Gespenst - Den sidste færd (2021)^{Release ID: 47044}

Following my review of their full length from 2016 I realised that I had not taken time to review the actual release that first got me familiar with Danish black metal outfit Gespenst.  Clocking in at a concise thirty minutes and thirty seven seconds, Den sidste færd follows on from the debut album of five years previous with an EP of five multi-paced tracks that capture the ability of the duo to respect the need for menace as well as attack in their sound.  As such, this EP fills a hole that may not have warranted filling with a full album of some eight or more tracks.  Den sidste færd says what the band needs to say very nicely thank you very much and shows improvement without straying away from the conventional elements of black metal.

Opening track Dødsfærd uses its build intelligently to fill the space it is afforded with a dark and threatening atmosphere before it takes off in a more rampant trajectory, eventually morphing into a very complete sounding experience over the ten minute plus run time.  The grim, death rasp of vocalist Galskab combines well with the guitars and keys of Genfærd, ensuring that promise of ethereal atmosphere from those keys and synths is never truly recognised beyond the choking and cloying mist of those ghastly vocals.  Guest drummer Mads' performance is pushed far back in the mix here yet he still generates enough steam to let his sticks be heard through the wall of impenetrable guitar or through even the more denser atmospheric moments.

The cold and crawling start to Portal showcases how these guys can immerse themselves into the deepest realms of nothingness and still manage to somehow manifest a growing sense of decay in even the most sparse of surroundings.  The track has an almost enchanting level of grimness to it as it draws out an anguished yet enthralling soundscape on what is the second of the two longer tracks on the release.  The remainder of the EP seems to focus on shorter tracks which work just as well and offer a nice respite from the more predictable traits of releases where bands go for all long or all short tracks.  There's clever use of bass on here also with the gulping sound of Rejse being of particular note.  Although not necessarily genre-splitting nor being the most experimental of black metal acts, Gespenst are able to tread a well-journeyed path with a sense of accomplishment, combining atmospheric and more riffing elements well along the way.  Ambient album closer Intethed cleanses the palate nicely bringing a subtle end to an otherwise interesting listen.