Geistwerdung

Nachtruf is an Austrian black metal act who has been around since 2005. While the band has released a number of lengthy demos, Geistwerdung (meaning “spirituality”) is their first release to receive wider distribution. This is certainly an ambitious debut, consisting of just four songs all in the 9-12 minute range. At times, Nachtruf piece together these lengthy works with impressive skill, but at other times, the recording sinks into an impenetrable web of directionless songwriting.

The most obvious influence on Nachtruf is Mayhem’s De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. The rattling rhythm and shivering tremolo of the guitars immediately recall Euronymous’s legendary performance. Furthermore, the vocals have a gurgled, squeaky sound that draws heavily from Attila Csihar’s performance on De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, though here the vocals are in a higher pitch. That said Nachtruf are by no means Mayhem worship. These pieces are far longer and structurally complex than anything Mayhem wrote. There is also a subtle doom metal influence on the record. A number of the guitar leads recall early Katatonia.

Where Nachtruf is most successful is in creating a consuming atmosphere. Geistwerdung is sad and creepy, with a restrained but nonetheless violent undertone. It’s like wondering through the woods and finding an old rackety shed. You enter the shed and find all sorts of bloody instruments and human remains. You know you’re being watched, there’s no way out and you’re totally fucked. The feeling is both horrifying and devastating, but the only thing you can do is endure it.

While the atmosphere is definitely effective, the elaborate songwriting is at times excessive. The closer “Einst trieb mich der Wind” is especially scattered. After about four minutes of dark black metal, the song randomly shifts into a long acoustic passage that feels totally out of place. It’s a mild, even paced passage that is the white sheep amidst a herd of black riffs. Afterwards, the album shifts back into a series of dark riffs, which are all good, but don’t really lead anywhere before fading into a couple minutes of innocuous white noise.

In spite of the overelaborate songwriting, there are numerous moments of dark bliss scattered throughout the album and as well as a number of off-colored sections that make one wonder if the band members are slightly insane. Those who are aching for a fix of Euronymous-inspired riffage and enjoy longer compositions will find Geistwerdung to be worthwhile. However, Nachtruf still have a ways to go before they distinguish themselves in the crowded underground black metal scene.

(Originally written for www.deafsparrow.com)