Band: Krvl (Kravaal)
Album: Donkere Paden
Genre: (Post) Black Metal
Country: Belgium
Label: These Hands Melt
Released: 11 October 2024
Introduction
Krvl, a Belgian post black metal band, just released their second full length, Donkere Paden. I’ve heard of the band before, but wasn’t familiar with their actual music. So for me, it was a dive into the unknown.
As said, the band makes post black metal, now truth be told I’m not very fond of all those subgenres and sub labels of black metal, but that’s just me. The press statement said the following about the style of the band:
“Musically, the band is all about atmosphere. With a foundation of traditional 90s and modern black metal, the anonymous band also mixes post-metal, doom and sludge influences.”
That’s a pretty broad range of styles, but what’s also interesting is the fact that it says anonymous band. All we know that it’s a selection of Belgian artists that formed in 2020 with the release of their first single, and then released their first full album in 2022. So as said, it’s time to dive in to the unknown…
Donkere Paden
- De koning van stilte
- Avondrood
- Cadans der droefheid
- Duivelsputten
- De verloren herder
- Zielenrust
- Het onbegrip
A second album, and those that have heard the first album, would probably have an idea what they can expect. But for those like me, that haven’t heard any songs from them before. What can you expect?
Straight off the bat, you can expect a well-made album. All the songs (7 tracks in total with a run time of 41 minutes) are put together with a solid effort, and you can hear that from the start of the album.
The first track, De Koning van Stilte (The King of Silence) starts by setting an eerie mood. And you can just feel the build up it’s creating for when all hell breaks loose. And a bit more than 1 minute into the song, that is precisely what happens. The drums go off and the screams of the singer pierce through your speakers or headphones.
One of the highlights of this album for me are the vocals, I just love this style of screaming, you can feel the agony behind it and that, for me, is just perfect for black metal
On the third track of the album, Cadans der Droefheid (Cadance of Sorrow) you can hear the other influences as described above. The tempo of the song slows down about midway through, and gets into a doom like feel, with an overall post metal vibe being present at times. It does make for a nice break in the barrage of drums and guitars.
And this mix of genres continues throughout the album, it makes for a pleasant listening experience. I also gave it a few spins on my headphones, and that made the album sound more alive in a sense.
Conclusion
So Krvl — Donkere Paden, who should listen to this album? Fans of black metal with a doom/post vibe mixed in should definitely give this a try. To the rest of you all I say, just give this album a shot, it’s well-made, and I have a feeling that behind this band are some well-known members of other Belgian bands.
BMZ Rating: 7,5 – Good: A solid and enjoyable album overall. It boasts strong songwriting and performance quality, delivering a cohesive and satisfying listen.
You can support the band here: https://krvl.bandcamp.com/album/donkere-paden
Your thoughts on: Donkere Paden by Krvl
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