Artist: Verhinderer
Country: Germany
Label: Self-Released
Formats: Digital demo
Year: 2023
With ‘Groschenroman’, we already have Verhinderer’s third demo/EP in our hands, and that in less than a few months, as the band was only started in 2023. This one-man German Black Metal band can be blamed for a lot of things, except that it does not have a healthy work rate. In some of the write-ups I have already devoted to Verhinderer, I had already mentioned that Bettler, the band’s lone inspirer, spends his time and music exploiting the very basic meaning of the demo medium. Not only are all three of his releases different in terms of musical form and content, he also uses it to hone his skills in recording and producing.
Bettler is also a clear fan of a conceptual approach to music; his first two demos/EPs had a certain biographical value, at least a personal slant. With ‘Groschenroman’, Bettler seems more keen to test his need and talent for writing short stories. The story is about a court jester who struggles under the yoke of his masters and of the people who ridicule him. Clearly a completely different concept from what Bettler showed us on ‘Ruhepol’ and ‘Angstwelt / Wunschwelt’, which were respectively based on the grandeur of nature and the more-or-less transience of man as an identity.
In the accompanying announcement, Bettler already lets us know that no synthesisers have been used this time, adding that he thinks it sounds a lot “more honest and raw”. With that, he has not said too much. ‘Groschenroman’ does indeed sound a lot rawer, about “honesty” I dare not make any statements, but I understand his point. In fact, with this latest EP, Bettler harks back to the primary principles of Second Wave Black Metal and a comparison with the primal sound of American Black Metal also seems obvious. Despite the lack of synthesisers, there is a certain Burzum-like feel especially in the first track, ‘De Narr’, the buzzing riff at least makes up for a lot in case you missed the synthesisers. The overlap between Burzum and American Black Metal is mainly in a slightly Punkish character, which is especially evident in the drums. As far as I am concerned, the absence of the keyboards is certainly not a loss and Bettler fills that gap with an audible progression in songwriting. The rawness actually serves that very purpose, although it is advisable to listen to the three tracks several times carefully for the best results. But with just under 12 minutes of playing time, that really shouldn’t be an issue.
While it is of course largely a matter of taste and perception where one’s musical preferences lie, it seems clear that Bettler is still reinventing himself. With ‘Groschenroman’, he once again explores a new domain of the Black Metal spectrum, I am becoming more and more curious as to where Bettler’s preference will ultimately lie – or maybe he just keeps on surprising us again and again. Something he has in any case done now with the conceptual content of this demo, which is not exactly an everyday approach or subject matter, not to mention the unorthodox cover design. Either way, as far as I’m concerned Verhinderer is still an act to keep an eye on.
