Wesenwille are a black metal band from the Netherlands and this is their third album.
Having enjoyed last year’s II: A Material God, I was pleased to see the appearance of III: The Great Light Above, (and also surprised to have more Wesenwille material so soon after the last album).
For those unfamiliar with the band, they play a contemporary brand of dissonant black metal. The promo blurb mentions acts like Deathspell Omega, Imperial Triumphant, Misþyrming, Svartidauði, and Voices, which should set the scene nicely.
Across III: The Great Light Above‘s 46 minutes Wesenwille once again impress with their grasp of the blackened arts. Through a mix of dissonant violence, aggressive groove, atmospheric depth, and emotive darkness Wesenwille’s music engages the listener easily. The music is bleak and harsh, yet not without shaded colour and tentative hints of hope. The songwriting is effective and the band have produced a collection of tracks that marry together style and substance convincingly.
This new work feels more visceral and affecting. Whether it’s the immersive atmosphere, the melancholic resplendence of the melodies, or the raw violence of when the band truly unleash their brutal side, the music just seems to hit harder this time around. There’s an intensity here, despite what the music is doing at any given moment, that’s compelling.
With III: The Great Light Above Wesenwille are clearly at the top of their game. Any thoughts of a drop in quality levels due to the fast turnaround between albums can be immediately dismissed. If anything, the short gap between releases seems to have invigorated Wesenwille; as far as I’m concerned III: The Great Light Above is the band’s strongest work yet.
Very highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 