Sjæleangst, doesn’t that simply mean “soul anxiety”? Or can or should it not be translated so easily? It might just be possible, right? Danish sometimes seems remarkably close to Dutch or English, or am I going too far here? In any case, it is clear as day that this Danish duo, who tries to keep its identity fiercely secret, has come together to frame their dark thoughts in atmospheric black metal. And what label is more fitting than the renowned Vendetta Records? You see how simple life can be sometimes? The essence lies simply embedded in the music. You don’t have to spend hours and hours discussing song titles; you can just number them. Do you really need to wreck your brains for days and weeks over a suitable cover design, or not? So many questions… my soul knows no peace, for fear of not getting answers. But answers do come…
What is evident from the moment you listen to the music of Sjæleangst is that it immediately grabs you by the throat. Particularly enigmatic guitar work (electric, acoustic) at a dripping pace or at breakneck speed is interspersed with ambient soundscapes formed by sounds of wind, rain, and other elements of nature, but also by robust or sensitive piano parts. So, rest assured that even though track I has just passed, this album is leaving a remarkable impression on me already. This is pure atmospheric black metal class! II then kicks in with some scratchy guitar violence, the speed picks up, and nauseating screams weave their way in. Over the next fifteen minutes, you’re thrown from pouring rain to calming droplets. One moment, you seem to get a chance to rest as an acoustic guitar paints a pleasant piece, the next moment you’re completely battered and thrashed, and flashes of brilliance come wafting by in the form of guitar solos and epic keyboard passages reminiscent of Obtained Enslavement.
III, on the other hand, is a welcome rainshower adorned with a piano theme, while IV continues in the same vein. A guitar theme suspiciously resembling the earlier piano parts is complemented with a cinematic spoken part before the distortion pedal is pushed in, and you’re treated to stinging, stabbing guitars. Rolling kick drums take the whole by the hand in an almost cinematic, epic manner.
Wow, what an album. The two unknown individuals behind the name Sjæleangst who have put together this eponymous record must be recluses who have been residing in the Danish underground for years, it’s hard to imagine otherwise. Atmospheric, aggressive, sensitive black metal in its purest form. Purchase obligatory!
Score:
90/100
Label:
Vendetta Records, 2024
Tracklisting:
- I
- II
- III
- IV
Line-up:
- Band members unknown
Links: