For those people who have never ventured into the discography of Dornenreich before, their albums may come as a surprise to the uneducated ear. Unlike the standard distorted guitars that fill the space of most metal songs, Dornenreich have chosen with Freiheit (Prophecy Promotions) to center round an acoustic topped with long passages teased out on violin. For a band that have forged a career walking so readily on the fringes of metal, this album is perhaps the most distinct departure from anything that really resembles a traditional metal sound. With only one flurry of aggression in ‘Das Licht vertraut der Nacht’, the album keeps a steady pace, focusing instead on including a myriad of folk influences.
Even so, Freiheit does not welcome the listener in easily, the songs draw you in layers of atmosphere but can often seem disjointed and patched together. This album walks the delicate balance between moments of beauty and extreme indecision with melodies punctuated by unexpected moments of silence. It doesn’t quite contain the refinement that bands like Alcest manage, but there is no denying the sheer intensity and emotional energy behind these tracks. Although the musical path may not always be easy to follow this album is more than worth the work for anyone willing to give it a chance.
The past eighteen years may have been nothing short of prolific, but it seems that this will be the last album we see from Dornenreich for some time, with Eviga announcing that their eight-studio album is the end of a journey for the band with no real idea whether they will return. One thing seems certain though, if they do, they are unlikely to be the same beast that departed here.
7/10
CAITLIN SMITH