With the release of Zeitzeuge, the latest full-length from TOTAL NEGATION officially available to the public today, New Noise Magazine is offering up the depressive blackened doom epic in its misery-making entirety.
Led by the deranged sonic conjurings of chief sound manipulator Wiedergaenger, Zeitzeuge marks the third full-length from a project made of menacing tones and deranged German storytelling. Cold, dismal and atmospherically diseased, with Zeitzeuge TOTAL NEGATION merges the principals of primeval black metal, doom and Krautrock into a sound that’s lush, mystifying, and harrowingly apocalyptic.
The underground gem has been harvesting the love of adventurous critics both stateside and abroad with Echoes And Dust noting, “…Wiedergaenger has crafted something so original with Zeitzeuge, the album literally sounds like a sci-fi soundtrack. When the final words scream out in agonized fashion, you’ll tear your shirt off in similar acrimony. Listen to this if you like modern black metal that evolves the genre instead of cluttering it up with copycat music.” Cosmos Gaming expounds, “Zeitzeuge is built upon mid-tempo and fast paced black metal mixed with slower doomier riffs, over which sprawling melodies are placed. It’s the type of sound that immediately grabs your attention, as the icy waves of black metal and density of doom are intact but the melodic leads don’t necessarily fall into that stereotypical ‘atmospheric’ sound. Instead, there’s a murkier psychedelic feel to many of the leads, and that’s just from the guitars. Once the vibraphone takes over on some of the later tracks the textures continue to expand outwards and TOTAL NEGATION has a sound that’s melancholic, introspective, and otherworldly all in the course of the same song.” Adds Black Metal And Brews thoughtfully, “Black metal often feels like something strong, carved from stone or steel, possibly even a triumphant or battle-ready genre, yet TOTAL NEGATION‘s compositions on Zeitzeuge lean towards a spectral and wispy presence. The songs themselves are well rounded and full in production, yet it’s the growing sense of alienation and isolation throughout the album’s course that lead the listener to place it almost outside of one’s sonic periphery. The current of pain runs deep here, yet the progressive leanings of the artist allow each song to explore its depths and meanings instead of being bland landscapes of misery like so many other albums with negative fixations. From the shockingly human vocals to the perfect fusion of black metal and meandering krautrock, this is an experience that refuses to be pigeonholed yet becomes increasingly familiar and poignant with each listen.”
Witness the isolating sounds of Zeitzeuge, courtesy of New Noise Magazine, at THIS LOCATION.
Zeitzeuge follows 2013’s universally applauded Zur Späten Stunde | Zeiträume creation and relays the story of a contemporary witness, who breaks under the pressure of controlling the life and death of others. With the integration of instruments like the melodica and the vibraphone, the record preserves the icy, disconcerting elements of its predecessor while allowing for more breathing room and breadth within its compositions.
Zeitzeuge is out TODAY via Temple Of Torturous. Order your copy at THIS LOCATION.
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