ninehertz

This was a nice find, an unusual and unsettling doom band from Haarlem in the Netherlands, citing Ufomammut and Sumac as inspirations, and then taking those and going off on their own eccentric and supernatural directions. Afgrond translates into English as Abyss, which is highly appropriate. There are only four songs, all over seven minutes, but doesn't waste anytime - the opener starts as if mid-song, instantly into an overcast, brooding world. It turns into low, creeping anti-ambience - unsettling because of the creaking vocals, almost reminds me of the quieter Oranssi Pazuzu passages, into this dark, disconcerting atmosphere of black metal stained doom and cold industrial streaks.

Here, as throughout, it conjures images of alien worlds, a profound introduction to a band incredibly on their debut - this sounds more like a well established band a few records in and only now feeling comfortable to experiment, and wouldn't be out of place on the roster of their countrymen at Tarturus Records. Vlammendans is dominated by chants that sound like a ceremonial demonic summons, then it lets loose into this warped psychedelic doom rushes that pay heed to the Ufomammut inspiration they state. The combined sounds like a black metal satanic Toner Low, which is a weird thing to even imagine; that monologue carries on for a long period, not your standard intro only, further proof that they disregard the standards of song structures and just make up their own rules, completely surreal and verging on the wonderful.

Maalstroom is the most approachable musically and standardised in format, although only in relation to its song-siblings, an overbearing haunted atmosphere that you can't even call doom due to a fair momentum, whilst the oddball goth mutterings remain. The closing self-titled track prowls with menace and has this gothic feel, almost Paradise Lost-ish for a brief period, but then heavier in this cyclone of guitar and noise. It feels electronic, almost industrial again, changing once more - a quiet, post-metal styled and surprisingly peaceful passage in its middle.

There are a couple of head scratching moments, but for the majority of the album, it makes for a fascinating doom experience. Verdronken Hemelen is different, familiar sounds organised in unfamiliar ways, and that will always be something to investigate and ultimately cherish.