Trautonist

EMBER WOLVES AND VIBRANCY

POST-BLACK METALLERS REACH A RANGE OF NEW SONIC TEXTURES

Hellbent on pushing the parameters of post and black metal as far as possible, and driven by an insatiable appetite for destruction – as far as pigeonholing is concerned, anyway – genre-bucking German duo Trautonist earned plenty of acclaim for their eponymous 2016 debut. Its sequel, Ember, will only increase their stock as it’s an incendiary opus, crammed with magnetic efforts that redefine what it means to be ‘metal’. Comprised of seven tracks, the pair let their imaginations run rampant throughout and draw on disparate influences ranging from Alcest to Cocteau Twins. Opener Fire And Ember sets out their stall strongly and manages to sound both sweet and scathing, while goth and alt-pop-peppered The Garden is gloriously gloomy thanks to some haunting vocals from Katharina, and Woody Allen throws some trip hop into their already-bulging melting pot.

FOR FANS OF: RUSSIAN CIRCLES, CHELSEA WOLFE, ALCEST EDWIN MCFEE