Endlichkeit – I-II
Across the heights and amongst the depths, like it or not, we will fall or rise again into some semblance of balance. The path taken to that purgatory – a numbness, a safety we subconsciously strive for – is surrounded on all sides by flora whose color drains more and more as we near our inevitable center, and by fauna whose fight to persevere dissolves into surrender with every step forward. Here, in this world between the harsh and beautiful, you will find the sounds that fire the songs of Endlichkeit. I-II, a cassette released by the mighty Fallen Empire, contains a litany of layers as impenetrable as the unconscious mind of its listener, as its army of guitar tracks work together as one with a low-mixed, but present and relentless percussion to shut down whatever neuroses haunt you at this moment, here and now, allowing you to disperse your body of stress into Endlichkeit’s distortion-driven cloud, one glimmering with the pale twilight of melody and anti-melody. The tangible world will dissipate, you will lose your focus on what does and does not matter, you will become one with sonic composition. Beyond the growing shadows at the edge of your aural periphery you will hear a tortured voice darting out from beyond the vortex, reminding you that yes, you are indeed still listening to black metal music, but a kind of black metal meant to subvert visceral reaction, to negate the senses, to reach nothingness. Endlichkeit’s enemy has a name, and that name is response – and in order to destroy response the band overwhelms its audience with a rogue wave of emotion so dense no emotional high, no emotional low, can hope to escape its erasing power. And in its wake, an intangible bliss remains.
Aside from the information already given you about Endlichkeit and I-II (their debut cassette), I can tell you no more. For a band whose music aids those who experience it in the achievement of emptiness, perhaps any banal listing of facts is inappropriate. If you understand what the purpose of ‘hazy’ black metal is or are at the very least interested in finding out what it is, you will click the link below, strap on your headphones and escape. If the answer is no to both, well … perhaps you’re better off seeking out more superficial examples of extreme art anyway. -Jim
Fallen Empire Records
Worm Gear 
Very well written Jim, but don’t you think that last line is a bit condescending? I for one am not very impressed by what I hear, so what does that make me?
The line doesn’t mean ‘if you don’t like *this album* …’, what I’m saying is if you are neither interested in hazy black metal, nor at the very least learning something about it – as an entire subgenre – look for something perhaps easier to get into. At any rate, I almost removed it when editing the review but, since I produced the piece in a stream-of-consciousness way, I left it alone.
Also, thanks for saying it’s well-written. And for mentioning Dodsferd! Finally, someone else I ‘know’ has heard them \m/
Keep the stream-of-consciousness flowing (mine suddenly flows towards a certain Dismember album ;-)), it makes for entertaining reviews. The easy/superficial tag didn’t sit well with me but as you explain it I respect you leaving the review intact as a whole. Explain, but never compromise eh!
Hell yes! Dodsferd kick ass! I totally dig the way they inject their hateful black metal with both punky rock’n roll (the rhythms, the leads) and doomy ambiance. Combined with the varied vocals it gives the music a less rigorous and grim and more organic feel, while it’s still undoubtedly very much fucking black metal. Another great discovery from the mighty Moribund Cult armory.
‘Suicide And The Rest Of Your Kind Will Follow!’ Hilarious title, amazing music. Greek BM does it again!
Wrath indeed doesn’t seem to be very fond of humankind or “Hypocritic Shitfuckers Still Breathing” as he prefers to call us…