Wiegedood : "De Doden Hebben Het Goed "

 This album cover is truth in advertising as what is inside sounds just like it looks. The Belgium trio starts things off with a blast beat that carries a dark enough storm cloud with it that keeps it from sounding like every other blast heavy black metal band.Tonally the guitar sound is rather clean. The bass is still buried in the mix as the strangled screams cry out in a static wave over everything. It's intense , but much like every other extreme metal band no matter their shade, after the sting of the inital intensity wears off then you are left asking what else they can do. When you hear they are screaming about the time has come you realize the lyrics are in English, though at first like most bands of their ilk the lyrics are a mute point.Six minutes into the storm they die down into a minimal melody. Yes they are guilty of dealing in songs over the ten minute mark, which more than likely won't make it onto my iPod since I am over that trend , but I'm open to hearing what these guys can do as I like to make sure I leave no stone unturned before making my end of the year lists.

 Even though it picks up in intensity, the second song blasts a similar pace and seems like an extension of the first song, granted a dynamic build, but it bleeds together none the less. They scream something about the last born child before it breaks down into another clean section, which is less impressive than the first song because now the formula is intact. The title tracks slows into a more melodic throb that proves much more effective than losing you in the blast. Midway into "Odner Gaan" the song takes a more emotive turn thanks to a slowed beat and more interesting layers of guitar. They do another more melodic break and adhere to the formula though is one is very brief and is handled much differently. A more spoken vocals emerges but stays back in the mix behind the guitar so it is more of a textural element.


 I get why this album made it onto some end of the year lists, but when you hear as many black metal albums as I do every week you question the extent they are carving out their own sound. I like what they are doing here , the mood this album creates and the lengthy songs are not really a deal breaker for me. I'll around this down to a 8.5, due to their reliance on blast beats, while this is a staple of the back metal sound I think they really stand out when they are not following the formula of the genre or their own making. If you are a fan of more traditional black metal, that is not raw and punk flavored but creates more of a mood without crossing over into atmospheric black metal then this album is a must for you.