ALBUM REVIEW: Pelgrimsoord – Ossaert
OSSAERT are quickly establishing themselves as one of the more interesting acts to appear within the already insanely good black metal scene in the Netherlands. The one man outfit only formed in 2019, and with their debut album Bedehuis managed to turn many heads with their beautifully bellicose and opaque take on black metal, which combines caustic hooks with haunting vocal deliveries, quickly garnering a sizeable following within the underground. Their latest record, Pelgrimsoord, if anything, doubles down on the foundations laid down on their debut, resulting in what is arguably one of the best raw black metal records of the year so far.
De Geest En De Vervoering starts proceedings off with a haunting intro that creates a solid atmosphere straight away, before launching into the song proper, a murky and oppressively claustrophobic slab of black metal with grating guitars, arid howls and tight drumming with a fantastic rumbling bass underpinning the more acidic parts of the music. This song has some brilliant, cacophonous moments, as well as decidedly more focused ones, driven by sharp leads and ominous, chanting vocals that contrast well with the rabid snarls that dominate much of this track.
De Val En De Beroering retains the chunky bass sound, with equally groove-laden guitars and precise drumming all building a huge, impenetrable sound that immediately draws the listener in. The denser musical approach is counterpointed with shrill vocals which carve through the mix like a rusty blade, with some more of those excellent, soaring clean sections peppered throughout for good measure. It has plenty of the darker components that made the first track so impressive, but couples them with an energetic pace and varied musicianship, raising the already high benchmark even further.
De Nacht En De Verdwijning has a massive sound, with vast, grating guitars and primal drumming, along with the as always caustic vocals and chaotic passages, that all serve to lend this particular offering an anarchic and dizzying edge that, when you add a sepulchral production to it, proves to be one of the more monstrous and frenetic pieces of music on the album. A few, slicker guitar lines and at times sonorous vocals provide brief breaks in what is, for the most part, an unrelentingly fierce affair, and these little shards of light in the musical void only illustrate just how savage the rest of the music truly is.
De Dag En De Verschijning is ever so slightly more acerbic, with tar thick, sludgy bass hooks and a coarser guitar sound which do a great job of creating a noisy and feral track that could set even the most ardent black metal fans teeth on edge. This sort of unhinged, aggressive black metal is perfectly suited to the rawer production, with both the sound and the style matching up extremely well for what is easily the most nauseating and atonal offering on the album. This is OSSAERT at its most animated and its most demented, working exceptionally well and proving to be a fittingly bleak and domineering swansong for the album.
Whilst Bedehuis was certainly an impressive debut, and showed a lot of the hallmarks of what would become trademarks within the band’s sound, Pelgrimsoord showcases OSSAERT effectively mastering their sound and style. Many bands often start out with an aggressive and unpolished sound, with the production gradually becoming cleaner and the music punchier with each subsequent release.
OSSAERT appear to be doing the reverse. This is by no means a bad thing; black metal is often at its best when it sounds raw and the music is incredibly atonal, this band included. The darker, murkier production quality on here oftentimes makes the music even better, taking the many strengths of their debut and playing to them, whilst veering towards more visceral musicianship to further distinguish this band from the vast majority of similar acts. If the progression between Bedehuis and Pelgrimsoord is anything to go by, whatever OSSAERT concocts next could very well be something truly exceptional.
Rating: 8/10
Pelgrimsoord is out now via Argento Records.
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