End of silence for Weltenbrandt.
Following their debut album in 2018, the band led by Bernhard Zieher (vocals/guitar, Synkende), Dorian Gray (bass, Synkende), Elmar (drums, Among Rats) and Silvano (live guitar, Regnum Noricum) unveil Transzendenz Schatten Romantik, their second album, in 2024.
Melancholia Urgewalt immediately adopts majestic tones befitting its name, whether with the heady piano or the hazy saturation, followed by the tortured vocal parts. The band’s universe naturally captivates us, and we let ourselves be mentally caught up in the pain of the track, which joins Apotropaion where the sound quickly becomes more menacing, letting P.G. (Groza) strengthen the aggressive tones with furious vocal parts that complement Bernhard‘s howls. The rhythm soothes, then becomes dissonant, before giving way to Resilienz, where the keyboards welcome us before letting the riffs bury us under their dark melodies, creating a nostalgic atmosphere as soothing as it is painful, eventually offering us a moment’s respite before the final wave. The musicians allow us to catch our breath with Ornament, a melodious interlude where strings mingle to carry us towards Prana, where the darkness resurfaces on a first haunting wave, then we have J.J. Frühlingsbringer (Karg, Harakiri for the Sky) for a striking vocal intervention. Vergängnisdenkmal follows with an equally contrasting approach between gentleness and violence, leaving the vaporous break to Jeanny and her few words to lead us into the final melancholic eruption, before sadness continues on Serenade, a second harmonious and delicate interlude. Broken Crosses revives the oppression anchored in a kind of quietude, before Silvano lays down a few words to accompany it, before concluding the album with Tiefste Rast, where the tenebrous flood crushes us before letting us breathe again to welcome L.G. (Ellende) who will haunt the final surge.
Weltenbrandt may be a rather discreet band, but they have a strong identity, delivering a striking sound. The guests enhance every track on Transzendenz Schatten Romantik, making the album a veritable straitjacket of combined darkness and sweetness.
90/100