Canadian post-black metallers Panzerfaust return with their sixth album, and the third in The Suns Of Perdition series. Sharing their name with a German World War II anti-tank missile, and the classic 1995 lo-fi album from Norwegian second wavers Darkthrone, Panzerfaust having been carving away a niche following with their distinct sound and conceptual albums since 2005, this time styling the lyrical theme of III: The Astral Drain (Eisenwald) on mankind’s collective descent into madness.
Musically the album, produced by Greg Dawson at BWC Studios in Ontario sounds great, and there is a maturity in the song writing and arrangement of the record which shouts of a band that are at their peak. Serving up a blend of dual vocal styles throughout from vocalist Goliath and guitarist Brock Van Dijk, combining blackened screams and more of a guttural growl which trade off against each other perfectly.
And this is no typical “black metal” album. Although it opens with the harsh horror movie like atmospherics of ‘Death-Drive Projections’, building with deep textures but with a pace that remains slow and ponderous, and a sophistication that allows the sound of each instrument to really stand out.
There is an industrial edge to ‘B22 : The Hive And The Hole’ which is intricate in its arrangement with a number of hypnotic guitar hooks, while the subtle introduction of blast beats build into a pulsating machine gun rhythm. ‘Bonfire Of The Insanities’ begins with an enchanting guitar lead and calming chants, before the emotional vocals hit properly with keys, which build to an avant-garde climax where strings combine with blast beats and a transcending increase in tension.
The pace of the music does pick up providing more of a traditional black metal feel when ‘The Far Bank At The River Styx’ is at full throttle and where orchestral undertones melt into the percussion, weaving in and out with the track progressing to an alluring finish. Final track ‘Tabula Rasa’ is another progressive and masterfully arranged composition which peaks at the end with phrenetic synths and venomously delivered vocals.
Each track is joined together with a themed interlude which includes ‘The Fear’, ‘The Pain’, ‘The Fury’ and ‘Enantiodromia’ all serving as moments of atmospheric respite with lush soundscapes of wind and rain entwined with rumbling bass tones and subtle guitar leads. They bind the record together perfectly while also serving as a unique organic intro to each proceeding track.
Panzerfaust have excelled themselves here, creating an album which pulls influence from a vast spectrum, creating a highly sophisticated and thought-provoking album of discerning extreme metal, that refuses to pigeonhole itself to one genre and delivers on many levels.
9 / 10
ABSTRAKT_SOUL_