Endzeit is a black metal band hailing from
Finland. My knowledge of Finnish black metal (or really black metal as a whole)
is certainly lacking, but it doesn’t take a connoisseur of the style to know
that Endzeit is pretty good at what they do. “Years of Hunger” is the band’s
debut EP, and after opening with a somewhat militaristic drum beat intro, it
kicks off into relentless black metal. From start to finish, it is clear that
Endzeit is quite familiar with what makes for a great black metal release. They
use many of the genre’s trademark elements that are good, while discarding
those that can ruin black metal. To start with, the production is perfect. It
doesn’t sound muffled, unintelligible, or lacking anywhere. On the other hand,
it also isn’t clean. The most important element here is the clarity of the bass
drum, which is particularly prominent as the guitars play higher-pitched
melodies and riffs. Irrespective of whether there are blast beats or not, it
feels like there is always a steady stream of double bass, and this is
something that really adds to “Years of Hunger”. It allows the band to go in a
more atmospheric band, and while one would certainly not accuse Endzeit of
sounding like Burzum or Drudkh, they are nonetheless quite successful in
conjuring a foreboding feeling within their music.
Perhaps a better comparison for Endzeit
would be to the Swedish black metal scene, where melody was king. If you take
the basic elements of Dissection and make it a bit rougher around the edges,
with an increased emphasis on brutality and blast beats, the result would be
Endzeit. Of course, the songwriting isn’t quite as stellar as Dissection’s, but
it is nonetheless impressive. Of the four tracks, three of them primarily deal
in speed and aggression, with “Life?” being the outlier as it is more melodic
(don’t let the blasting intro fool you; the track has plenty of moments that
take a different path). Nonetheless, each song feels quite progressive, as the
band is able to mix things up between the intense moments. In fact, this is one
thing that is fantastic about “Years of Hunger”. Endzeit is not content with
playing the same riff 32 times before switching to the next riff; there is a
lot of movement and variety on this EP, and I have no doubt that if it were a
full-length, it would remain captivating throughout.
The performances on “Years of Hunger” go
above and beyond what one might expect from black metal. Moreso than any other
style of metal, black metal musicians span the range from absolutely awful, to mind-blowingly
good. Endzeit is definitely closer to the latter end of the spectrum. The vocals
are raspy, though they don’t take a croaking approach. The drumming is the
highlight, as it is completely bombastic, and makes full use of everything on
the kit. The guitars, while not particularly technical, are still quite fast
and offer riffs that are relatively unique in nature despite consisting of
mostly tremolo-picking. Surprisingly the bass is audible, though it shines the
most in the aforementioned “Life?” where the rest of the band backs off and
gives their bassist room to breathe.
In one fell swoop, Endzeit has managed to
surpass the vast majority of black metal for me. “Years of Hunger” is a stellar
example of the enormous potential of this style of music. While there is always
room for improvement, this EP is a fantastic start. If you are serious about
black metal, this is a must-hear release!
Highlights
"Hunger"
"Life?"
Final Rating
4.4/5 or 88%.
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