ALBUM REVIEW: Ausdauer – Bismut
Right in the heart of the Netherlands lies the province of Gelderland, which is home to the city of Nijmegen. It is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, and the first to be recognised during the Roman period. It is the birthplace of many famous historical figures, including Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI (1165–1197), and the home of experimental and genre-bending instrumental heavy psych trio BISMUT. Having exploded onto the scene in 2016 with their mind-bending genre-melding, they have gone from strength to strength. Their third album Ausdauer is musical journey like no other as the Dutch trio delve deeper into their influences.
BISMUT have always had a very eclectic sound, however Ausdauer feels closer to their true selves. It comes off the back of two successful albums for the band – 2018’s Schwerpunkt and 2020’s Retrocausality, the latter being a notable breakthrough. Yet Ausdauer is more exploratory and experimental than both of its predecessors; as BISMUT venture further into their progressive rock, doom, metal, stoner, heavy psych, and classic hard rock influences, the music becomes more and more avant-garde and free flowing than ever before.
Through constantly shifting dynamics, melodies, riffs, atmospheres and textures, Peter Dragt (drums), Huibert der Weduwen (bass) and Nik Linders (guitar) venture into uncharted territory with glee, embracing the unknown with relish. It’s an album that can be considered in one of two ways: organised chaos or genius levels of musical eccentricity. Whichever category you put it into, you have to admire the incredible accuracy with which BISMUT effortlessly hop from one genre to another. Whether it is doom heavy riffs or relaxing psychedelia, this album encompasses something from every part of the rock spectrum.
However, this constant hopping between styles and riffs can also be its downfall. Ausdauer is not an especially easy listen. Compared to its predecessor Retrocausality, the increased complexity and rapid genre-hopping makes the album feel more tense and frantic, and alongside a cleaner production the overall vibe is more clinical, which might lose some people as it lacks the warmth of their earlier records.
Throughout the album, BISMUT lean deeper into their progressive rock influences than anything else, moving away from their layered and intricate psychedelia. While they do incorporate slower and quieter sections, the majority of the album jumps around like a child that has had too many additives. Understandably, you have to keep instrumental music interesting and stimulating, but given that the average song length is around eight minutes, you’re left feeling overstimulated and overwhelmed by the time the album has finished.
With that in mind, you have to give credit to BISMUT where it is due, as it takes an incredible amount of skill to be able to craft constantly changing songs like this. The transitions between the riffs and various movements within each song are expertly done. Each song has its own unique tone and intricate structure that links as snuggly as two lego bricks. However, it can sometimes be quite jarring as they never spend long enough exploring the current musical moment that they’re in, so you’re left with snapshots of what the band have been exploring in the rehearsal room.
The album opens up with Mendalir, a nine-minute sonic exploration that sets the tone for the record with heavy metal chugs and bombarding drums, the latter switching beats and rhythms as if the end of the world was tomorrow. This is followed by 不安 (Fuan), which has a slightly moodier tone. Driven by the drums, it contains flurries of ascending and descending riffs that disorientate you whilst creating an intimidating and imposing atmosphere. Despotisme follows a similar template to 不安 (Fuan) but infuses it with a more bluesy and rocky vibe, going heavier on half time rhythms and steady, heavy riffing.
Masta opens with a jazzy drum introduction and has a strange jaunt to it. The lead guitar lines and bass lines feel like they’re competing with each other for your attention, and it’s in this song that the band venture into quieter territory. Before this, the record is a frantic onslaught of heavier riffs, so to have the more atmospheric quieter sections is a refreshing break at this point in the album. Closer Euphoria is one last all out thrashing of riffs and grooves; the song does have an uplifting quality to it and everything feels more cohesive. It explores the quieter moments of Masta further before finishing with one final flourishing outburst of metallic riffing.
Whilst there is a wealth of songwriting brilliance on display, Ausdauer is in an awkward position of being a highly admirable example of high level creativity yet jarring and overly experimental for what BISMUT are trying to achieve.
Rating: 6/10
Ausdauer is set for release on October 20th via Lay Bare Recordings and Spinda Records.
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