ENDSTILLE

Formed in Kiel, Northern Germany, in 2000, Endstille have become black metal hegemonists in their home country. Renowned for their use of World War I/II German weaponry and general imagery, latest full length, 'Verführer', is no exception, with the cover itself depicting Kaiser Wilhelm II as a blood-drenched maniacal butcher. With such strong, unequivocal imagery, coupled with black metal's seemingly extant political hang-ups of yore, it is no wonder some critics have branded Endstille as right-wing extremists over the years. However, with the band themselves declaring their music and general aesthetic to be apolitical, the World Wars fascination is just a matter of historical interest and their chosen motif. After all, to stand out in an oversaturated scene rife with pastiche and plagiarism, every band needs an identity and/or gimmick, right? Fortunately, Endstille transcend mere gimmickry here with a musically accomplished album that effectively contraposes black metal's idioms of up-tempo blast-beat led aggressive discordance with mid-tempo passages of melodious, richly layered, emotive guitars à la Moonsorrow/Primordial/Kampfar. Production-wise, 'Verführer' manages to strike a perfect balance between the resonant and the raw - that is to say, an accomplished production without being too over-polished so as to preserve a degree of rawness that's associated with the classic black metal sound. And dare I say they even prove their worth as composers of epic sounding blackness with lengthy, mid-tempo, slow burner 'Depressive/Abstract/Banished/Despised'. A fine album overall that is most worthy of your attention.

LABEL:

FORMAT:

Regain Records

Album

VERFÜHRER

Review by Mark Holmes

RUNNING TIME:

46:46

RELEASE DATE:

1st June 2009

TRACK LISTING

1) Alteration of Roots
2) ...Of Disorder
3) Hate Me...God?
4) Depressive/Abstract/Banished/Despised
5) Monotonous
6) Symptoms
7) Suffer in Silence
8) Dead
9) Endstille (Verführer)

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

Germany

"Production-wise, 'Verführer' manages to strike a perfect balance between the resonant and the raw..."