Fluisteraars - Gegrepen door de geest der zielsontluiking (2021)

If you thought that “Bloem”, was an impressive release, Fluisteraars returns with an even more visceral and ravaging opus with “Gegrepen door de geest der zielsontluiking”. Recorded in a very unconventional way: one track per day, one take per instrument, no synths, and no overdubs, this track is more punishing and raw than anything the band has ever released before. That being said, this release is a 35 minute journey of raw decadence.

The release kicks off with the violent outbursts of “Het overvleugelen der meute”, an 8-minute track filled with pummeling riffs, intense drumming and some of the most ravaging vocals in the genre. The band’s musical approach is both direct and punishing, while encoding melancholy and introspection in the slower passages. We particularly love how the band’s sound is still eerie in the more minimalist sections of the track.

The ferocious “Brand woedt in mijn graf” keeps the intensity cranked up to 11 with even more punishing screams and very dramatic atmospherics and tempo changes. Some hypnotic instrumental interludes greatly add to the dramatics behind this piece. The crown jewel of this album has to be the monumental “Verscheuring In De Schemering” and its 20-minute duration. Providing a mixture of melancholy and aggression, this piece is quite violent and yet cinematic, making it a total aural experience unlike few we have heard in our lives.

Overall, “Gegrepen door de geest der zielsontluiking” is one hell of a release that any fan of Black Metal has to experience at least once in its life. Perfectly blending raw brutality, with an unpolished production, and a certain indescribable melancholy, Fluisteraars has managed to outdo themselves with such a masterful and intense release.

Label: Eisenwald

Release: August 27th, 2021

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Netherlands