Wandar is celebrating its 20th anniversary and its new album.
Still signed to Vendetta Records, the German band led by Skoll von Kallenheim (vocals, Idhafels), Zazhgul (guitar), Westram (guitar), Miriam “Mara” Fuchs (bass, Abglanz, Gorleben), and Totz (drums, ex-Into Obscurity) released their fourth album, Tiefe Erde, in 2026.
We’re greeted by a dark and unsettling piano on Bedrängnis, a rather haunting and melancholic instrumental intro that leads into Trug and its fierce acceleration, featuring frenzied riffs with icy Old School touches as well as striking roars that fit perfectly with the surrounding chaos. The track uses its length to develop haunting sounds between two waves of epic aggression, but the final is much softer, leading us to Visol-Bolvis, where we immediately sense that the band is about to sweep us up in its charge, something that is sure to happen. Violence and darkness return as the musicians let loose, occasionally inserting more jagged passages like before that macabre break, followed by a devastating reprise where the waves toss us about until the finale, then on to …Nächtlic, which offers us a true, soothing refuge for the span of three minutes. The minimalist piano, however, fades away as Drangsal takes over, sweeping us into a current as icy as it is haunting – one in which we could easily imagine ourselves riding through the Black Forest with attackers hot on our heels – all while offering a few relatively accessible and intoxicating melodies. While the finale grants us a moment of respite, Erden immediately plunges us back into pure oppression, followed by its icy yet soaring saturation tinged with the surrounding darkness, where the various vocal parts come to life, offering us a distinct yet nearly constant sense of dread with a surge of intensity toward the end, leading into the gentle Irrlicht. The instrumental composition also acts as a dark yet soothing interlude to pave our way toward Hetäre and its relaxing introduction, quickly swept away by a devastating blast beat while the other instruments weave the heaviest and most ethereal tones. This track is quite different from the others, developing a more haunting atmosphere even during the furious passages, whereas Gestirne, despite its relatively calm introduction, proves to be far denser, more oppressive, and heavier, making full use of its length to take us on a journey through all the facets of its musical roots, ranging from visceral touches to torrents of violence, but also its moments of hesitation before the return of the hurricane, which borrows from DSBM and its ethereal touches before finally abandoning us to our fate.
It’s widely acknowledged that Vendetta Records is a breeding ground for talent, and discovering Wandar felt natural to me when I saw the announcement. I didn’t expect such a deluge of icy darkness on Tiefe Erde, though—but one thing is certain: the album will be on repeat in my playlists.
90/100
