Alptraum
“Das Weinen Der Natur”
2018
(The cry of nature sounds like a Nazgûl)
Hail, and well met from Ocala, Florida and Germany! This future black metal power-house quintet releases their debut album; “Das Weinen Der Natur” under no label or management.
As is with any great black metal record, a great symphonic intro is an absolute must, and these guys do not disappoint. “Einführung” (literally translating to “Introduction”) is a very haunting and foreboding synth track that sets the stage for a nightmare-scape of never ending horror and despair. The first real track on the album kicks in after a slight pause after the intro, and continues this dragging, sludgy feeling that the intro provided, before blistering into an ungodly shrill from female vocalist; Jennifer Riemer. This album has already established that Alptraum knows exactly what they’re going for, and how to accomplish it with flying colors. All throughout there are great stories being told through their excellent songwriting and presentation. The only thing that can be complained about, if anything at all really, is that the keyboards become a tad overwhelming in a number of places. However, most black metal fans will not mind in the slightest. Once more, the songwriting is tremendous; every song is immediately recognizable and discernible from the last. And unlike most black metal records, “Das Weinen Der Natur” accomplishes something that most bands in the genre usually miss the mark on: the production quality is cleaned up enough to give the songs melody and feeling, while also being just raw enough to still have the vintage feeling of a grim and freezing death that black metal is famous for.
Anything I ask for from this point on is purely nit picking and not a necessity for anyone else but myself to further enjoy this already fantastic album. As is for many black metal albums, the bass guitar is entirely too low for my taste. Which is disappointing because what I can actually hear of it is wonderful. Very well written bass lines that compliment and lift the other instruments up to new heights. I just wish it was brought to the forefront a wee bit more. And as I mentioned earlier, the keyboards are entirely too loud while everything else is a bit too low in the mix, but that’s coming from a celebrated perfectionist and has absolutely zero bearing on how great this record is. Keep an ear to the ground with Alptraum, for I fully expect great things to come from this group.
Tracklist:
1. Einführung
2. König der Wespen
3. Teufelswurzeln
4. Der Drudenfuss
5. Das Weinen Der Natur
6. Schwarzer Regen
7. Schwanz
8. Der Geist des Waldes
9. Rabenfrass
https://www.facebook.com/alptraumband/
Members:
Jennifer Riemer (Dragana) – Vocals
Reed Adams (Deadguy) – Guitar
Kevin Hendrix (Graves) – Bass
Bobby Foss (Zagros) – Piano and Synth
Larry Abrams (Cerberus) – Drums
Rating: 8.9 out of 10
~Deaf Guardian