Lebensnatch - The Realm Beyond (2021)

Unleashing waves of old-school Black Metal with tons of Dark Ambient elements, Germany’s Lebensnatch took us by surprise with “The Realm Beyond”. Released via Naturmacht Productions, this album has that naivety and minimalist approach of early 90’s BM that newer and more polished bands have lost. If you like overly dramatic and yet simple atmospherics alongside raw and basic BM, this release should be at the top of your list.

Opening with the dreamy “Fallen Soul Under A Pale Star”, we get a very nice retro vibe surrounded by dramatic atmospheric keyboards/synths. The band’s sound is raw and retro, making their music quite direct and not overly adorned. With a certain (old) Burzum-esque vibe “Moon And Stars”, this is our favorite track due to its simplicity and very effective harshness.

Keeping the momentum going, “The Evil That Is Men” delivers regal atmospherics alongside crafty and melancholic mid-tempo arrangements. The guitar work is quite solid, creating enjoyable pieces that do overly rely on BM tropes, as one can hear in dynamic pieces like “Ravens Flight Over Northland” and the heavier “Ravens Flight To The Realm Beyond”. Tons of old-school Scandinavian BM elements can be heard in these two songs, bringing back some nostalgic memories.

Overall, “The Realm Beyond” is one of those releases that bring back memories from the early days of Scandinavian Black Metal. The band’s ability to craft simple and yet lush atmospheric songs is unrivaled and for over 40 minutes they showcase this. Balancing the rich atmospheric with cold harshness is done perfectly by Lebensnatch, so be sure to check out this release.

Label: Naturmacht Productions

Release: March 28th, 2021

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal

Country: Romania