Heikäne Löwentötrin

Listeners are bound to react to Todesstoß with curious love or execration, and both of these reactions will be for the same reasons. Even within black metal, I can’t say I have heard too many things that are as sonically offensive and simultaneously fascinating as this Bavarian depressive black metal project. Just as the metal community was split over Silencer, Todesstoß is a curio lodged somewhere between ingenuity and gimmickry. Listeners be forewarned: this isn’t your everyday sort of black metal.

Although Todesstoß set their roots in the shrieks and hypnotic ambling of depressive black metal, the sheer weirdness of the sound wholly fits Lang’s history as a surreal artist. In both the vocals and composition, Todesstoß give a sense of convincing mental illness. The twenty five minute piece ebbs and flows seemingly at random, never allowing a listener the traditional sense of catharsis that most epic compositions offer by the end. Todesstoß often focus on instrumentation that brushes against the grain of the listener’s expectations; electronic drums are often weighted much more heavily than the guitars, which sound muffled compared to all other sounds in the recording. There are often times when Todesstoß gives the impression of forgetful wandering, often bringing back jarring recurring themes in places where they don’t seem to naturally fit. Contrary to the majority of depressive black metal you have likely heard, “Heikäne Löwentötrin” is not an exploration of forest-wandering melancholy or brooding introspection. Nay, this is the sort of anguish a soul feels as it witnesses its mind falling in tatters.

The instrumentation is reminiscent of where Blut Aus Nord might be if they were still at the demo stage. Although the lo-fi production certainly works for Todesstoß’s atmosphere of psychotic dread, the recording and musicianship is hit-and-miss at best. Although the industrial drumming and bass guitar are both used quite well, much of the guitar work on the album is underwhelming. The rhythms are almost always muffled underneath the vocals and drums, and the lead guitar often feels like Lang is unsure where he wants to go with the composition. To its credit though, the guitars in the recording almost never feel like they should normally belong in black metal. Quite often, the instrumentation will be subdued and even mellow. In no small part due to the vocals however, there isn’t a minute’s worth on “Heikäne Löwentötrin” that permits the listener a break.

Without the slightest doubt, I do not think “Heikäne Löwentötrin” would have had a fraction of the shock factor, had it not been for Larvalis' vocals. Here lies the aspect of Todesstoß that will most efficiently split listeners. In what is surprisingly rare for the depressive black metal I’ve tended to come across, the vocals are mixed above anything else. The shrieks and haunting sprechsegang are given a spotlight not often seen in black metal, and even if a listener finds themselves instantly put off by the psychotic howls, there’s no denying that his vocals have power and force very seldom seen in DSBM. The Gollum-esque shrieks of Nattramn (of the infamous Silencer) is an obvious place to start when describing these vocals, but I find myself reminded even more of the dark avant-garde act Devil Doll. Especially considering everything else is quiet by comparison, Todesstoß’s vocal element is the big selling point here. Hearing such convincingly disturbed howling is not pleasant by any means, but it creates an atmosphere unrivaled by most so-called ‘depressive black metal’ vocalists.

The torture and insanity here might not have the lasting appeal of a more focused work, but for as long as the ‘shock factor’ is kicking, “Heikäne Löwentötrin” is about as hellish as it gets.