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Todeskult > Als die Farben älter wurden > Reviews
Todeskult - Als die Farben älter wurden

The Depressive Age: Part II - 85%

Perplexed_Sjel, November 2nd, 2007

The Depressive Age: Part II

Todeskult have gained a cult following over recent months for their attempt at depressive black metal. It's clear to see why on the evidence of the bands debut full-length, entitled ‘Als die Farben älter wurden…’. It's a classy attack of the senses and driven to despair by the vocal style of Neideck which comes in the form of typical ghastly shrieks. Taken directly from a land only known by the most negative of human emotions, Todeskult’s monotonous record serves its listeners a slice of charm in the clean style which is perhaps similar to the likes of fellow German band Nyktalgia, without being as influential on the modern day scene or as memorable. Initially, I didn’t think of Todeskult as being a conventional band, but they most certainly are. Neideck and his other projects, such as Todessehnsucht, have forced me to change my mind on his projects, including this one, as they are all adhering to certain formulas and contexts within the depressive scene that make them sound rather stereotypical, though this isn’t necessarily a negative thing. The majority of the best bands in this sub-genre have ties to one another and, in essence, play a similarly styled music branch that isn’t meant to inspire thoughts of complex experimentation, though individuality can still exist in abundance.

These bands usually take influence from the second wave, from the obvious Burzum reference which EVERYONE seems to make whenever they're reviewing a band of the depressive arts, to modern day comparisons to bands like Sterbend with which Todeskult sound especially similar to, most notably in terms of the general guitar sound and role of the drums within the structures. The drums are particularly repetitive. They rarely ever deviate from the standards of a depressive band. Very monotonous, very repetitious. During the slower sections, the percussion does begin to take full affect of the calmer environment, but these sections are sparsely and delicately placed within each song, generally hidden beneath a clutter of distortion and ill feeling from the vocals of Neideck. His role is particularly important to Todeskult as he is center stage for long periods of time and is the main ingredient in the sour meal that Todeskult serve up. Perhaps it is unfair to label Todeskult as a tribute to their noteworthy influences, especially as the sophomore effort differs from this one, but there is a feeling within me that the majority of people who come across this band will simply see them as a clone of the second wave.

However, given the qualities that are indeed implemented into the song writing and production, Todeskult aren’t your average untalented band. Several key elements are however the same as they would be for any other band of this nature, so it’s easy to see why people would come to the conclusion that Todeskult are nothing but a tribute to a dying age. There is one simple aim and here it is: to transform the instruments into weapons that become the embodiment of melancholy and mournful emotions and with the vocals to back this up, Todeskult have a winning formula despite the lack of gloss to the style. Todeskult have successfully managed this ploy, but how effective is it? What sets them apart from all the other depressive bands springing up all over the place? Well, it's simple. Todeskult are actually good at what they do. It really is that simple. Far too often black metal fans have found themselves inundated with depressive black metal bands from straight out of the bedroom. It's tedious sifting through the excess amount of poor bedroom acts and Todeskult provide some relief because they’re actually well produced and take time to consider the importance of song writing.

Todeskult are a class above the rest when it comes to formulaic black metal that relies almost entirely on a repetitive drive. Their sound is professional and clear with an audible bass that will please listeners as repetitious black metal has a habit of neglecting the bass in favour of distortion and the vocal depiction. Although lo-fi production can seem rather fitting, clear production is often a plus when it comes to such highly distorted music as black metal. Not at any stage does one begin to wonder where an instrument has disappeared to due to poor sound quality. Everything is easily distinguishable. From the heavy and paralysing distorted riffs to the sharp sounds of the snapping percussion sections. Nothing needs accounting for as it is all in place rather neatly due to the decent musicianship and the inclusion of a second guitarist to really stamp home the authority. Being as similar as they are to bands like Sterbend, at this juncture in their career, may add up to a deteriorating public opinion.

People are too quickly to tag similar sounding bands as “worship” bands and neglect the idea that a band has every right to make their influences as publicly known as they wish. They are entitled to that. I feel that this is unfair in reference to Todeskult as they have quite clearly put a lot of effort into perfecting a desolate atmospheric sound which really does supply the avid listener with what they came for. This is another important factor that makes Todeskult stand out from all the rest. They take pleasure in divulging into soundscapes that will obviously stir raw emotions in the listener. From the obvious sense of depression, to an overpowering feel of sadness running through the listener like electricity. The vocals are perhaps the most clichéd element of Todeskult. They are by no means original, but they are appropriate. Depth and emotion run through them, positively charging the listener. This simply has to go down as another solid German release from another solid German band.