Thränenkind – The Elk (2013)

From the highly creative mind of Nathanael, of Bonjour Tristesse and Agrypnie fame, today we have Thränenkind’s debut full-length “The Elk”. Being released through LifeForce Records, this powerful exercise in desolate and depressive music combines Post-Black Metal elements with Depressive Rock and a huge knack for bleak musical passages. With influences from bands like Heretoir and Austere (among others) to more Post-Rock outfits like God Is an Astronaut and Godspeed Your Black Emperor, this is one emotional rollercoaster ride that you do not want to miss.

Brilliantly setting the mood with the desolate “Monument”, we don’t have to wait much to get fully immerse in the band’s melancholic music. The first heavy hitting song is the ethereal “Just Another Way of Expressing Defeat”. Featuring dreamy guitars and a very mellow pace, this is one song that is very well constructed, transporting the listener back and forth from ethereal dream states.

Mixing in some harsh sections with killer vocals and very solid riffing, “My Transparent Heart”, “Deleting Those Three Words”, and “Eternal Youth”, show how much the band can escalate their dreamy sound into aggressive territories. Mixing in between heavier songs, we have very dreamy tracks that are more of mood setting pieces, just like “Seven Dead Horses”, and “Forest” parts one and two. The band makes this album flow very nicely from beginning to end, and expertly knows when to decelerate and switch into ethereal mode.

The ever present shoegazing in this album is quite rich, and on the closer “This Story of Permanence” we are left with a beautiful piece that is quite engaging and hypnotic in nature. The band’s creativity is well spent in building highly atmospheric guitar sections that are perfectly blended with the harsh vocals and brilliant pace of the music.

As a whole, “The Elk” is one lush release that will make you play it over and over again. The band’s sound is quite rich and very well crafted to allow the listener follow how this release flows and evolves over its duration. Being huge fans of similar bands, we can say that Thränenkind will make an immediate impact with this release on a very competitive scene. If you like dreamy Post-Black Metal music that does not go over the top with aggression, this is one album you should add to your collection.

Label: LifeForce Records

Release: August 23rd, 2013

Genre: Post-Black Metal / Depressive Rock / Atmospheric Black Metal

Country: Germany