ALBUM REVIEW: Ôfstân – Kjeld

Following in a long lineage of black metal bands interested in exploring ideas of homeland and identity, KJELD proudly define themselves as ‘Frisian Black Metal’. An ethnic group indigenous to the Netherlands and North German coastline, the Frisians possess their own language, myths, stories and culture, which KJELD draw from as a base for their music and thematics. Their lyrics are entirely performed in Frisian, meaning they’ll be indecipherable to most, however the way they’re staged atop the grand song craft allows the listener to wrap their own meaning onto them, provided they have a predisposition to the sensibilities of black metal. Epic, ancient storytelling is bound into the genre’s DNA, and KJELD cleverly tap into this rich vein.

In regards to this aesthetic choice, Ôfstân calls to mind last year’s Sagrada Tierra Del Jaguar by YAOTL MICHTLAN, as well as last month’s Ultimal Rage by NANSARUNAI. Those albums were smart reclamations of lost cultural identities, decorated with native instrumentation and lyrics concerned with tales of ancient Mesoamerica and Indonesia. While Ôfstân doesn’t possess the same striking individuality or anti-colonial moral drive, its atmosphere and music provides a similar sense of spatio-temporal locality. The icy guitars, vulpine vocals and resplendent synths give Ôfstân a truly cold, Northern European feel, as if traversing a choppy, grey sea or hunting in a wet Germanic forest. The production here is sharper and cleaner than their excellent debut Skym, which, rather than hamper the savage tone of the album, simply increases this elemental and visceral feel.

Musically, Ôfstân is focused as equally on atmosphere as it is on linear, second wave black metal savagery. The track times vary from the three and half minute album highlight De Lensume Widner to the ambitious, eight minute Laske Doop, however every track is dense and packed full of unpredictable song structures. The instrumentation of Ôfstân is also particularly varied and highly technically-accomplished. There’s a recurring use of chiming guitars that are put to especially good use on Asbran and De Lensume Widner, sounding like an intriguing combination of DEATHSPELL OMEGA and MASTODON. These balance out the intense majesty of the ferocious blasts, tremolo guitars and filthy vocals, and give Ôfstân an edge to its musicality, allowing it to stand out above the pack of similarly-savage black metal bands.

A really strong, concise and well-plotted album, Ôfstân marries a deeply-felt aesthetic sensibility with musicality that recalls the finest of the many different sub-genres of black metal. You can hear shades of the chilly veneer of early BORKNAGAR, the underrated WINDIR, the nuanced musicality of BLAZE OF PERDITION or the sweeping beauty of WINTERFYLLETH. Ultimately, however, Ôfstân belongs to KJELD alone. Their journey to the heart of their cultural identity is never anything besides engrossing and intriguing, and will surely find an audience with black metal fans of all persuasions.

Rating: 8/10

Ôfstân is out now via Heidens Hart.

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