Aufhebung – Luchtbegrafenis (Review)

Aufhebung are a Belgian post-metal band and this is their second album.

Playing post-metal that brings together elements of doom, sludge, and post-rock, Aufhebung have crafted 48 minutes of material on Luchtbegrafenis. As a first encounter with Aufhebung, it’s an impressive one.

As a rough starting point, if you think of bands such as Dimscûa, The Ocean, Pelican, Russian Circles, We Lost the Sea, and Year of No Light, you’ll have a good starting point for approaching Aufhebung’s songs. However, although Aufhebung’s music is similar to or reminiscent of these sorts of bands in places, they have still managed to differentiate their material nicely; Luchtbegrafenis stands on its own merits, much to its credit.

On Luchtbegrafenis you’ll find build/release mechanics, rolling groove, layered synths, pulsing bass, introspective dynamics, emotive riffs, resplendent melody, apocalyptic walls of guitars, and much more. It’s all bundled into coherent songs that are ripe with atmosphere and a sense of well-rounded completeness.

From fragile peace to tumultuous heaviness, Aufhebung’s music ranges far and wide in its creation of expressive soundscapes. The band employ no vocals, so the instruments speak for themselves, and their voice rings clear and true across this evocative record. The only exception to this is the end of the final song and title track – here we get an explosion of caustic blackened sludge screams that drown out the light with acidic venom, perfectly crowning the foreboding darkness of the song’s climax, before closing rays of gentle hope close the album fully.

The band’s songwriting allows them to tap into worldbuilding abilities denied lesser acts. Each song is a discrete exploratory manifestation of a greater whole; separate, yet linked. Luchtbegrafenis flows well, allowing the music to be experienced as a holistic journey in six parts, despite each individual track being its own discrete entity.

The album’s mix of styles allows Aufhebung to remain compelling throughout the running time. Whether faster, slower, heavier, lighter, immediate, atmospheric, or any combination of these, the songs hold the listener’s attention easily by virtue of being well-written and well-performed.

Luchtbegrafenis is a strong record. If you’re a fan of post-metal, (instrumental varieties in particular), this an album that must be high on your list of essential releases in 2026. You won’t want to miss out on this.