This is the twelfth album from US solo black metal act Panopticon.
Brought to us by a singular artist’s vision, but aided and bolstered by multiple guest collaborators, Det Hjemsøkte Hjertet is a 66-minute exploration of sound that offers up an unmissable experience. Panopticon‘s new record is remarkable.
Det Hjemsøkte Hjertet manifests as a highly expressive form of atmospheric black metal, enriched with folk instruments and strings. There’s less actual folk music incorporated into the songs this time around though, when compared to some of Panopticon’s work, (although it’s still certainly there), with the album instead focusing more on majestic atmosphere and post-rock-esque moodbuilding. This simple description doesn’t really do the material justice, but at least sets the scene. In reality, Det Hjemsøkte Hjertet is an extremely expressive work of rich beauty and bottomless depths. It delivers a landscape begging to be explored at length.
There is not really anybody that sounds too much like Panopticon, especially these days. If you’re halfway familiar with the band’s output, Det Hjemsøkte Hjertet is instantly recognisable as a Panopticon record, despite standing firmly on its own considerable merits. Panopticon’s music has become an underground institution for a reason – apart from the consistently high quality, every record brings a new, fresh, and exciting worldscape of immersion to dive deep into.
Der Hjemsøkte Hjertet has undeniable cinematic scope, but without the overpolished finish that drains the life from blockbuster productions. This feels alive and vital, an expression of art that’s as impactful as it is rewarding. The music is effortlessly affecting. Whether it’s sublime orchestral layers or scathing blackened brutality, or anything in between, (or combined), the artist behind Panopticon – Austin Lunn – knows exactly how to portray emotion. The songs are well-written epics, crafted by devoted hands and minds into their final well-rendered state. Drama, tension, anger, sadness, and more are all given the time and space they deserve across the record, making for music that’s highly engaging and enjoyable.
The listener discovers something new with each spin. Each time, different facets of the record come into greater or lesser resolution, and in its hidden depths are revealed unlooked for gems and unexpected slow-burning hooks. It’s incredibly atmospheric, yet carries with it a memorability that’s uncommon in a lot of atmospheric black metal. Basically, Det Hjemsøkte Hjertet has songs. Long, atypical songs, but songs nonetheless.
The guest singers are notable to, consisting of current and ex-members of bands like Fall of Efrafa, Falls of Rauros, Lightbearer, Morrow, Uprising, Vemod, Waldgeflüster, and Weft.
Panopticon’s latest record is simply an essential listen for anybody who favours black metal that’s emotive, layered, orchestral, and emotive. Der Hjemsøkte Hjertet is a sterling addition to an already legendary discography, and should not be missed. It is easy to imagine this being considered in years to come as one of the artist’s best.
Wonderbox Metal 