EP REVIEW: Die Letzte Aller Antworten – Brannthorde
BRANNTHORDE are a band that clearly plan and execute their musical ideas with extreme care and thought, especially with regards to their music. Since their formation in 2012, they have released an EP, Radix, which was followed in 2015 by their debut full length, Auf Teufel komm raus, which was made up of several short, snappy and to the point tracks, followed by a single, sprawling offering to close it out. Clearly, BRANNTHORDE likes to experiment with various styles and approaches to music, as evidenced on their latest EP, Die Letze Aller Wahrheiten, their first new record in nearly four years, which is a fleeting but fantastic slab of sharp, melodic black metal with some underlying punk and hardcore influences that builds upon the sound laid down on their debut records, refining their sound even further and making some incredibly lean, aggressive black metal.
Die Letze Aller Wahrheiten is a strong opening effort, with razor sharp, piercing guitar lines with a slight discordance to them being the focal point of the song, providing the song with plenty of vicious, melody tinged black metal riffs which are in equal parts fierce and precise, with a a dirty sound and a tight production. The drums set a thunderous pace in the background, ranging from authoritative, steady beats to far more chaotic, ferocious moments with plenty of intricacy in between, which helps to add depth and focus to the overall sound. The vocals soar over the top of all this, giving a shrill and caustic quality to the sound, complementing the guitars extremely well. It’s a fast, acidic and rabid opening effort with some slight finesse that manages to help the band straddle the line between raw aggression and polished prowess.
Gierig Fur Immer is a much more energetic, frenetic and even up beat song, having more in common with a solid post hardcore band than a black metal act. The vocals set a visceral edge against the more powerful approach of the guitars and drums. The drumming is far more cacophonous than on the last track, possessing a feral and frantic speed and pattern, without ever fully going off the rails completely, injecting plenty of life and venom into the sound. As previously mentioned, the guitars make use of faster, major chords, which gives this song a more uplifting feel, whilst not stripping away the density or jarring quality of the previous track. It’s a great track that slowly but surely builds to a far more assertive and crushing sound than the one that opened this song, and brings this brief yet brilliant record to a close on an incredibly high note.
Although Die Letzte Aller Antworten may only be a short, sharp shock of an EP, running at just under ten minutes in length, it nonetheless leaves an impression. Making use of a variety of guitar playing styles, tempos and a bestial undercurrent, it’s a record that manages to have a dark and dense sound, with just the right amount of production quality to make sure that it sounds impeccable without sacrificing any of its underlying grit and ferocity. Likewise, the way the music is approached is firmly rooted in an old school sound, whilst being informed by more modern, and even somewhat progressive, tendencies. It’s a very worthy successor to BRANNTHORDE‘s excellent debut record, and showcases a far more focused and driven sound, which will hopefully be a precursor to some great music to come down the road.
Rating: 8/10
Die Letzte Aller Antworten is out now via ASTAT Entertainment.
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