Fluisteraars - Bloem (2020)

Unleashing contrasting brutality with unfathomable melancholy, today we have Fluisteraars and their third full-length release “Bloem”. Delivering over 30 minutes of highly creative and unique music, this band explores a wide spectrum of sounds, instruments and elements, infusing them into a high-octane raw Black Metal core to create a brilliant release. If you like non-linear BM that explores the boundaries of the genre, do not miss out of this album.

Starting with the (early) Ulver-esque rawness of “Tere Muur”, the band sets a furious BM pace that nicely continues into the first minute or so of “Nasleep”. This last track slowly turns more melodic with a lively bass guitar line and catchy passages. As the song descends into madness it suddenly leads into one of the bleakest and most disarming melodic passages ever written. The oozing melancholy of the second part of this song is brilliant as it creates a truly oppressive atmosphere.

The hypnotic atmosphere continues into the mellow “Eeuwige Ram”, a very punishing track that has a certain bluesy kind of vibe. Keep your ears ready for some brilliantly placed trumpets as the track evolves. The way the band plays with the listener’s emotions is truly masterful, as tracks like “Vlek” perfectly blend their vicious BM rawness with more rhythmical and hypnotic melancholic passages, that instantly infuse a feeling of hopelessness.

Closing on a firm note with “Maanruïne”, this short but sweet release has too much to unpack on a single listen. The replay value of “Bloem” is fantastic as each song needs more than a dozen listens to fully discover all the subtle and yet very effective elements crafted into them. We are blown away by how Fluisteraars combines a rather traditional core with extra elements and a hefty dose of melancholy to craft one of the most piercing and enjoyable releases of 2020.

Label: Eisenwald

Release: February 28th, 2020

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Netherlands