Ellende
Zurfall
AOP Records
Austria’s Ellende start out this record sounding reminiscent of bands like Civil Service and Din Of Celestial Birds on the slow-burning Nur,that is, until the pick scrapes and double kicks take us into the blackened realms of Wahrheit Tell I, and all turns cold like a more frostbitten Wolves In The Throne Room. Ellende clearly has well-honed musical chops and an excellent production, as acoustic guitars and a vintage guitar solo segue into accordions and bass solos, there’s definitely a lot going on here. Blastbeats and tremolo-picked guitars are present and correct in the right places, and the scope of Ellende’s vision seems to have no bounds as we enter part two of this epic piece.
Title track Zurfall opens on sombre piano and brass, crackling lo-fi production, before settling into lazy swung grooves that lead into the track’s cinematic black metal assault. This is black metal in wide-screen form. A lot of care and attention has been taken with its arrangements, and it constantly evolves, keeping the listener guessing. Ode Ans Licht provides an almost indie feel that isn’t too unlike the works of Deafheaven and Møl and carries more emotional heft for it. Another two-part journey comes in the form of Zeitenwende Teil I and II, each part boasting a different guest, Firtan and Norikym, respectively. A beautifully blackened journey it is too, taking in wah wah guitar strings and fully chugged out sections along the way. As the answering machine messages of the dramatic farewell track Reise ring out, you definitely feel as though you’ve listened to a full journey with more twists and turns than a Nordic thriller.
In a scene that is currently excelling, I truly hope that Ellende finds your ears, as this is an extremely well-executed collection full of imagination and innovation.
https://www.facebook.com/ellende.official
Review By George Miller