STEINGRAB „Jahre nach der Pest”

SoundAge Productions, 2018

Music: Atmospheric Black Metal
Website:
https://steingrab.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/Steingrab/
Duration: 45:27 minutes (11 tracks)
Country: Germany

The name of the band means “stone tomb”. STEINGRAB was founded in 2008 in Darmstadt, the city is now a strong scientific center, also well-deserved for culture and art. Band was founded by the multi-instrumentalist – Mahr, which is only member. But only at concerts he uses the help of other musicians. The leader of STEINGRAB is also associated with such the groups as MOROK, ALKARIS and NARGIS. Previously, the Mahr’s project released one demo, two full-time albums and one live.

The graphic design “Jahre nach der Pest” refers to the meaning of the band’s name. The album consists of 12 tracks according to my CD-player, but the penultimate of them is two minutes and twelve seconds of silence, sometimes such solutions are found in Metal bands. The music filling the disc is a climatic, sad, not devoid of aggression Black Metal. Some of tracks contain vocals, some are instrumental, there are also a few intros played on the keys. Not only the album as a whole is varied, but it also applies to individual compositions. In the songs are interwoven fragments sad, depressing, thanks to the keyboards with aggressive, guitar. The music is very intense at times. The vocal is typical for Black Metal style, sometimes desperate, in the piece “Falscher Frühling” a female choir appears in the background. In some tracks, the voltage gradually increases, until huge vehemence with the attack of the automatic bass drum. Others tracks are calmer, with moments when is playing solo of guitar. Th guitar melodies are always sad, though often aggressive at the same time. The short introductions I associate with church music – they use the sounds of the piano and keyboard, they evoke a mood of depression.

Mahr efficiently uses all the instruments, which he uses, including his vocal cords. The production is quite dirty, the guitars are in the foreground, the drums and vocals on the second and the keys on the third. But this is a thoughtful operation, everything fits together. The album as a whole, despite the use of various means of expression, is consistent. Listening to this, I visualize the interior of an abandoned church at night, some lunar light falls through the broken windows, the pews are turned over. On the floor a few candles are burning, though there is no living soul inside. I am not an expert of atmospheric Black Metal, but according to my assessment, the album “Jahre nach der Pest” stands out above mediocrity.

Tracklist:
1. Präludium
2. Dämon
3. Rachewalzer
4. Das trübe Glas
5. Fort von hier
6. Falscher Frühling
7. Der trübe See
8. Mondfinsternis
9. Jahre nach der Pest
10. Walzer toter Zukunft
XII Verlorene Engel

Line-up:
Stephan P.J. Krämer (aka Mahr) – All

Rate: 8.5/10