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ALBUM REVIEW
- Faulnis - Gehirn Zwischen Wahn und
Sinn
- Karge Welten Kunstverlag
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- Germany’s Faulnis have been
muddying the waters of depressive black metal for some time now, with a number of demos
and a debut full-length, “Cholerik: Eine
Aufarbeitung”, already tucked under their belts. Being neither Scandinavian nor
North American, Faulnis don’t particularly feel the need to fit into any prevailing
suicidal trend, which is often to their benefit; “Gehirn
Zwischen Wahn und Sinn” paves its own ominous, repetitive, doomy, thoughtful way,
at times attacking with the rabidity of punk, at others adopting a progressive beauty that
transcends black metal entirely.
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- “MorgenGrauen”
kicks off proceedings with a driving, dark, simple yet well-penned black metal riff,
overlaid with a rather haunting, attention-grabbing lead that lingers in the mind for a
long time after. Seuche’s shouty vocals remind us that this isn’t an album about
feeling sorry for oneself; it’s an insistent, creepy assault, or as the band put it,
“an unrequested guest”. “Angstzustand”
mixes up a clean guitar layer with a stomping main riff, set off by another hypnotic,
atmospheric lead. “Weisse Wande” is
another standout, with an excellent, gnarly guitar tone, and a swirling, rich, progressive
aura later on. Faulnis do well at mixing the grand and beautiful with the ugly and
uncomfortable, and also at upsetting expectations – while you may think you know
where they are going with a never-ending loop of loose leads or driving riffage, the
carpet can always be whipped from under your feet with a dramatic collapse into ambience.
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- Though this often counts in the
band’s favour, there are often a few moments on “Gehirn
Zwischen…” that seem dangerously unfocused. Mixing up influences and
directions is all well and good, but it doesn’t need to be done over the space of one
song. Sometimes the planned collapses actually cut off the band’s momentum, as in the
rather pointless break during “Kopfkrieg”,
which chokes off seemingly before it’s really ready to do so. Faulnis have got
repetitiveness entirely right – their frightening, reverberating creations set a
perfect mood of depression and fear. Still, it seems that there’s some way to go in
coming up with sections that will contrast with the depressive parts without leading us
all down a confusing garden path.
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- Faulnis certainly have a lot to add
to the depressive black metal subgenre; they are uninhibited creators of unsettling aural
spaces, bold with their ingredients, structures and unpredictable influences. “Gehirn Zwischen Wahn und Sinn” may be
difficult to follow at times, but one does get the impression that misdirection is all
part of the fiendish game with this act. I’m sure many fans of the dark, eerie and
downright weird will find much to enjoy here.
- 69/100
- Ellen Simpson
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- www.myspace.com/sickblackart
- www.sickblackart.de
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