Kaiserreich – Cuore Nero (2015)

Mixing violent Black Metal outburst with a hefty dosage of Melancholy, today we have Italy’s Kaiserreich and their third full-length release “Cuore Nero”. Achieving some intense levels of brutality, this band’s music is testament to the very intricate balance of aggression and melancholy that only a handful of bands can gracefully achieve. Recommended for fans of Der Weg einer Freiheit and Wiegedood.

Opening with the brutal “Unico Sole”, the band immediately unleashes a barrage of riffs and very well crafted drums that weave back and forth between total aggression and melancholy. Reminding us of Horna and older Satyricon, the band pummels through tracks like “Senza Luce”, “Ombra Infanta” and the melancholic “Vuoto Assoluto”. The vocals are just perfect for this release as they are harsh and firm with a very consistent pitch.

Invoking the raw melodic elements of outfits like Gorgoroth, pieces like “Zero Negativo” are perfect for a slow and rhythmical headbanging orgy. Mixing things up a bit, the mid-tempo “High Hopes” which we believe is a Pink Floyd cover, actually sounds very imposing and interesting. The sharp guitar work is piercing through this whole release, allowing the decadent atmosphere to be perfectly crafted by the band.

Closing this release we have the band’s re-recording of “The Solitudes of Infinite”, which first surfaced on a split with Nocturnal Depression a few years ago. Overall, the dense and melancholic atmosphere in this release is worth the price of admission. Black Metal as powerful and emotive as this is hard to find and on “Cuore Nero”, Kaiserreich makes it look too easy. If you like your BM raw and yet sophisticated enough to be melodic, look no further and jump on this one.

Label: De Tenebrarum Principio

Release: September 7th, 2015

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Italy