This is the second album by Germany’s Freitod. “Regenjahre” (Rain Years) consists of 6 meaty chunks of dark-black metal and then an even meatier 12 minute track “Wenn Alles Zerbricht” (When Everything Collapses).

I have listened to this album and am still puzzling over it. 6 minutes or so is a good time to develop atmospheres, and this is clearly something Freitod strive for. A distinctly Katatonian style rhythm, which can be heard throughout the album, opens the title track. A steady and melodic back metal piece develops, with growls and pagan-type moanings. There’s a bit of Vreid about this but although there is a shifting scene, it’s disciplined and militaristic, reminding me strongly of the Estonian band Loits. This is even more the case on “Letztes Wort” (Last Word), for me the track with the most impact on this album. This was the biggest problem for me – in spite of the mixed atmospheres, I didn’t get much sense of impact. “Der Traumsturm” (The Dream Storm) is faster, harder and heavier than most. Black metal growls mix with pagan sounds but there’s no identity or electricity.

The mystery and drama suggested in “Nichtssagend” (Meaningless) falls flat. The plaintive “Sterbenswert” (the Value of Dying) merely proves that the German language is unsuited to slower songs. It comes down to “Wenn Alles Zerbricht” to save the day. In an impressive build-up, a bleak aura of darkness is created. Freitod demonstrate very well that in black metal there is no need for an all-out assault. But as with everything before it, it’s solid rather than spectacular and apart from the tracks “Letztes Wort” and “Regenjahre”, the quest to be uplifting isn’t successful.

“Regenjahre” has the ingredients to be a very good album, and indeed I quite liked it, but there’s nothing special here. I hesitate to call it formulaic, as there is fire and power, but I never really got the mood and overall I found it rather dour.

(6 / 10 Andrew Doherty)

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