I hear that a lot of our readers love post-rock, and given that our blog name features the word heavy not once, but twice, there’s a good chance you may enjoy a bit of black metal too. So if you like both of these amazing things, what could possibly go wrong when you put them together? In the case of Germany’s Der Weg einer Freiheit (The Way of Freedom), absolutely nothing, so go ahead and check out what one might call a stellar 2015 release after the jump.
Their debut under Seasons of Mist, Stellar marks the band’s third LP overall, having first hit the scene with their self-titled in 2009. The disc’s opening few minutes suggest that we might be in for a progressive record; however, we soon realise that this is not the case. Instead, we’re treated to a straight-up fusion of post-rock and black metal, featuring gorgeous melodies, dramatic build ups, furious blast beats and (surprise!) plenty of tremolo picking. As always the walls of melodic trem guitars make things interesting when offset against blast beats and throat-ripping harsh vocals, the two opposing forces crashing against one another. Yet, rather than jarring the listener or seeming out of place, the atmospheric nature of both genres allows these dynamics to flow smoothly alongside each other, each respective element seamlessly interwoven with the others.
The production leans heavily on the post-rock end of the spectrum, surprisingly clean as the band accentuate the melodies on display. Pleasingly, the bass is given a powerful voice in the mix, steadily rumbling along beneath the guitars and adding grit and punch to each track alongside the determined drum-work. Despite this focus on melody, trve kvltists shouldn’t dismay, for the harsh vocals are as vicious as any you’ll find. If you like black metal, you will like this album. If you like post-rock, and you don’t mind harsh vocals, you will also like this album. If you’ve never listened to the two put together, this is as good a place as any to start. So get listening, get buying, and don’t forget to follow them on Facebook as well.