Today we present the first formidable steps of a captivating German band named Stilleklang. What we have for you is a song named “Festen Schrittes” from Stilleklang‘s debut album TrÄnen der Vergangenheit Part 1, which will be jointly released by the Crawling Chaos and Schattenpfade labels on November 29th. It is a multi-faceted fashioning of black metal that’s elegant and poignant as well as harsh and livid.
As for those many facets, Stilleklang is the solo work of one Fabian, but he is accompanied on the album by drummer Marcus Röll (who is also responsible for the album’s wonderful artwork, which beautifully suits the mood of today’s song), known for his work in Herbstlethargie, Gernotshagen, BlutEck, and Eïs, as well as live performances with Firtan, and the wonderfully talented violinist M.
As you’ll learn, the strummed chords in the opening of “Festen Schrittes” are vibrant and seem hopeful, but there’s a feeling of melancholy in the violin melody that joins in with its soulful, quavering tones. The violin remains a striking presence in the song even after the drums begin pounding and a scarring howl announces its savage presence. The guitars scathe like a dense sandstorm, but melodious tones trill like a balalaika. A bright piano melody also rings through the dense clouds of riffage, and takes a solo spotlight to create its own spell, with the violin returning to make a mesmerizing duet.
As the harsh voice and the guitar waves return, the music seems tormented again, and somber spoken words do little to lighten the mood. All the instrumental ingredients combine to create a wondrous sonic tapestry that unfolds like an stirring tragedy. It’s both spellbinding and vivid, both melancholy and yearning, and altogether captivating.
The album was engineered and mixed by Patrick Urban Dämmerfarben, Dystertid, Folkearth, Panopticon, Throndt, Ulfsdalir, Vyre, etc.). For more info about the release and how to acquire it, keep an eye on the locations linked below.
CRAWLING CHAOS:
https://www.thecrawlingchaos-records.de/
https://thecrawlingchaosrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thecrawlingchaosrecords/
SCHATTENPFADE:
https://www.schattenpfade.de/
https://www.facebook.com/schattenpfade
STILLEKLANG:
https://www.facebook.com/Stilleklang