RAINER LANDFERMANN — Mein Wort in deiner Dunkelheit (review)

RAINER LANDFERMANN — Mein Wort in deiner Dunkelheit album cover

Album · 2019 · Avant-garde Metal

3.5/5 · 2024-06-23
UMUR

"Mein Wort in deiner Dunkelheit" is the debut full-length studio album by German artist Rainer Landfermann. The album was independently released in June 2019. Landfermann is known as the bassist of German technical/progressive death metal act Pavor and for performing vocals on Bethlehem´s 1996 album "Dictius Te Necare". He created his solo project in 2018 and released the Vertieft single the same year. Landfermann has enlisted a few of his Pavor bandmates to perform drums and guitars, while his brother Robert Landfermann performs double bass on five out of the ten tracks featured on the 40:16 minutes long album.

The material on "Mein Wort in deiner Dunkelheit" is an avant-garde/progressive black/death metal style, featuring the fusion influenced bass playing of Landfermann but even more importantly his ultra expressive, hysterical, and extreme vocals. Think Niklas Kvarforth (Shining) when he is in his most lunatic/schizophenic mood and think how that would sound over the course of a full album, and you´re halfway there (Diamanda Galás is another valid reference). I will say right away that the tortured quality of the vocals on this album are so extreme and over the top (not to mention that they are in German and deal with various heavy topics like darkness, pain and personal issues), that they are very much an aquired taste. They are arguably very well performed though and quite varied too, which can also be said about the instrumental part of the music.

While the music features both black metal and death metal elements, I´d say those are just elements of the overall avant-garde music style of "Mein Wort in deiner Dunkelheit", which quite often doesn´t feature any metal elements at all. So this is a pretty dynamic release with tracks like "Kunstvoll" and "Schneller als Sehnsucht, Größer als Eins" featuring a brutal black/death metal style, while other tracks are odd, minimalistic, and experimental songs featuring the screaming tortured vocals of Landfermann (the almost lounge jazzy "Ursprüngliches" is probably the best example of that). Another effective feature of the album is how Landfermann uses choirs for atmosphere enhancing effects. When the choirs occur they provide the music with something a little melodic to hold on to amidst the chaotic darkness of tortured screaming vocals, unconventional song structures, and experimental weirdness.

Although "Mein Wort in deiner Dunkelheit" is a self-produced affair, Landfermann has managed to produce a well sounding release. The sound production actually helps the otherwise challening and difficult music to become more accessible. I understand those who can´t listen to the extremely expressive and tortured screaming vocals without feeling that they are hurting their ears and who therefore won´t be able to appreciate "Mein Wort in deiner Dunkelheit", but if you evaluate this album a bit more objectively it´s quite the unique and daring release. Although I´ve mentioned some influences above, and they should give you a good idea of the weirdness level here, this really is one of those albums you have to listen to yourself, to form an opinion about. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.