Frozen in Eternity

If a band adopts the name of the most famous atmospheric black metal track of all time, there's a resulting sense that they aren't afraid to show their influences. Much like the raw primitivism of Darkthrone or violent aggression of Mayhem, I think subsequent artists can take after Burzum's ancient atmosphere without feeling purely redundant. After all, some of the Second Wave sounds are indeed timeless, and relying on a single project to bring them to life would be putting them to waste.

Dunkelheit's sound is monotonous, raw and organic. The riffs are vaguely melodic, and sometimes offer up steady grooves. Although I would say Burzum's best albums were replete with unforgettable riffs, most of Vikernes' followers are limited in their success beyond the atmosphere. No matter how many projects of this sort have been created, there's still a magic behind the combination of natural forest imagery and cold production. For what Frozen in Eternity lacks in dynamic, it does make up for it terms of the band's understanding of atmosphere. There's never a rush to bring a song to full speed. Even during the album's harshest moments, Dunkelheit sound focused. Patience is definitely a virtue that plays out in the favour of atmosphere.

Although the riffs themselves are functional at best, Dunkelheit nail the production and performance. Vocalist Nebel's shrieks are richly depressive, and lend a more authentic character to the sound. Arguably the best thing about Frozen in Eternity is the way in which he and drummer Damned interplay with one another. While their riffs are repetitive, there's a forward sense of motion created by the response drum patterns. This fine sense of tact is certainly undercut by the fact that so many have offered more distinctive shades of this sound long before Dunkelheit dipped their respective wicks in this sound. Even so, there's value to be found even in averageness.