Gespenst/Den sidste færd/Vendetta Records/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Gespenst  are  a  band  from  Denmark  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  dissonant  form  of  black  metal  with  some  elements  of  dark  ambient  and  funeral  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Den  sidste  færd"  which  was  released  by  Vendetta  Records.

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  while  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  All  of  the  instruments  also  have  a very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  keyboards  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  funeral  doom  metal.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  album  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

 Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also h ear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  melodies  also  being  added  into  some  of  the  riffing.  Dissonant  structures  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  riffs,  touches  of  ambient  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  keyboard,  demonic  voices  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  small  amount  of  clean  vocals  are  also  utilized  and  the  recording  also  closes  with  an  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Danish  and  cover  anguish,  nothingness,  spiritual  and  physical  decay  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Gespenst  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  dissonant  black  metal  with  elements  of  dark  ambient  and  funeral  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  " Dødsfærd"  and  "Rejse ".  8  out  of  10.

Den sidste færd | GESPENST | vendetta records (bandcamp.com)      

Gespenst Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

Even though our first release just came out, Gespenst is not really a new entity. Genfærd started out Gespenst as a one-man project around 2008. The goal was to write material using somewhat experimental ideas, while still retaining the feeling of old Scandinavian Black Metal. Later on, Galskab joined Gespenst and these ideas were materialised into complete songs as they appear on our debut LP. Most of the material on Forfald is quite old, up to 8 years to be exact. It has been a long a journey on this dark path, since Genfærd wrote the very first Gespenst riff, the opening riff in Revelation of Maggots, more than 8 years ago.

2.Recently you have released an album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

The essence of our sound is old Scandinavian Black Metal, with a focus on atmosphere and riffs.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

The main lyrical themes are the transcendental journey experienced through death. The effect of time devouring the remains of the long-forgotten dead. The final thoughts echoing away into the darkness, never to be known.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Gespenst'?

Gespenst is an old Danish word meaning ‘ghost’ or ‘phantom’. It was chosen a long time ago to set a frame for the otherworldly lyrical and musical themes expressed in our music.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

We have played two festival shows last year in Denmark with live session musicians to complete the line-up. These were great experiences and the public seemed to be very much into it. Our goal is to recreate the same eerie feelings on stage as those experienced when listening to the album. Cold, otherworldly and dismal.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

Not yet, but we’re definitely open to more concerts and tours if the right offers come up.

7.The album was released through both Duplicate Records and Hellthrasher Productions, are you happy with the support both labels have given you so far?

Duplicate Records were very fast to give us a deal, and we felt they were passionate about the music and we could trust them. We have been very satisfied with all what they’ve done so far. The CD version will be released in cooperation with Hellthrasher Productions, and they’re also very professional, dedicated and supportive. Great labels both of them, highly recommended!

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?

So far, we have had great response from everyone who have heard ‘Forfald’. The first reviews have arrived and they are very positive.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

We have a vault of unused material that we will be exploring. We are heading deeper into the unknown to forge new songs out of old and new material. We are dedicated to this music, this is what we have been playing for many years, and what we want to play, so the next release will be in the same vein for sure.

10.What are some of the band or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Our biggest musical inspirations are from the major Scandinavian acts such as Darkthrone, Burzum, Emperor, Mayhem, Bathory and the likes. Genfærd has also been inspired by newer bands such as Krohm and Nyktalgia, as well as some Funeral Doom bands like Thergothon and Tyranny. At the moment, Genfærd listens to a lot of Necros Christos, the new Inverloch and Black Dawn. Galskab sticks mostly to Black Metal from the 90’s, even though he spins new releases once in a while like the new Altarage and Outre. 

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

We don't want to share this here.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thank you for the interview, very much appreciated! To all of you readers, we hope you will give ‘Forfald’ a listen and get into the same trance as we did when we composed and recorded it.

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Gespenst/Forfald/Duplicate Records/2016 Full Length Review

  Gespenst  are  a  band  from  Denmark  that  plays  black  metal  with  some  touches  of  funeral  doom  and  dark  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Forfald"  which  was  released  by  Duplicate  Records.

  A  very  raw  black  metal  sound  along  with  some  tremolo  picking  starts  off  the  album  before  speeding  up  and  adding  in  blast  beats  as  well  as  some  melodic  riffing  and  high  pitched  screams  and  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  the  music  brings  in  a  lot  of  90's  second  wave  influences.

  Clean  playing  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  elements  of  dark  ambient  and  funeral  doom  can  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  along with  some  synths.

  Some  of  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a more  modern  atmospheric  black  metal  style  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  fashion  and  the  vocals  also  get  very  grim  at  times  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  starts  getting  more  diverse.

  Gespenst  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  both  the  raw  and  atmospheric  sides  of  black  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  elements  of  funeral  doom  and  dark  ambient  to  create  something  very  different,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  Danish  and  English  and  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Gespenst  are  a  very  great  sounding  black  metal  band  with  elements  of  funeral  doom  and  dark  ambient  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Revelation  Of  Maggots"  and  "Life  Drained  to  the  Black  Abyss".  8  out  of  10.

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