Band:	Nocte Obducta
Album:	Karwoche (Die Sonne Der Toten Pulsiert)
Style:	Avantgarde black metal
Release date:	August 2023

01. Sonne Der Toten
02. Drei Gemeuchelte Sommer
03. Karwoche
04. Birkenpech
05. Blutmond Nemesis
06. Conamara Chaos
07. Balder
08. Schwarzbier Und Feigen

Karwoche marks another chapter in Nocte Obducta's three-decade-long journey. This time around, they opt for a mix of straightforward riffing, melodic interludes, and grand atmospheres, although the latter is clearly their strong suit.

Nocte Obducta are one of the oldest German black metal bands, tracing back their beginnings to 1993 (back then under the name Desîhra). Over the past 30 years, the group around Marcel Breuer, Torsten Hirsch, and Matthias Rodig have delivered atmospheric releases of highest quality, while continuously evolving their style. For instance, their 2002 album Galgendämmerung demonstrated a sound that I'd describe as a mix of Burzum, Summoning, and Falkenbach with mesmerizing ambience, sinister tremolo-picking, haunting synths, and furious drumming. Backed by symphonic instrumentation, the vocals — akin to the rasping cries of an ancient frost giant — delivered poetic German lyrics. In fact, the elegant texts about nature, depression, and the mysteries of the night have remained a constant trademark throughout their discography. Next, their pair of Nektar albums saw a change in the instrumental style, choosing a more unique and progressive approach. All the while, their music stayed extremely melodic, crafting grand, magical experiences reminiscent of Vinterland. Still later in their career, albums like 2013's Umbriel adopted a more avant-garde flair, creating a psychedelic and cosmic aura with a foundation of ambient keyboard playing and groovy riffs. The use of clean vocals also became more prominent on these later albums.

That long introduction brings us to the present day with Nocte Obducta's 14th release: Karwoche. A brief etymological side note: While in several languages such as English, Italian, French, and Dutch, the week before Easter is referred to as the "Holy Week", Germans call it "Karwoche", where "kar" means "sorrow", "care", or "concern". Likewise, the album Karwoche is filled with palpable melancholy and an uneasy, foreboding feeling.

The musical direction in Karwoche is a bit difficult to explain, to be honest. In a way, it sounds similar to its immediate predecessor Irrlicht, in that it mixes more straightforward black metal with some atmospheric parts. Since they are celebrating their 30th anniversary, the band have stated that this record is intended to harken back to their earliest musical approaches. While this is somewhat true as progressive and avant-garde traits are virtually absent, there are not enough symphonic elements to match their first albums. Overall, I'd describe the music as a blending of melodic and atmospheric black metal, as there are instances of very catchy tremolo-picking that are contrasted by longer, slower sections.

For me, the main issue on this album is the snarling vocal delivery, which not only sounds lacklustre and rather one-dimensional, but also feels somewhat suppressed in the production. Turning to the positive aspects, Nocte Obducta have certainly succeeded in the sinister riff department, as evidenced in the intro of the first track. They are also capable of nice, sombre melodies such as the guitar-work at the 1:20-minute mark of the second track. Karwoche's songwriting sure isn't boring, as the tracklist provides a great variety in song tempos. The first two tracks are played at a pretty consistently fast pace, while "Karwoche" goes for a more mid-tempo and groovy approach. "Birkenpech" is largely slow and contemplative, indulging in a great atmosphere, before transitioning suddenly to the wild tracks 5 and 6. The album closes with "Balder" and "Schwarzbier und Feigen", which, together with "Birkenpech", are the longest songs on the album. While the atmosphere on these three songs doesn't reach the grandiose and awe-inspiring heights of the Nektar and Umbriel albums, I find that they are the highlights of Karwoche, by far.

In fact, listening to "Birkenpech", "Balder", and "Schwarzbier und Feigen" makes me realize that, while I do appreciate fun and fast black metal (such as on "Blutmond Nemesis" or the crazed "Conamara Chaos"), Nocte Obducta's strengths clearly lie in their ability to create impressive and eerie aural atmospheres. In these slower songs, one can truly appreciate how all instruments — from the off-kilter guitar melodies to the hypnotic synths — subtly contribute to the whole experience. Even the vocals are improved as the slow, drawn-out snarling of poetic lyrics should send a chill down the spines of even those listeners who can't understand the language. Although it seems nearly impossible to top their ambient masterpieces of the past, I believe they would benefit from focusing on that atmospheric musical direction, rather than pursuing a mixed bag of black metal styles.