I’ve argued in previous reviews that Germany sometimes gets overlooked when it comes to black metal but contains just as many interesting bands as the Scandinavian countries. Farsot has been one of the prime examples over the past two and a half decades, and while they may have a fairly small discography compared to others that have been around for just as long it’s clear when listening to their material that they choose quality over quantity. Prior to this year’s Life Promised Death, their last full length was 2017’s Fail-Lure, which took elements of traditional, atmospheric, and depressive black metal and wove in outside musical influences that took things in unexpected and interesting directions. Life Promised Death not only expands upon the foundation laid down by its predecessor but comes through like an expansion of everything Farsot has done to date. It’s harsh and bleak when necessary, but also has some surprisingly soft and melancholic moments that prove just as engaging.
Early on Life Promised Death focuses on the harsher end of the spectrum, as both “Nausea” and Buoyant Flames” utilize aggressive riffing that have a bit more of a second-wave slant to them and prominent bass work that fills out the low end significantly. “Buoyant Flames” is one of the most interesting pieces of the first half, as it moves along at a brisk pace with blast beats but the guitar work is really subtle, providing small shifts that give off a sense of power as the layers build to huge peaks. But even these tracks don’t keep things straightforward, as there are transitions into softer, melancholic passages and the use of acoustic guitar on “Buoyant Flames” gives off more of a 90s alternative or even a gothic rock. These elements become much more prominent as you get further into the material, as “Chimera” initially has a guitar tone that is somewhere between grunge and spaghetti western, while “Descent” lets melodic guitar leads build in ways that give off more of a progressive rock vibe. No matter how soft or the instrumentation gets, it always has a bleaker tone and often jumps back to the harsher black metal side in unexpected ways. The types of twists and turns Life Promised Death offers isn’t necessarily new for Farsot, but they offer the best combination of initial hooks and hidden nuances out of the band’s discography. Songs like “Buoyant Flames” or “Stray Dogs” jump out at you thanks to their shifts over to a more traditional black metal sound, while “Into Vertigo” and “Chimera” have some surprisingly rock oriented hooks that stand out initially. Yet the longer you spend with the album, the more little details and transitions start to grab your attention, and this is what has kept drawing me back. Admittedly the last few songs do last perhaps a bit longer than they need to at eight minutes a piece, but considering just how many sections draw you in this doesn’t become a huge issue.
Farsot has utilized a variety of pitches in their vocal performance, matching the instrumentation when it came to a balance between ugliness and beauty. They’ve taken things to another level on Life Promised Death though, as the clean ranges stand out a lot more and often steal the spotlight. Opener “Nausea” gives a good idea of what to expect, as the vocals immediately come roaring in with raspy screams that cut through your speakers, but around the three-minute mark lower pitched singing that booms over the recording takes over. During these moments the material gives off a more reflective tone, and this is where the grunge and alternative influences stand out a bit more. Considering Farsot’s depressive black metal leanings early on, the grunge approach to the singing makes sense as it gives that same sense of darkness and hopelessness but in a completely different way. On the other side of the spectrum, there’s chanting and other pitches that have more of a gothic tone, showcasing just how much depth the band can cover in their performance. It’s clear Farsot has spent time developing their singing to be just as impactful as the screaming, and it makes for a very different sounding effort compared to their past discography.
The wait between albums may often be long, but Farsot has yet to disappoint. They once again have written black metal that has a more complex and almost progressive flair to it, with plenty of unexpected elements and details that only pop out upon repeat listens. But there’s also a sense of immediacy and an equal amount of harsh and soft hooks that continues to make them stand out from the average artist in the genre. It’s the type of album I expect to still be finding nuances from in the months to come, and alongside Vemod another strong early showing for 2024 from Prophecy Productions/Lupus Lounge.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg