Out of the bands that have emerged from Trondheim over the past decade or so, Misotheist has been one of the most consistent. Each of their releases has emphasized lengthy arrangements that brought traditional Norwegian black metal with some dissonant elements, and by the time For the Glory Of Your Redeemer came out in 2021 it was clear the band had a mastery to their craft that was rare so early on in their discography. I found 2024’s Vessels by Which the Devil Is Made Flesh a little less impactful by comparison, but even if it didn’t reach the same high bar as its predecessor the twists and turns still stood far above your average black metal artist. Two years later Misotheist has returned with their fourth album De Pinte and tweaked their approach yet again, letting more outwardly aggressive and triumphant sounding instrumentation drive things forward. It’s a stunning and dynamic listen that captures both the violence and tense atmosphere of this type of black metal, making for another effort that will stick with listeners.
Where the previous three releases have contained three tracks of varying lengths, De Pinte chooses to go for four and split them up differently. The first three are all between six and seven minutes in length, making for a bit more of a direct initial listen compared to the rest of Misotheist’s discography but they do a lot in this span of time. Opener “Unanswered Thrice” spends its first minute using darker ambient sounds that feel somewhere between an orchestral horror soundtrack and field recordings of industrial equipment before it launches into powerful blasting. There’s a consistent sense of tension for its entire run, as the rumbling bass and more jagged guitar work leave a mark, but the subtle melodies towards the end of the song also give off a more triumphant feel. This is continued with “Blinded and Revealed”, where the intensity starts off high and the instrumentals only seem to get faster as the song progresses with dissonance being added in at key moments. “Kjetterdom” opts for a slower burn, with some of the most ominous melodies I’ve heard from Misotheist, but it’s when you reach the title track that things open up considerably. Coming in at twenty-one minutes this song provides plenty of opportunity for otherworldly atmosphere and sparser arrangements, and the writing reminds me of a cross between Misotheist’s past work with Mare and Urfaust. It’s huge in sound and scope, letting things breathe but not overstretching them. What’s also worth mentioning is De Pinte has a seamless flow from song to song, allowing the four to work in unison to a greater body of work compared to the more individualized feel of some of the band’s other albums.
B. Kråbøl’s work behind the mic for Misotheist has been an element that has added to the power of the music, and this continues to be the case on De Pinte. He has one of those raspier screams that towers over the rest of the band, and on some of the quieter sections (the opening of “Unanswered Thrice” and the title track) the way his voice cuts through everything adds an almost nightmarish quality. While there are some differences, the pitch gives off similar tones to Hoath Torog’s work with Behexen and Bythos as there are some dips into lower ranges that fill out some more of the lower end. Each of the verses is spaced out well, making each appearance as violent as the last.
Where the last two albums had similar cadences, De Pinte switches things up in ways that make for a more intense and engaging listen. The way things flows between songs makes them taken in well as an entire body of work or in individual pieces, and the more triumphant and haunting instrumentation works well as an expansion of Misotheist’s core sound. Whether you’ve experienced the band previously or are coming in fresh, this album is a great point to jump in. De Pinte is available from Terratur Possessions.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg