Band:	Urfaust
Album:	Verräterischer, Nichtswürdiger Geist
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	March 2005

01. Dunkel, Still Von Ewigkeit
02. Ragnarök Mystiker
03. Gespinnst Des Verderbens
04. Trauerhöhle
05. Verflucht Das Blenden Der Erscheinung
06. Der Gottesverächter
07. In Den Weiten Öden Räumen

A few weeks ago, out of my inherent love for the genre, I began browsing around on Youtube for more black metal bands to discover. There were a few standouts here and there, but most were just sticking to that raw, "trve kvlt" sound of the early Scandinavian scene. So, tired of hearing all these modern Darkthrone and Burzum imitators, I was about ready to give up my search for something original altogether, when I saw a band called Urfaust on my recommended videos list. I decided to check them out, just for the hell of it, thinking almost immediately that they were yet another band emulating the early 90s black metal sound. Boy was I in for a pleasant surprise.

What makes Verräterischer, Nichtswürdiger Geist (if not all of Urfaust's discography) truly interesting is the beautiful blending of black metal with a dark orchestral undertone. The album kicks off with "Dunkel, still von Ewigkeit," and right away, like being plunged into a nightmare, the eerie, atmospheric nature of the music grabs hold of you and doesn't let go. The point around 7:40 into said track actually sounds like the sort of music you'd expect to hear if all of a sudden you turned around to see a phantom behind you! This dark, ethereal vibe is only further developed on the album's other two instrumentals: "Trauerhöhle," and the closer, "In den weiten öden Räumen." Yet this isn't all there is to the album's sound, and the balance between this macabre atmosphere and the traditional gritty, black metal sound of the other four tracks is maintained quite nicely.

And if the haunting atmosphere of the music isn't enough, there are also the vocals, which skate a very delicate line between a black metal style, a clean style, and sometimes even a strange combination of the two (the latter part of the third track, "Gespinnst des Verderbens" being a fine example of this interesting fusion). The fact that the lyrics aren't sung in English also helps to create a sense of the band attempting to re-create sounds of their native land, and it certainly adds to the sense of the music's mystique: that there is something Urfaust is creating through their music that only a select few would fully comprehend, and this secretive aura fits almost perfectly with the overall vibe the music creates.

To put it simply, Urfaust are definitely one of the more boldly experimental black metal bands in the scene these days, and Verräterischer, Nichtswürdiger Geist is an excellent testament to this. Fans of symphonic black metal will most likely enjoy it, although it should be noted that Urfaust aren't symphonic in the sense of, say, Emperor or Dimmu Borgir? moreso in an orchestral, almost dark ambient sense. This band shows an obvious influenced from dark classical composers, such as Wagner or Mussorgsky, in their overall sound, and this indeed separates them from the rest of the black metal pack. There are many bands in metal that claim to be classically-influenced, but so few actually emulate said influence as blatantly as do Urfaust. I haven't explored the rest of their discography much, but Verräterischer, Nichtswürdiger Geist is a definite gem from a band that seriously deserves much more attention for the distinct atmosphere they manage to create with their music.