Among the overwhelmingly positive aspects of black metal we can find the deeper lyrical concepts, which sometimes have a philosophical meaning and touch the listeners on an emotional level, leaving a specific intimate aftertaste during the experience of the album. Dutchmen DYSTOPIA have been exploring this territory since their inception in 2005, being among the names for whom wandering among the dark corners of human nature is something fascinating.

Initially starting with more like a  thrash metal sound and experimenting for a while in search of their  essence, after 2012 the band completely plunged into black metal darkness and released a number of albums with its new and far more mature role, still maintaining its affinity to the touching poetry and the well-thought-out compositions, provoking immersion and soaring through distant spaces.

„De verboden diepte I: Veldslag op de rand van de wereld“ is the band’s fourth full-length album, and on the cover we can see a painting by Ronarg (Bloedmaan, Antzaat, Ars Veneficium), perfectly fitting the concept of the album, namely – the apocalyptic  battle at the end of the world in which we witness the fall of man into the cosmic abyss. „De verboden diepte I: Veldslag op de rand van de wereld“ is a work about the forbidden depths – the eternal depths, outside time and  form.

And though it consists of only four pieces, each one is a long epic poem about the darkness that has descended upon the world and the human mind, about inner rebellion and the ancient energy before Christianity and the knowledge that existed long before the human species replaced ancient knowledge with misunderstood ideals.

In the first seconds of ‘Dood van de wachters’ (‘Death of the Watchers’) we are greeted by a cold atmospheric instrumental with traditional black metal blasts, palpable bass and raw vocals, surprisingly followed soon by a more unconventional trumpet sound and  drums, followed by emotionally charged and tortured clean vocals that skillfully breathe life into the poem of escapism in search of the Depth. The track alternates between different atmospheres, with the listener passing through devastating  brutality to calmer and softer atmospheres, through desperate shouts and harsh ocals to atmospheric passages with trumpet or guitar solos that bring a peculiar and inspired feeling.

In the next three tracks, the compositional  skill of the musicians and their  surprises in the dynamics are preserved, as the listener witnesses both even more intense and harsh parts, as well as short thrash references, choral chants, ethereal voices and completely epic and majestic atmospheres, calm passages with beautiful solos and emotional whirlwinds. All this makes the work impactful and interesting to follow, as you can experience it as a performance telling  a fascinating story about the return of our protagonist to the hidden depths.

„De verboden diepte I: Veldslag op de rand van de wereld“ is an unconventional black metal album that combines a number of different elements and may prove to be a pleasant surprise for  fans of the genre with a bit more broad-minded view. The atmosphere and all the energy put into the record is definetely worth experiencing and immerse the listener into a beautiful and dynamic epic story that you will most likely adore to delve in.

Come and experience the premiere of the album tonight:

Album: „De verboden diepte I: Veldslag op de rand van de wereld“
Band: DYSTOPIA
Release Date: April 26th, 2024
Label: Immortal Frost Productions
Pre-order: https://bit.ly/3Oz0rAD.