This is the sixth album from black metal band Fluisteraars, who are from the Netherlands.
Jacht der Mysteriën blesses us with three tracks equalling 42 minutes of music. Fluisteraars have a well-developed personality, and Jacht der Mysteriën is surely one of their more idiosyncratic releases. The music may ultimately be atmospheric black metal, but it’s an atypical expression of the style for sure.
The genius of Fluisteraars infuses every second of Jacht der Mysteriën. This is a bold word to use for sure, but it feels apt for a band that have forged such an individual place in the black metal underground. As the word implies, Jacht der Mysteriën is experimental, and can easily be misunderstood.
Jacht der Mysteriën manifests as a rarefied entity, shaped by hands of great experience and vision. It’s recognisably black metal, rich in refined melody and atmosphere, yet is also indefinably other. There’s something intangible about this music, some quirk of songwriting, that allows Fluisteraars to soar, where many of their ostensible peers tread water or flounder. Fluisteraars have a radiance about them that’s theirs alone. There is a numinous quality to these songs that exists only within the expansive worlds they create, and Jacht der Mysteriën exemplifies this.
This new album is raw and honest, yet has a cinematic feel that’s related to how evocative it can be. Psychedelic elements are deeply embedded into the music, and non-blackened sensibilities add colour and texture. It merges a classic black metal aspect with creative ideas that are anything but traditional. Jacht der Mysteriën is awash with synths that are used to produce sounds, noises, and ambience that will be a revelation to some, and a dealbreaker to others. Fluisteraars manage to force these two competing halves together into a symbiotic marriage that is greater than the sum of its parts.
Jacht der Mysteriën was apparently birthed in a single take, and the songs feel vibrant and edged with energy. As a record it feels complete and carries an imposing, immersive presence. The worldbuilding it accomplishes is remarkable. Details abound, enhancing the multifaceted appeal of the songs, rather than distracting with ostentatious adornments, or similar; everything on Jacht der Mysteriën has a place and a meaning, regardless of how carefully considered or unconsciously delivered it might actually have been.
Enter the realm of Fluisteraars, and be washed away in sound. Hypnotic, captivating, essential.
Wonderbox Metal 