Waldgeflüster – Mondscheinsonaten (Review)

Waldgeflüster are a German black metal band and this is their fifth album.

2016’s Ruinen was a notable and very enjoyable record, one which I’ve returned to many times over the years. Mondscheinsonaten is their much-anticipated new album, one that takes the core of Ruinen and builds it up to even greater heights.

Waldgeflüster play atmospheric black metal imbued with folk influences. This is cold, nature-infused post-black metal that invites you to travel with the band into far-flung, lesser-known mountain ranges. If you brave the icy weather that’s essential to this trip, then you’re sure to find rewards.

The band’s music incorporates emotive aggression and post-blackened intensity, with expansive atmosphere and folk acoustics, and this approach works well for them. The vocals follow suit, with predominantly harsh screams aided by impassioned cleans when called for. Other vocalisations are also used here and there.

The songs have a lot of texture to them and are rich in emotion, personality, and presence. Resplendent melodies are used frequently, taking elements from both folk and post-metal as starting points and branching out from here with both colour and character.

An obvious passion for the material can be felt straight away, and as the album unfolds this only becomes more apparent. Backing this passion up is a talent for writing songs that channel the heart of winter into post-blackened music that’s engaging and compelling. Mondscheinsonaten invites the listener into its frozen embrace and leads them into its unforgiving, frigid world.

Deeply atmospheric and filled with a vibrant, characterful life, despite its cold, windswept nature, Mondscheinsonaten is a captivating album of emotive dark art. Very highly recommended.