The Faceless Divine

While graphic elements should only play a minor part when reviewing music I have to admit that the first detail that grabbed my attention here is the stunning artwork. The German (symphonic) black metal band Totengeflüster has an outstanding sense for aesthetics which they have proved with any of their releases so far. “The Faceless Divine” is full length number three and the first one with an English title compared to the German ones used before.

Increasingly rare is the band that can capture the feral nature of black metal and implement harmonies that are incredibly catchy without diluting the formula. “The Faceless Divine” is the type of album that handles both of these things with grace and power. The fiery tremolo attacks are hitting with full force but it becomes immediately evident that melody plays a similarly important role for this German outfit. The main ingredients are sinister black metal chords accompanied by the typical relentless drum patterns.

Instead of trying to find a completely new sound Totengeflüster took inspirations from the big Scandinavian bands of the nineties and injected some of their own ideas to make the music come across fresh and energetic. The main riffs might sound familiar but some of the chord progressions feel like a modern twist on something that has been written three decades ago. A lot of the trademark chops are repeated over and over again but often with subtle variation lending the music a slightly monotonous but also hypnotic and very stringent character.

The greatest aspect of the album is how the harmonies of the lead guitars and the symphonic samples have been woven into the whole picture and how they work as contrast to the aggressive riff attacks. The band members have a fantastic talent for creating haunting and beautiful melodies that feel melancholic and depressive but also offer a glimmer of hope at the same time. They have worked with the interaction of musky moments and lighter pieces and have melted all those elements into one great piece of sinister and eerie art. The ambient soundscapes dwelling in the dark build a fantastic and gloomy atmosphere. There are moments reminding of well-known peers like Dimmu Borgir or Old Man’s Child but Totengeflüster have implemented enough own ideas to create their own identity.

The vocals are fierce and evil with Narbengrund’s tone having real recognition value. He is barking and growling and screaming like a dog of war ramping up the intensity of the album even more. It is not so easy to judge black metal vocals as they are most of the time mainly about sounding as aggressive as possible but what I can say without hesitation is that his style is perfectly fitting the music. The lyrics are mainly in English this time around but there are still some tracks with German texts.

The production is clear and powerful. Some might argue that the mix is too clean for black metal but I for one believe this is necessary to make each detail audible. All the instruments and other sound details have enough room to breathe making the musical journey the more enjoyable. Rounded off by the mentioned astonishing cover artwork “The Faceless Divine” is a highly professional product and a great piece of symphonic, atmospheric yet pounding black metal and I am looking forward to checking out the band’s older stuff.