Artist: Todtgelichter
Title: Angst
Type: Album
Label: Aural Music / Code 666

‘Where the hell did these guys come from?’ That was my first thought upon spinning the epic monster that is ‘Angst’, sixty minutes plus of dense, layered post-black metal from Germany. I like to think that I have my finger on the pulse with this sort of stuff, being a firm enthusiast of Agalloch, Alcest et al but I have to admit to having been completely blindsided by these chaps. Then again, it is always pleasant to be nicely surprised and this album was a very nice surprise indeed.

To put it bluntly, ‘Angst’ is excellent. A tautly-conceptualized and deftly executed blend of Enslaved’s glacial fury and the ambiences of Anathema, confidence and ability simply oozes from this material. Not only this, but the band are capable of weaving assured, defined songs - ‘Neon’ fuses the very best elements of the more recent Katatonia material and Mogwai’s climatic soundscapes with a desperate, urban despair whilst the more upbeat ‘Phobos and Deimos’ brings to mind the oft-overlooked Thine album ‘In Therapy’. If this sounds potentially a little wistful, the band are unafraid to drag the more vitriolic elements of back metal into the mix - the opening couple of minutes of ‘Bestie’ are redolent with despair and the blastbeats that crop up in the Slayer-tinged ‘Oblivion’ are punishing.

That Todtgelichter are able to weave such disparate soundscapes together into a coherent whole is an affirmation of their ability as musicians and songwriters. One listen to the glittering beauty of ‘Allmahlich’ should be enough to convince anyone that Todgelichter are a serious proposition indeed. Mention must almost be made as to the sterling quality of the production present on ‘Angst’. Polished but not sterile, organic, clear and elegant, it complements perfectly the power of the music hear yet allows their more spacious, graceful elements to breathe. On the strength of this album, Todgelichter have earned the right to mentioned in the same breath as the most regarded protagonists of the genre. A genuine achievement.

http://www.myspace.com/todtgelichter