Decline of the I are a French post-black metal band and this is their fifth album.
Ahh, I do so enjoy a new Decline of the I album. Every album I seem to like more and more too. 2015’s Rebellion, 2018’s Escape, and especially 2021’s Johannes, were all very good records, and I’d recommend them all. Which brings us to Wilhelm, and the 48 minutes of new material it has to offer us.
Wilhelm showcases Decline of the I at their most engaging. Johannes was already a high point in their output, but it looks like Wilhelm has managed to somehow eclipse it.
Wilhelm takes the Decline of the I post-black metal sound and runs with it. Bolstered by an array of avant-garde elements, industrial augmentations, and pure black metal fury, this is a formidable album. The band’s core sound is enhanced further by the strategic use of enrichments such as choirs, piano, electronics, strings, and guests from members of Merrimack and Regarde les Hommes Tomber.
The songwriting is involved, intricate, detailed, and above all expressive. A lot of different ideas and creative touches have gone into Wilhelm, and the band seem to have put their all into their art; this is a collection of songs that take the listener on a journey into a blackened world that’s remarkably well-realised.
There is a lot to explore and unpack on Wilhelm. Each song is multifaceted and rich, offering the listener the initial impact of black metal aggression and the depth of a broad soundscape of layered ideas. Taken together, across the album there’s substance, emotion, and everything from cold ambition to burning violence.
Well, I pretty much say this every time I review a Decline of the I record, but this is their strongest to date. Decline of the I are more and more becoming an unstoppable force. Wilhelm is a record to keep returning to over and over again.
Very highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 