Artist: Wanterkraaft
Country: Luxembourg
Label: Narbentage Produktionen
Formats: LP
Year: 2026
Given that Luxembourg has a population of less than 700,000, it is hardly surprising that it is not a major supplier of Extreme Metal. However, when I think of Raw Black Metal from Luxembourg from about 25 years ago, I honestly can’t think of anything other than Donkelheet, a band I reviewed about a quarter of a century ago and who are best known for their split LP with Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult. Wanterkraaft is another such band, but unlike Donkelheet, which has some twenty very obscure demo tapes to its name, Wanterkraaft’s oeuvre is confined to two demo tapes released in 2001 and 2002. Both have now been dusted off by Narbentage Produktionen and pressed onto vinyl.
This collaboration is perhaps not entirely surprising when you consider that the Luxembourg and German Black Metal scenes of that time were very intertwined. Members of Black Candle, Pagan Winter, Old Pagan and Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult, for example, have various connections with each other, and some of those bands have also released some of their work through the German label Narbentage Produktionen. A label that, apart from this incestuous tangle, has a penchant for unearthing long-forgotten and very obscure material. All things considered: this is not a record for those who like to stick with their Century Media and Nuclear Blast kind of mainstream Black Metal.
Although Wanterkraaft doesn’t sound nearly as raw and lo-fi as Donkelheet, with a little goodwill both projects can be placed in the same category. Obviously, this has much more to do with the era in which they were created than with their geographical origins. And as is often the case with such compilations, this Wanterkraaft record is a kind of monument, a memorial to how Black Metal sounded around the turn of the millennium: cold, simple but very efficient. With often minimal resources, some of the most fantastic recordings were made, brimming with atmosphere. That is also the case here. Rather simple riffs, subtle use of keyboards, icy vocals and some Immortal-like strumming; there’s not a whole lot more you need to come up with great music. That, however, does not mean that Forneus, the man behind Wanterkraaft, had a lack of talent, on the contrary I would almost say. His skill and profound knowledge of music in general and Black Metal more specifically are reflected in his powerful song writing and impressive guitar playing, which is particularly evident in the sparsely used solos.
As for the difference between the two demos, however, I can be brief. Musically the two are pretty identical, at least in terms of the musical structure and the overall exuded atmosphere. The cold riffs and vocals as well as the strumming, it can all be found in both demos. The second demo, however, is a slightly rawer when it comes to the production. Consquently, it has an overall more fitting sound to the type of music. It really gives an extra dimension to the slightly hypnotic way of riffing and use of melodies. As if early Xasthur had a head-on collision with later Evilfeast.
