Tardigrada are a black metal band from Switzerland and this is their second album.
Vom Bruch bis zur Freiheit is 59 minutes long and contains four massive songs. Before each one of these sits a brief intro/interlude track, and against all expectations these are actually decent moments of rare calm and reflection amidst the atmospheric and emotive storms of the main songs.
Tardigrada play atmospheric black metal that’s fierce and epic. The songs are well-written and impeccably delivered, offering the listener a substance-filled journey into the band’s mood-based waters.
Intense and aggressive, there’s a density to Tardigrada’s material that’s counterbalanced by the music’s emotive qualities. The latter aspect has an ethereal quality to it that belies its underlying density, producing songs that sweep the listener away in tsunamis of blackened feeling.
The band frequently craft their immersive soundscapes from walls of guitars that almost seem alive with their ability to writhe and squirm under scrutiny, constantly changing and shifting their position, while also making the most of dark melodies to maximise the music’s emotional potency. There is an undeniable beauty to this music, with its sweeping synths and expressive guitars. Tardigrada clearly know how to write this affecting style of atmospheric black metal very well indeed.
The bass guitar is unexpectedly prominent and provides a worthwhile contribution to the songs. There’s a dual vocal approach taken throughout Vom Bruch bis zur Freiheit that works well. The recording is solid, allowing the listener to become completely absorbed in the band’s world, but without losing a certain underground aesthetic that works in the music’s favour. The sound of the drums is particularly satisfying.
Vom Bruch bis zur Freiheit is a strong album that should hopefully have the atmospheric black metal adherents flocking to its weathered shores in droves. Tardigrada have impressed, and I urge you to check out what they have created here.
Wonderbox Metal 