkness and haunting keyboard. It agonises over its doom-laden melody with a crisp clean German vocal which is very addictive. Its heaviness is prolonged by deep cavernous rhythms that shoot from the hip!
‘Anatole’ throws a cold crisp and sparse blanket over the proceedings with incidental noises that coincide with a dark and callus voice. ‘Zauberland‘ translated means ‘magic place’ or ‘magic land’ and is a very malevolent dark spirited track that is like a thick acrid smoke that chokes and infests with acid rain keyboard and deep sonic bass hooks.
‘Mesembria’ actually touches on the psychedelic fringes be it only very briefly indeed, and quite harrowing for such a short track. On ‘Fiebertraum’ one can hardly fail to be amused as the sound of someone who has been running breathes heavily while the soft plinking of keys underlies the darkened mysteriousness while the deep clean and deathly vocal sings out some sad lyrics as if under the spell of a fever!
‘Dysis’ scratches under the surface and produces a gritty track with a demonic voice and is haunting as it is disturbing. The fact it is only another filler track makes no difference here it certainly gets its impending point across. ‘Unendlich’ briefly and I mean very briefly touches on a moment’s psychedelia and then spirals into an unending large stride of metal rhythms with an urgent vocal spewing out eye widening horror!
‘Art.Zero’ finally sees the end of this magical album that just sweeps you into a dark place where your dreams are realised and turned into nightmares.
The vocals on this album bring the music alive with a deep and harrowing experience.
Bitterfeldt Götzen.Dämmerung is out via Massacre Records now.
