Dagdrøm - Schauder Review • Strah

I guess I am the only review on this sad and lonely and pathetic little planet that reviews all Metal music kinds with all the passion possible and existing in my heart. I just love to analize the small nuances, or not that small, within each type of Metal music. And believe me there are many. For instance, our last review was the Black Metal horde Nail by Nail with “Embraced by Darkness,” an album that surprised me due to the uncanny elements mixed in their dow. Today, we’ve got the Black Metal ghouls Dagdrøm with “Schauder.” Would I be redundant and tiring if I said I was surprised as well? Well, at risk of being redundant and tiring I will I was surprised by the same reasons. Not the same elements, but “Schauder” contributes with the evolution of Black Metal using Old School Heavy Metal features. Now, wait, what? Yeah, that’s right Dagdrøm go instrumentally back using some guitar techniques of Old School Heavy Metal bands.

Ok, but what does that mean?

That “Schauder” is a hodgepodge of musical influences not only from Metal music. The moody and post-Black Metal influenced “Alle Worte” is one of them with clean guitars most of the time as 1980’s Rock bands used to do. Or with a simple guitar lick gathering everything together to contrast with the desperate vocals. By the way, desperate may not be the right term for these vocals. They are miserable, anguished, desolated. After all we are still living on this sad and lonely and pathetic little planet which seems to be going back in time back to the Middle Ages. “Schauder” is about that hopeless feeling. However, some tracks are pretty modern as “Atme” with a constant drumming pounding and the mesmerizing guitar lines that ar a stapler of Modern Black Metal bands. Sometimes there is the feeling the guitars here are some kind of percurssion instrument or, at least, used as bells.

It is a fact that Dagdrøm go beyond Black Metal exploring diverse musical influences. The outcome is a complex and intricate album that borders a would-be Progressive Black Metal – I do not know if the term exists. Guitar bends, pizzicatos, octavating, and others are deeply used here to create a diverse musical atmosphere to enable the band’s ability of going beyond. Grand finale “Kalte Fliesen,” for instance, surprises the fan with the unexpected ferocity due to the moody atmosphere of previous tracks. Here guitars, bass, and drums are simple percussion instruments to make a statement about all the anger and wrath Dagdrøm feel bordering Grindcore structures.

“Schauder” is not only a musical mayhem. It is an organized chaotic music embellished with melodies performed beyond the expectations. The contrasting techniques applied here make a hell of a difference creating a perfect chaotic view of how life really is.

Dagdrøm “Schauder” will be self-released on May 09th.

Track Listing: