Néma gyász

The Hungarian duo, WitcheR as they prefer to be called, return a year after the release of their second full length album, A gyertyák csonkig égnek, not with a new album but with a remastered version of a previous one. Néma gyász is their first EP release after their demos and it was originally released in 2012 in two very limited CD-R editions. This version of Néma gyász, has been remastered and it contains a bonus track recorded around the same period of the EP but released in the split with Velm. But why did they decide to re-release this one after eight years? Does it have to offer anything worthwhile to the audience or is it addressed only to their hardcore fans?

The music you will find in Néma gyász, shows that the band is loyal and dedicated to the style that they were introduced to me, maybe to some of you too, with their second full length. That is atmospheric Black Metal in the vein of Summoning, creating a very intense and vivid atmosphere and offering a lot of different feelings throughout this journey. The riffs mainly are medium tempo with some slower passages. Along with the keyboards, which share an equal, if not a more important role into the compositions, they create that majestic feeling which characterizes the band. Moreover, the band creates sometimes cold, hateful feelings and other times epic, glorious ones depending on the narrative. The songs are long, between eight and ten minutes, and although there are not many changes, the music flow smoothly and the experience is good. The EP concludes with the sixteen minutes bonus track that it can be a part of this album as also it can stand as an independent song. It creates feelings and images which could be considered as a complete experience to the listener.

The instruments are well played, with accuracy and passion. Roland is responsible for the guitars, vocals and drum programming. The guitars express the feelings very passionately and their performance is very good. The vocals are fuzzy, monotonous Black Metal, somewhere between harsh shrieks and whispers giving a magical, mystical and eerie result to the sound. The drum machine has a decent sound, but its lines are basic and a lot of times repetitive. The keyboards are performed by Karola who is responsible for also writing her lines. Keyboard is the most important instrument also in this album and Karola’s performance is perfect. Do not expect to listen to complex lines or extremely technical style of playing. You will find a sentimental performance, but at the same time everything played with accuracy, giving that majestic, glorious, magical element that will characterize the entire project. The lyrics are contained into the CD and they are written in Hungarian. I haven’t listened to the original recording so that I could compare it with the new mastering, but I feel that the band has improved the final result a lot. So, does a re-release like Néma gyász have any value for a Black Metal fan in 2020? I guess that the hardcore fans of the band will be really glad to get a copy of that rare, in physical form, release. Musically, it is a nice release and I think that the fans of majestic, melodic Black Metal will surely appreciate it.