Kapitel I - Hass im Geiste

Skratte is a band that has been following me for quite a while now. Shortly after discovering the metal archives back in 2015, I started looking around for local bands, only to find out there only are like 5 bands in my general area, most of them long-defunct. During that process I noticed Skratte, a one-man-band that was still pretty new and had only released two demos so far. I just had to check them out and ended up buying both of them shortly after. Both of them fulfilled my craving for rough but melodic black metal and I spent most of the next couple of weeks listening to the demos over and over again. Sadly, after two quick demos, the band slowed down a bit and released two shorter, more experimental releases, but they managed to stay on my radar. Now that they have returned with their outstanding first full-length, allow me to take you back down memory lane and check out the band's first demo Kapitel I – Hass im Geiste one more time.

What makes this release interesting to me is that Hevnbrann, sole member of this project, stated that he's kept his best ideas for when he's be able to record them in a proper studio setting. Therefore everything before the full-length is just B-side ideas, experimentations and was mostly done to gain experience and a first small batch of listeners. Despite that, this demo is already offering a wide range of great ideas and catchy melodies that manage to get stuck in my head for hours or even days. Sure, the production is pretty rough and bedroomy, as to be expected. The grim, hateful shrieks are somewhat muffled, the fuzzy guitars are pushing a lot of things into the background and the clicky drum computer does get a bit annoying here and there. Despite that, it's not nearly bad enough to hide the project's potential and leaves enough room for majestic melodic riffing, sorrow-driven vocals and some punky influences to have a lasting effect. Frosty black metal gets paired with an astounding sense for melody, providing an underlying epicness and greatness that pairs extremely well with the fast-paced reign of misanthropy that is pushing the songs forward.

Here and there little sprinkles of other influences peek into the band's sound. A couple punky bits here and there make the demo sound even filthier than it already is, some depressive shrieks add to the sorrowful mood, some folky undertones underpin the touch with nature most black metal bands tend to have and both intro and the closing track "Im Schatten meines Eigenwahns – Part I" put forward a totally different side of Hevnbrann. Instead of shrieking and barking his hate into the world, calmness takes over. While "Einführung" shows that he's also able to play slow melodies on a piano, the other track is what's a lot more interesting to me. I gotta admit, I do have a soft spot for calm music paired with screams, but what Skratte pulls off here goes right under my skin and regularly leaves me with goosebumps. The melodies that make the black metal tracks great also work perfectly well in an acoustic setting and the whispered screams are putting the extra bit of emotions into it that make me believe every word that man is saying.

Hevnbrann is an absolute maniac. Claiming to keep the best ideas for later, but still managing to write songs that stayed with me for several years now without losing any of their charm is a talent not many artists have. Considering the rough production, sterile drum computer and overall amateurism of the release, it becomes even more astonishing to me. Skratte's Kapitel I – Hass im Geiste is just hitting the right spots for me, mixing bedroom black metal with outstanding melodies and an anthemic undertone while also managing to get the emotions across with ease.