Label: Zwaertgevegt
Date: September 3rd, 2020
It’s been a while since I went down to the low countries. Specifically, the Netherlands. And it’s always a damn shame for me, since I’ve found many a black metal band hailing from the country and well worth the time and attention. So, where do you turn for a dose of Dutch black arts? Zwaertgevegt, of course. Cassette lord of black metal underground in the Netherlands.
De Gevreesde Ziekte is a debuting band, coming from Eindhoven, and that is pretty much it when it comes to formal info about it. Obscurity has long ago become one of the trademarks of the genre, so I’ll just let the music spread the dreaded disease.
Wait a second! Did I mention black metal already? I did? OK, let me just say that there is nothing more to add to the description. No synths, no female vocals, no symphony, no deep philosophy or shoegaze. Plain and simple black metal, of the old Norwegian kind. Place De Gevreesde Ziekte somewhere in between Darkthrone and Immortal. Early works by both, of course. Those cutting Darkthrone riffs and Immortal kind of lead guitar extravaganza. From those comparisons you can easily conclude that the band is going for atmosphere, rather than for some rampaging brutality. However difficult it may be in mid-September, try and imagine snow covered and desolate landscape. With a pinch of melancholia to the taste of it all.
It is further interesting to note that the EP consists of just two tracks, but goes on for over sixteen minutes. However, De Gevreesde Ziekte manages to make the tracks diverse enough not to let them slip into countless repeats, which would then lead into boredom. There is more than enough separate pieces of both tracks to keep the songs dynamic and fairly interesting. Not just because of the above mentioned guitar work. Rhythmical diversity is ever-present, just like an almost acoustic segment in the middle of the self-titled song, ending with a hint of a solo. The tape format might be a nuisance if you opt for a ‘repeat’ button, but I would still suggest you do just that. Giving it longevity really helps “Ω“ get to you completely, even if we’re not talking about any ground breaker here.
What there is to talk about is an honest and decent black metal record. Perhaps suffering from a couple of childhood illnesses, but those are dismissible. Every black metal fan should still get plenty for the money invested. There’s still this feel of little to no production, even if the EP is quite audible. There’s thoughtful approach to music, avoiding almost every mistake made by countless bedroom projects. Last, but not least, there’s the spirit of the golden ‘90s infused deep within “Ω“. Hence, there is no excuse for any real underground freak not to go for this EP. Except if you miss out on one of just 80 copies released. If you do miss it, there’s always a chance to hear it on Bandcamp.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6S3c90EjGfI
