L'Hiver en Deuil: Ter Aarde

Ter Aarde is atmospheric black metal band L'Hiver en Deuil's first release. A seven song EP, Ter Aarde is the culmination of three years of rehearsal including, according to their promotional material, "one of the most unrelenting and severe [winters] in years." The EP relies heavily on the hallmarks of black metal, repeated aggressive riffs, shrieked vocals, and occasional blast beats. The atmospheric aspect is represented well by slow to mid-tempo songs, dreamlike textures sprinkled throughout and ethereal guitar, bass and drum passages.

Webster's, the go-to place for all things word related, defines atmospheric as "a surrounding influence or environment." Here in the music universe, we tend to focus on the pastoral and spacey when we consider atmospheric. I've always felt that atmospheric connotes a variety of environs, ranging from rugged and aggressive to peaceful and serene, as well as everything in between. The beauty of Ter Aarde is that through its seven songs the listener is invited along on a hypnotic journey with L'Hiver en Deuil through that unrelenting and severe winter, both the tranquil splendor of a barren wintery landscape and the harsh reality of the lifeless, frigid cold.

What sets Ter Aarde apart is the ease at which L'Hiver en Deuil transition from brutal black metal to atmospheric melodic passages to nearly perfect post-hardcore melancholy, all the while never letting the listener forget they are in a black metal experience. This is a solid release that deserves a spot on the shelf of all discriminating metal heads with an adjacent empty space for the follow-up.

Track Listing
1. Prélude
2. Ocean Black
3. As
4. Gesel
5. Fatum
6. Gekluisterd
7. Outro

Added: November 4th 2013
Reviewer: Eric Marvin
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 2517
Language: english

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