Transzendenz Schatten Romantik

Founded in 2018 as a solo project by Bernhard Zieher, the Austrians Weltenbrandt released their debut full length “Schöpfung” shortly after. This album received some positive reviews, and I personally really enjoyed their style presenting some traditional melodic black metal flavored with post nuances and symphonic parts, paired with ambient elements, with everything having been wonderfully interwoven compositionally and delivering a very catchy sound, which picked up the suitable listener with ease from the first note onwards. In 2024 they have followed up with their second album “Transzendenz Schatten Romantik” where you can find a pretty similar yet also refined approach. There are even small comparably mainstream nuances, which do not unbalance the construct, but are rather to be seen as an additional accent and might increase their potential audience.

The gentle interlude “Ornament” starts things off in nice fashion and prepares the listener for an epic and emotional journey. Melody is a key word here. Weltenbrandt know how to keep their compositions extremely melodic and accessible without taking out the gloom, the melancholy or the aggression which always should present in a black metal record. Even if you were to leave out the harsh, desperate screams and regard the whole thing as purely instrumental, there is always a cold, dark atmosphere over the tracks and the delicate, melancholy interludes work perfectly to complete the picture. So, while the backbone is more or less classic black metal with heavy riffs, galloping drums and aggressive vocals Bernhard and his crew know how to include some fantastic harmonies with shimmering guitars lines that immediately sweep the listener away. This can be heard in cuts like “Apotropaion”. The delicate piano sounds at the beginning of “Resilienz” directly turn into melancholic despair when the guitars and vocals kick in. This alternation of direct sections and fragile parts are perfectly in sync and make up for a consistently breath-taking experience.

This combination can be found throughout the album with all tracks together building a coherent total of its individual parts. Although some of the songs have a certain similarity in tone and style the album never gets boring and has a great flow, with the different tracks combining to a coherent overall construct in which the pieces complement each other. Details like the female vocals in “Vergängnisdenkmal” add a nice extra accent and further enhance the compositions. Apart from a few English lines in “Broken Crosses”, the vocals are all in German and in case you dare to pay attention the lyrics really add to the overall atmosphere of the record. The same can be said of the cover artwork which might come across a bit cheesy at first but really fits the dark and melancholic yet also epochal mood.

The album comes to a brilliant conclusion with the almost seven-minutes closer “Tiefste Rast”, which showcases the band's entire repertoire. This song is another compositional delicacy, which offers everything from delicate and filigree to frenzy and never loses its power. Here the band once again shows its full range and combine delicate, calm passages with intense crescendos. The guest contributions from other singers such as P.G. (Groza) and L.G. (Ellende) reinforce the complexity of the songs and set additional accents. There are some other special contributors to be found on the album as well and in songs like “Apotropaion” and “Tiefste Rast” you can feel the powerful synergy between their influence and Weltenbrandt’s vision.

Lyrically, the band remains true to its melancholic and gloomy line with the German lyrics creating a deep connection to black romanticism and creepy feelings. A small but effective break are the English lines in “Broken Crosses”, which give the album a slightly different flavor without diluting the basic style. The production also leaves nothing to be desired. The sound is very dynamic and clear yet natural at the same time. Everything comes through the speakers or headphones in a rich way, instruments and vocals harmonize perfectly with each other and the bass provides depth. This is a highly professional piece of music on every level and one of the genre’s finest contribution this year. I recommend each open-minded fan of extravagant black metal or dark and emotional music in general to give “Transzendenz Schatten Romantik” a chance.