Nidelgret has finally revealed itself.
Originally formed by members of Gravpel in Switzerland, the band now consisting of S. V. (guitar/vocals), S. C. (guitar), K.K.D.W. (bass), and S. M. (drums/electronics) signed in 2026 with Frozen Records and Noise-Induced Hearing Loss for the release of their debut album, Trauerlärm.
The album opens with a dissonant track, All My Efforts Were in Vain and Now I’m Bereft of Hope as I Anticipate the Depth of My Fall, an abrasive opening track soon filled with raw and aggressive vocals initially rooted in an Old School but ultimately explosive and devastating approach. The rhythm section grows increasingly frenzied until it reaches Their Silence Is Our Requiem, the next track, where violence is also the watchword for each member, while incorporating strident harmonics. Note the virulent, almost Punk roots, just as on I Confess My Death. Make It Quick follows hot on its heels with a similar determination to destroy everything in its path, and to ravage our necks in the process. The foretaste of the apocalypse spreads like a torrent of auditory lava, and although a slower passage is on the agenda, it is just as oppressive and leads to an equally chaotic resumption of hostilities before the powerful My Eyes Birth a River, a track whose title hinted at a certain melancholy, but which ultimately proves gripping in its own way. A more experimental passage distracts us for a moment from the rage, but it returns with a vengeance before giving way to The Disappointment That Follows You to Bed Is Keeping You Awake at Night, which in turn floods us with aggression but with that impressive and anxiety-inducing Industrial touch. We shift over to Grindcore with Black Earth, a track featuring regular waves of violence that alternate with much calmer moments, allowing us to catch our breath despite the ever-present oppression. Then we return slightly to the cold, straightforward Black Metal of Hope’s Alive, the next track, which is sure to trample us in proper fashion thanks to its assertive blast beats. We still hear the characteristic riffing and dark tones, but they sometimes transform into thick, impenetrable Industrial passages before returning, then slowing down, and diving back into electronic sounds, then giving way to Gazing into Nothingness, which returns to more traditional sounds while skillfully weaving some ethereal keyboards into the background to counterbalance the onslaught, and closes out the album with this unexpected contrast.
Without warning, the Nidelgret sound explodes right in your face and shatters your eardrums for a full half-hour, making Trauerlärm one of the most devastating and chaotic albums of the year. A true experience!
90/100