Album Review: Waldgeflüster – Dohoam (AOP Records)

Emotional, profound and naturalistic German black metal Waldgeflüster will release their 6th full length record called ‘Dahoam’ on September 24th, 2021 via AOP Records.

10 years after the last concept album ‘Femundsmarka’, which dealt with the insights one can find while traveling abroad in the nature, Dahoam will be its mental follow up and deal with the different aspects of home. Written and sung completely in Bavarian dialect, it marks a search for the soul of this place called home.

There are few bands capable of crafting such deep and meaningful melodious music while staying rooted in the core black metal sound. Few bands that can transport you to wild and wonderous places, filled with natural beauty and a sense of belonging. There are few bands quite like Waldgeflüster and the band continues to show just why they are so beloved.

The tears are rolling immediately as the acoustic guitar strumming and sound of birds that feature on the opening track, A Taglachinger Morgen dig deep into emotional vaults. There’s no keeping it locked up, Waldgeflüster are able to pry it open with ease as the clean, Bavarian-dialect, vocals echo out with calming influence. It is an intro though and the final few seconds tell you all you need to know as Waldgeflüster transition into Im Ebersberger Forst and reveal just how intense their black metal side can be.

The fires are well and truly lit and the frenzied instrumentation is startling having just come from such a peaceful start. However, this is Waldgeflüster and there’s so much more to experience across this 10+ minute effort. For starters, it is layered with so much melody that is impressively pretty to the ears. Then it has remarkable tempo shifts where being savage, and savage alone, is key. Then there are moments where the post-style guitars dominate with frantic and ear-ringing riffs before rising up high to make things feel light and descending into depths that comfort in darker ways. It’s a stunner of a track and one of the best Waldgeflüster songs ever.

Aware that you’ll need a moment, Waldgeflüster combine soft piano melody with atmosphere before fading out the former for a guitar on the relaxing Am Stoa. Although it should be noted that it’s a track that starts to sound darker and more oppressive as it goes on, especially when the whispered vocals arrive.

Am Tatzlwurm, another 10+ minute track, builds upon that gloom with some intense heaviness. The vocals sounding so pained and strained, the drums absolutely battering and the guitars moving at a demonic pace. It’s Waldgeflüster at their heaviest but, as you should expect, there’s layers to this track and incredible shifts and switches that showcase the band’s melodious side strongly too.

The sound of pouring rain creates a wonderfully peaceful image with In da Fuizn and the expectation is that this shorter offering will be similar in style the other short ones. That’s not the case though as Waldgeflüster take us on a journey filled with indignant howls, grandiose singing and deep, meaningful and harmonious heaviness.

It is followed by yet another epic with the 11+ minute Mim Blick aufn Kaiser. Maybe the most epic track of the bunch as it has plenty of flair while continuing to exhibit the perfect blend of bleak and black metal with uplifting and deeply moving naturalistic tempo drops. Waldgeflüster continue to move in directions that are, on the one hand, completely expected if you know their sound but also completely unexpected because of what they constantly produce and this track is the proof of that.

Sadly, it must end and it’s with the powerful Am Wendelstoa that Waldgeflüster welcome us home with comforting hands.

Simply stunning. What an album.

Waldgeflüster – Dahoam Full Track Listing:

1. A Taglachinger Morgen
2. Im Ebersberger Forst
3. Am Stoa
4. Am Tatzlwurm
5. In da Fuizn
6. Mim Blick aufn Kaiser
7. Am Wendelstoa

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