Finsternis is an American band that plays midpaced, sludgy black/doom metal. I believe this is their first demo.

Finsternis take a rather rare approach to black metal - long, slow, bass-heavy, hook-laden songs. The guitar here is excellent, especially the delicate work during some of the breakdowns. The bass is also noteworthy, since most black metal bands ignore this instrument completely. Finsternis' bass lines remind me of early Barathrum in complexity and originality, no small compliment for any band! The vocals are an understandable snarl, more or less doom metal style in execution. The occasional samples are well-placed, and make an interesting counterpoint to the music.

There are three songs on this album, the shortest being a bit over seven minutes in length. The band pulls off such epic length songs quite easily. The songs contain a lot of variety, as each of them explores several different moods and tempos. The intelligible, clever vocals, memorable guitar and bass lines, and almost ritual tempo of the music suggest that you'll have these songs stuck in your head for days after listening. "The Journey" is a particularly impressive song, as both the music and lyrics come together to tell an archtypical tale of a band of wanderers far from home.

This is definitely one of the most unique demos I've heard in a while - this band sounds like very little I've heard, and that alone would make it worth seeking out. Add in the sheer quality of the music, and this becomes a must-have. Judging by the demo, their first album should be interesting indeed...

Standout tracks: "The Journey", "In the Halls of the Wicked"

© 2002 vorfeed