Artist: Volc Vermaledide
Country: The Netherlands
Label: Wolfkult Religion
Formats: Demo tape
Year: 2024
The Dutch band Volc Vermaledide finds its origins in 2001, and is the brainchild of Satanael M Raben, formerly in Cirith Gorgor and Walpurgisnacht and currently also in Asregen. After a couple of demos and splits, the first Volc Vermaledide album ‘Nietig’ was released in 2021 on Heidens Hart Records. Somewhere during that year, Satanael M Raben wrote a new song, which was then forgotten, only to be excavated anno 2024 in the shape of the one-track demo ‘Zinnennevel’.
The sound of Volc Vermaledide on their debut could be described as atmospheric Black Metal infused with ambient and synthesizer driven components, combining the likes of Ulver, Summoning, Darkspace and The Ruins of Beverast into one. On that album there was plenty of room for longer instrumental passages driven by said synthesizer. ‘Zinnennevel’ is very much a continuation of ‘Nietig’, but at the same time follows a more traditional Black Metal approach. This mostly results in a more reserved role for the synthesizers, which for the most part add cosmic accents to the pummeling drums and hypnotizing guitar riffs. For example, for the first four minutes we are served with the same uptempo onslaught of drums and a singular riff, wherein the synthesizers play a rather subdued role. As the raspy vocals appear, the song initially remains uniform, with dynamics mostly provided by the shrieks. It is after these initial minutes that the song starts taking different turns and riffs, but the recipe of Volc Vermaledide is clearly more aimed at making a few good melodies shine rather than a flurry of different riffs. Despite that repetitive approach, there is plenty of variation between the intense and pacey parts and the slower, almost epic alterations, to make this 14 minute track memorable in its own right. In a way, ‘Zinnennevel’ thereby feels closer to the likes of Norway’s Vemod or fellow Dutchmen Nachtheem, and we can only hope that this is a prelude to more to come from Volc Vermaledide.
