When atmospheric black metal is bandied about my head, the term lends itself to such pretention and ill-design. Every band today that lays claim to the atmospheric slant to black metal is vying for some small space in the midst of the big guns shouldering through the undeniable mire that is this small, albeit potent movement. When the occasional band manages to ascend from the oft-crowded milieu and impress the hell out of this humble writer I am like a proverbial kid in a candy store.

Urfaust, a product of the Netherlands, puts its already impressive lineage on the clothes hook and creates a sinister, yet wholly illustrated piece in Der Freiwillige Bettler. Through some majestic passages and moments of sheer brilliance, this latest album represents all that is positive and essentially ‘good’ with the distant cousin of black metal.

Obligatory Burzum influences aside, Urfaust encompasses a strong sense of servitude to generating a large wall of environmental luster within the confines of orchestral ambiance, setting the tone for the album with precise and calculated arrangements. “Das Kind mit dem Spiegel” meshes a vocal disharmony along the lines of early Varg Vikernes and Nattramn, though not nearly as forced as the former and chaotic as the latter; the happy medium for IX’s delivery is one that can sound both horrifying and soothing all in one issuance, a rare feat indeed. The main difference between Burzum and Urfaust is the totality in the need for character with regards to the background; where Burzum’s furious, often disheveled delivery was part of the initial and primitive charm, Urfaust takes such liberties very few and far between, relying more on the homogeneous resonance to carry the weight of the music, and it does this with relative ease. After finding slight agitation in the caustic nature of the aforementioned track, “Der Mensch, die kleine Narrenwelt” renders the mental palate speechless as the moaning and subdued singing finds the perfect partner in chaotic symmetry. Throughout the album the music finds a palpable vibrancy that never veers off into the silly or trivial potholes often associated and anticipated with such music; the production values are also better than usual with a bass that is both credible and discernable. “Der Zauberer” is one of my favorite tracks on the album due in large part to its very melancholy essence that more or less filters into your head and spins around at a criminally slow rate of speed. The Nattramn-like vocal once again meshes, but this time a bit of Quorthon’s later vocal style balances the fray nicely. This record is simply something to behold! 

When you listen to a band like Urfaust you simply set aside your usual expectations and let the music take over your spirit, for it can be so encapsulating even through the initial listening. Each engagement thereafter only adds to the excitement that this band generates on a seemingly effortless plane. These guys have some serious talent and should never be lumped in with the mundane bands that often take up valued space in our movement. You will achieve something greater than just a musical experience with this album, this I can almost guarantee. 

I might honestly say that this is the album Vikernes couldn’t find in his arsenal; its cold and moody feel does little to dissuade even the most ardent connoisseur of black metal music.

TRACK LISTING

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*Comments:

1.  Vom Gesicht und Rätsel
2.  Der freiwillige Bettler
3.  Das Kind mit dem Spiegel
4.  Der Mensch,
     die kleine Narrenwelt
5.  Ein leeres Zauberspiel
6.  Der hässlichste Mensch
7.  Der Zauberer

Total playing time:  45:48

Release Date: November 25, 2010
Label: Ván Records

Urfaust - Der Freiwillige Bettler

Reviewer: Chris

June 11, 2011