(Prophecy Productions) Total Time: 50:54
Austria’s Dornenreich have been somewhat of an enigma within Black Metal since their 1997 debut “Nicht Um Zu Sterben”, with an unorthodox air of experimentation surrounding each of their releases since. At the core of the band’s sound lies the traditional Black Metal approach, but this is almost shrouded by the amount of external influences present within their music. Eviga, the group’s founder and now sole songwriter, explains that “Durch Den Traum”, their fifth album, “represents the essence of Dornenreich’s music both musically and conceptually.”
This album follows quite fast (scarcely a year) after the previous Dornenreich album 'Hexenwind' and has much in common with its hypnotizing predecessor. One can hear a little bit of a heavier sound, without being able to speak of a return to their original black metal roots. Musically, it can be described as a mixture of post black metal, neo folk and ambient with obvious acoustic origin.
If you’re after a Black Metal album that sounds very much unlike anything that better-known bands are churning out, perhaps more akin to “Filosofem”-era Burzum or early Ulver, you may have found a new hidden gem with Dornenreich. A record for those who like their music a little more challenging than the norm.
