Ruinen is the 4th full-length album by Germany's Waldgeflüster. As put in the mailer, this atmospheric black metal band is where "Falls of Rauros and Panopticon merges with the older doom/post-metal sounds of artists such as Anathema & Katatonia." I don't know about all that, but I do have one word for this album: stunning. Though not something I imagine finding myself ripping to on the regular, this is by far one of the most introspective and emotive albums of the year when it comes to extreme music.
Last month I shared the first proper track of the album, "Weltenwanderer." If you were not captivated by this masterpiece, I don't know what to do with you. I give up. I'll admit that when I was driving and this came on I was nearly brought to tears. The music projected images in my mind of long friendships that have since dissolved and times that will never be experienced again. The haunting clean vocals...the soaring guitars...there's an eternal, infinite sadness conveyed within these songs. Think Schammasch's "Metanoia." Waldgeflüster is black metal in foundation only. As a whole they mean so much more than that. There are some well-placed harsh shrieks to be found ("Trümmerfestung"), but for the most part expect some of the most passionate singing in the German language you're likely to hear in a long time.
If one of the above comparisons stands out most strongly, it is Panopticon. Fitting that the two bands have shared a split, as they also share similar sensibilities. Both enjoy creating lush, melancholy guitar melodies through a combination of tremolo, acoustic implmentation, use of strings ("Ruinenfelder"), and epic rock solos. They certainly maintain a folky side...not one that is so much historical as it is seemingly born from the soil. Hymns written by mother nature herself. And of course, both groups convey a certain level of maturity in their songwriting and themes that illistrate both the joys and crushing realities of life. Despite my misgivings about some of these song lengths and the slower pace, tracks like "Aschephönix" now bring me to my knees.
If it's been a while since you felt something, or just need a good cry, you need to listen to Ruinen. It is a gorgeous album filled with conviction, passion, and pure affective expression. Depending on your current mood, you might need to come back to it a few times before it clicks, but the bottom line is that is will. Time to put down our smart phones, close the laptops, turn off the TV and give ourselves a little self care. A little acknowledgement of the weight we carry on a daily basis. Time to release.