A Thousand Sufferings and Kludde are both from Belgium. The former play doom, and the latter black metal.
A Thousand Sufferings start this split off with two songs totalling 13 minutes. I’ve enjoyed all of the band’s work so far, (Burden, Bleakness, Stilte), which made me eager to hear what Het Pact had in store.
We start with De Armoezaaier, a song that’s instantly engaging with its emotive heaviness. Slow and doomy, it’s filled with despondent mourning and imbued with a sense of great sorrow. The song unfolds with melodic weight and the sounds of anguished vocals, before erupting into blackened aggression and harsh snarls. From this point it’s a tale told through black metal darkness, as A Thousand Sufferings unleash their strengths in no uncertain terms.
The second song is named De Zotte; an upbeat rager that delivers a restrained fury that’s precise in its beatings. It is atmospheric alongside this though, making for a song that’s oddly infectious over time. It’s like a relentless steamroller that demolishes your defences, and only seems to get more potent as it progresses.
Kludde’s half of the split also consists of two tracks, totalling 12 minutes of material. In de Kwelm was a solid release, but last year’s De Horla was an extremely strong record. Can Kludde continue their upwards trajectory on Het Pact?
Opening with Slecht Geldj I: Pact Gesloeten, the answer seems to be, yes they can. It’s a track that’s heavy, dark, and reeks of mood-driven depth. It presents as a form of atmospheric black metal with a sludge undercurrent, allowing the music to have an infected bite to go along with its esoteric moodbuilding. It’s a strong song for sure, and it’s great to hear Kludde once more doing their thing.
Kludde close the split with Slecht Geldj II: Pact Verbroeken, a song that delivers ferocity balanced by atmosphere. It’s fast and scathing, yet still melodic and alive with emotion. The band’s old-school black metal influences can be felt, driving the song forward with blackened hatred and icy intensity. Atop this sits a sickeningly warm melodic depth that comes from a sludge-ridden heart of darkness, rounding out a song that’s satisfyingly rendered throughout. It also has a black ‘n’ roll vibe in places that’s disarming, (especially the guitar solo and some of the leads).
Het Pact showcases two quality bands complementing each other nicely. It’s an enjoyable split that any connoisseur of underground extremity would do well to take the time to explore.
Wonderbox Metal 