CD review WOLVENNEST ‘Temple’

Wolvennest hail from Belgium and started their journey in 2015. The first milestone for the band was the release of the debut ‘Void’. This was in 2018 and it’s the new longplayer ‘Temple’ that marks a next and important step for the band.

Wolvennest’s new album is everything but light-hearted. Songs like the slowly growing ‘Alceto’ are like the soundtrack written for a lockdown-period. Slowly but constantly the heavy weights get more and more, challenging what shoulders and mind can handle. With constant repetition, the band creates a vibe that gives goosebumps, spiced up with a melody that swings in a melancholic mode. Still the song has a certain irresistibility you can’t escape from.

Than there is ‘Mantra’, the opener. The songs starts with a sound collage that increases in intensity, transforming into a dark and slowly rolling post-metal beast that bits strongly. The spoken word parts give extra intensity to the song, a musical Maelstrom you can’t escape from.

Ease is certainly not what Wolvennest’s sound stands for. It is more of an occult witchy spirit that comes with this album and it’s the cold breeze in the middle of ‘Mantra’ that makes you chill. There is no easy to digest-song on ‘Temple’. Slo-mo riffs roll over you like a musical steamroller, if you want it or not. In a way a song title like ‘All That Black’ speaks for itself. “I like darkness. Darkness is what is beautiful” is what’s mantra-like repeated, a quote that describes this 77 minutes journey through the grey shades of post rock very well.

Furthermore there is with ‘Succubus’ a song that features TJ Cowgill from King Dude before ‘Disappear’ opens the gate to more diabolic soundscapes, build on heavily downturned guitars and a gothic vibe.

‘Temple’ puts the dark shades into focus that once in while cover the human soul. Heavy in this context means for sure the sound, but it’s also heavy-hearted vibes that build the foundation for each of these eight extraordinary songs. Not more to say here than, enjoy the darkness.