Lantlos - Wildhund (2021)

Seven years have passed since Lantlos released “Melting Sun”, an album that turned the page from the early Post-Black Metal days into more sonically diverse and immersive territories. With “Wildhund”, Markus Siegenhort further develops his musical exploration and delivers over 50 minutes of superbly catchy and sonically engaging music. If you like heavy, lush, and sonically imposing releases that are not quite Metal music, this album should peak your interest.

The release quickly sets a very dreamy mood with the lush atmospherics of “Lake Fantasy”. This track continues the “Melting Sun” style of soaring vocal arrangements alongside powerful distorted guitars and generous atmospherics. “Magnolia” nicely continues with playful tempo changes and lively clean vocals alongside a commanding bass guitar line and crafty drumming.

Having a very positive and uplifting vibe, “Cocoon Tree House”, and “Home” deliver dreamy Post-Rockish/Shoegazey passages alongside versatile vocals. The band’s heaviness is undisputed as “Vertigo”, “The Bubble”, and “Amber”, all feature powerful guitar arrangements, but they are craftily flanked by dreamy atmospherics and dramatic lead guitars, spinning the music’s direction into more ethereal places.

After the exploratory “Planetarium”, our second favorite track has to be the lush “Dream Machine” and its soaring clean vocals. “Dog in the Wild” introduces an interesting change in pace, while maintaining the overall heaviness with perfectly mixed soaring guitar arrangements. Saving the most diverse and trippy for last, “Lich” mixes all kinds of influences and even some auto-tune parts to round-up Markus Siegenhort’s best release to date.

If you liked the direction “Melting Sun” took in 2014, then you will certainly love “Wildhund”. Lantlos/Markus Siegenhort continues to develop a very unique musical and personal identity, and we love that nothing is taboo and no influence and musical textures are off-limits. Be prepared to be transported to a very ethereal and yet crushingly direct world, filled with atmosphere, playful vocal melodies, and pummeling guitars.

Label: Prophecy Productions

Release: July 30th, 2021

Genre: Alternative Metal

Country: Germany