ANN S. REVIEWS - BLUTMOND AND THE NEW DORNENREICH!

By Ann Sulaiman on Feb 8, 2011 | In News, Features | Send feedback »

DORNENREICH - 'FLAMMENTRIEBE', PROPHECY PRODUCTIONS; 2011

With even the cover art being so different from their previous albums for its use of deep colours and contrasts between fire and water (a fitting metaphor for the record itself), Dornenreich seem to be pulling all the stops for this “final” album. Even if it’s a supposed farewell to the metal genre that they started with; rather than their band career.

Recreating the exact atmospheres of both their metal and non-metal sides would have made a poor move for the group, especially as no one – even their most loyal following – would wish to hear a repeat of past tunes on a new release. Thankfully, instead of going down that route Dornenreich succeed in marrying them together by remaining focused on one of their more notable qualities – intensity.

The concentration of this on ‘Flammentriebe‘ means that the release is much more passionate, aggressive and even fearful on each listen than their previous discography. Emotion was always a key asset to the band’s performance, and they use it to the fullest to deliver more than a few musical surprises; where immense guitar shredding stands next to the high-pitched lament of sweeping violins.

It could be the fact that Dornenreich want a send-off from their metal career on a memorable note, in exploring various sides to the instruments and sounds which they’re known for and have previously worked with. ‘Flammentriebe‘ will at least be remembered by their fans and admirers in passing as such; though questions may stir that if this is their last metal record, how will their next non-metal album pan out?

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BLUTMOND - 'THIRTEEN URBAN WAYS 4 GROOVY BOHEMIAN DAYS', CODE666/AURAL MUSIC; 2010

Reinventing your sound and musical outlook at a relatively early point in your career can lead to a make or break situation, yet for Swiss post-black metallers Blutmond this seems to mostly be the former.

Post-black metal, with its better known shoegaze or indie rock vibes is taken as a dubious genre at best; seen as void of extremity or on some levels even metal itself. Enter ‘Thirteen Urban Ways 4 Groovy Bohemian Days‘, which comes as Blutmond’s first step into this subgenre yet only their second full-length release. In all fairness, one wouldn’t be able to tell that from one listen – after the brief intro, the tracks follow on with one rapid burst after another. Instead of opting for the same route as Alcest or even Fen, the band choose to draw on the aggressive side to their black metal roots and mix it up with moments of jazz, pulsing electronica and even rock ‘n’ roll.

The result is that the album delivers what it says on the tin, with added introspective pauses deemed necessary for any record purported to challenge how we live and breathe in today’s modern society. Taking an “urban” road to do this in post-any genre may be becoming a more frequent method of late; but if the method is to take in other musics associated with the city like those listed above, then Blutmond could be a breath of fresh air to this kind of metal.

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Want to keep up with Ann's reviews before they hit the Wretched Spawn page? Check out her blog at

www [dot] metalmelt [dot] wordpress [dot] com

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