Gespenst - Den Sidste Færd
The second time around I get to review Gespenst, and this is also their second album. The last album I reviewed with them was back in 2018, although it was released in 2016. This second album has been released in 3 formats! Vinyl, CD via a German label called Vendetta Records, and on cassette via Danish label Strange Aeons. About 30+ minutes in total, with 5 tracks on it.
Cool and simple artwork, inviting the listener into a fantasy-inspired netherworld... not that far away from Isengard and Mordor. Nice and nifty-looking print on the cassette, and the inner sleeve even includes a lyric sheet. Again, nice design with a moody and picturesque design.
The first track Dødsfærd (which is also the longest!) starts with a cold wind blowing through the leaves of trees, I could imagine that the daytime would be at nighttime of course. Slow and grinding black-metal guitar work with an epic touch starts the journey, with some cool-sounding drums (instrumental of course!). Kind of black-metal for doom-metal fans so far. I am not 100% sure, is there a synth in the background is it just the reverb of the guitars?. Nevertheless, the track gets more tempo. Why I don´t know, the grind of the slowness worked pretty well. This switch of tempo just sounds as if someone pressed the... well tempo button (FF) on the tape. It´s a matter of taste I know, as for me I have never been much for stuff that has to be fast (for some reason). The good thing is that Gespenst manages to hold the atmosphere through the entire track. I forgot to mention the vocals. Which I like a lot, never been much for the screaming gremlin vocals (that is). Heavy and deep vocals with some extra phlegm in the throat.
The second track Besværgelse works as a kind of atmospheric horror soundtrack/ambient 1-minute intermission before we are submerged into the next guitar-driven track.
The third track Portal is a track without a slow intro but starts with quick tempos. Tempo switch to the slow also happens here. More of a straight black metal track than the first track. Less atmosphere, more action if you ask me.
We change the side of the cassette and sink our teeth into the fourth track called Rejse. Starts with a slow guitar playing, which reminds me of the melody from the first track. Lots of atmospheric stuff going on here, love the part where you can only hear the bass. Starts with a slow tempo, and ends at a quick tempo.
The last track Intethed is something else. Ambient synth-work, depressing guitar-work (Excellent melody) with hints of ghosty human moans here and there. Sort of an ethereal/4AD (Cocteau Twins/Dead Can Dance) feeling here. A good way to end the album.
And that ends Den Sidste Færd (Last journey in English!). A moody and depressing piece of metalized rock music for fans of black metal. Well played, the sound is decent, with cool cover artwork and cool poetical lyrics. I would like it more if the lyrics had a certain conceptual influence on the overall sound of the album. If you don´t actually read the lyrics (which are good)) while listening, it will just sound like beer-chugging rock and roll music. But then again, I am not a huge fan of black metal. I am quite sure that veteran listeners of the genre would dig this album.
