Die progressiven, avantgardistischen Black Metal Experimentalisten DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT (Season Of Mist) haben nie aufgehört, die Grenzen des Genres zu durchbrechen, das sie seit ihrer Gründung Anfang 2009 ihr zu Hause nennen.
ANGSTSKRÍG (Despotz Records) from Denmark, is a blackened force that claws at your very soul, an intense, swirling mass of energy emanating from your speakers. Like the coming of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, heralding the end of the world—except there are only two of them, and they hail from Denmark.
Der Weg einer Freiheit
Nikita Kamprad gründete DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT, um seiner Liebe zum Black Metal sowie dem Streben nach Befreiung durch die Kunst Ausdruck zu verleihen – ein Gedanke, der sich im Namen der Band wiederfindet. 12 Jahre später wird Kamprad immer noch von dem Wunsch beseelt, diesen Gedanken zu verkörpern. Gemeinsam mit Schlagzeuger Tobias Schuler, Bassist Nicolas Ziska und Gitarrist Nicolas Rausch wuchs DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT mehr und mehr zu einer festen Einheit. Dies ermöglichte Kamprad, während des gesamten kreativen Entstehungsprozesses des neuen Albums gewohnte Pfade zu verlassen.
Doch nicht nur die Band hat sich mit ihrem fünften Album „Noktvrn“ an Neues herangewagt, vor allem auch ihre Fans werden diesen neuen Geist zu hören und vor allem zu spüren bekommen: „Noktvrn“, das sind 7 Songs, die allesamt den Charakter der frühen Morgenstunden in sich tragen, in denen sie verfasst wurden. Songs, die gemeinsam von der Band live im Studio eingespielt wurden und dennoch nicht die klangliche Ausgereiftheit eines Studioalbums vermissen lassen. Von Blastbeats angetriebene, garstig atmosphärische Arrangements, die von pulsierend warmen Synths umwoben und von emotional aufgeladenem Gesang durchdrungen werden. Vergangenheit, die auf Zukunft trifft.
Nun endlich kann DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT das neue Album auch auf die Bühne bringen. Mit „Noktvrn“ erwartet die Fans ein Leuchtfeuer, Mut und Risiko, die Geburt einer neuen Ära. DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT erfindet sich neu – und bleibt sich dabei treu.
ANGSTSKRÍG
Danish black metal duo ANGSTSKRÍG returns with its sophomore album ‘Angstkrig’ (Danish for ‘anxiety war’) following up on the 2021 debut album ‘Skyggespil’. ‘Angstkrig’ was created during the pandemic and completed as the world re-opened. This has made its mark on the album’s seven black metallic, genre-fusioning and uncompromising songs, which revolves around and confronts the modern world’s inhuman pressure on the human.
The story about ANGSTSKRÍG took its beginning towards the end of the previous millennium. From a young age the duo were taken under the wing of a common mentor, by whose guidance they taught themselves how to play, write and perform. Here, their urge to create, their artistic curiosity and wealth of ideas as well as the need to challenge boundaries and convictions was founded. And the duo’s common musical journey began.
Although circumstances and choices separated the two and took them down diverging paths - one pursued the road of knowledge, the other a path of entertainment - they never lost touch, and the idea to reunite remained. So after a decade of gaining invaluable individual experiences, life was taking new dramatic turns and the time was right to reunite as the two Blackened Brothers in ANGSTSKRÍG.
The two Blackened Brothers formed ANGSTSKRÍG in 2019. Intoxicated by inspiration, they quickly wrote the material for the debut album ‘Skyggespil’ (Danish for ‘shadow play’), which was recorded with producer Frederik Brandt Jakobsen, just as a pandemic world locked down. ‘Skyggespil’ was released in 2021, and the duo remained obscure, while the album’s convincing songwriting and unique Nordic tone made the rumours of ANGSTSKRÍG spread widely.
ANGSTSKRÍG’s new album ‘Angstkrig’ took shape in the final days of the pandemic, where the band found a big source of creativity in the free space of the lock down. But as society reopened, everyday life with its many commitments hit, and the mental challenges increased, as the world once again came up to speed. Both music and lyrics were written in and by a mind under pressure. The writing process was a fight in itself, a war and a concrete manifestation of the album’s lyrical focus: The modern world’s inhuman pressure upon the humans.
‘Angstkrig’ is basically about the strain, which the contemporary world inflicts on humans and the mental consequences this pressure has for many - as well as the pragmatic need to resist and handle this pressure, which arises. The songs are examples of situations where the pressure sets in and mental breakdowns occur. For example are the songs ’Luk Dine Øjne’ (‘Close Your Eyes’) og ’Uro’ (‘Unrest’) two very personal stories, where the latter is a compositorial attempt at capturing the essence of an anxiety attack.
Since the inception, ANGSTSKRÍG’s vision has been to create music that challenges both themselves and the listener. “No comfort zone” is the underlying principle, and the aim is to convey thinking and challenge convictions. Thus taking part in creating a basis for a better world. There are no taboos for the band, only those meant to be broken - like the one surrounding mental health - and what better music to express the discomfort of uncertainty than metal?
‘Angstkrig’ encloses the listener in a great sounding darkness which draws especially from both Norwegian black, Swedish melody, Danish groove and Icelandic melancholy. The music is riff based and conveys a solemn vibe spreading throughout the band’s genre fusioning music that carries black metal as the main musical characteristic. The album features guest appearances by the solo guitarists Mendel (ex-Aborted), Nils Courbaron (Sirenia) and Carl Mörner Ringström, while Danish rapper Jøden delivers a heavy, well-delivered verbal performance. ‘Angstkrig’ is recorded, mixed and mastered by Frederik Brandt Jakobsen in Hikikomori Studio, the artwork is created by NMAAR, and the album is released March 31st 2023 through Despotz Records.
* Ermäßigter Eintritt an der Abendkasse für Schüler*innen, Student*innen, Sozialhilfeempfänger*innen.
* Reduced admission at the box office for students and welfare recipients.
