Der Weg Einer Freiheit‘s emergence in the underground scene as rather modernists, who explored the sonic art from black metal to experimentalism, made them unique amongst other bands. The German quartet has been pushing the boundaries out of the box unleashing waves of fresh inventiveness with every studio album. Formed in early 2009 in Wurzburg, Bavaria, DWEF‘s progressive ideas managed to bridge black metal into a unique aesthetic of their own. “Noktvrn” marks the fifth album by this forward-thinking band, led by musicians such as Nikita Kamprad (vocals, guitars), Nicolas Rausch (guitars), Nicolas Zisa (bass guitar), and Tobias Schuler (drums), taking unorthodox approaches by drawing a variety of styles.

DWEF defined high musical standards on their previous album “Finisterre”, which set penchant for a dark atmosphere. Musically “Noktvrn” feels unrestrained and expands beyond the traditional style of the band. The instrumental cut “Finisterre II” is a brief intro composed of delicate layers of acoustic guitars that are sure to soothe the listener. While the first portion of the album builds on the vast spacious stretch of the instrumentation, “Monument” brings melodious degrees of heavy guitar chords, rhythm, and blast beats. Once again DWEF fuses the melancholy soundscapes into more amalgamated sound where the atmosphere builds up gradually with the guitars unleashing torrential riffs, offering some gloomy ambiance that seems richly textured with dramatic melodies and slow instrumental passages. 

“Noktvrn” evokes tranquility over the listener despite the high pitch vocals spewing dark miserable poetry. The furious blasting of the drums and the rhythm guitar adds all the gloominess to the music. “Am Rande der Dunkelheit” encompasses a great degree of layered tremolos. However, the grandeur composition provides a mix of intricate guitar arrangements. The highly selective palette of droning guitars shifts in flickering textures, all enhanced in the mid-tempo sections where the rhythm guitars add flavor to the dark surreal atmosphere. Having said that, the bass guitar and the drums bring out the emotional hooks, the instrumental qualities give the songs all the somberness.  

While taking a traditional approach to modern black metal, the drums on the album are straightforward and offer plenty of blast beats, with the microscopic segments of the flowing melodies building up to the growing atmosphere. The guitars are generally played fast, with tremolo-picked riffs creating a beautiful contrast to the untamed fury. You will be caught in a vast ocean of wonderful melodies. “Noktvrn” proves that the German quartet is true adepts of their sublime craft, this time DWEF has brought some changes in the songwriting with the atypical instrumentation focusing on post-black metal.  

The song “Immortal” features guest musician Dávid György Makó (The Devil’s Trade) and begins with clean vocals which sound completely off-kilter. After the somewhat off-brand start of the song they burst into a more black metal sound with electronic/ambient music elements mixed throughout, resulting in a very intriguing and emotional track that caught the attention of many people when released earlier as a single.

“Morgen” segues into a furious piece of black metal where the track takes savage detour offerings some explosive dynamics. The swell of tremolos consistently constructs a massive wall of sound while the drumming plays a remarkable role. On tracks like“Gegen das Licht” DWEF presents a spectacular performance. The beautiful interplay of the instrumentation presents an entire range of dreamy qualities that seems to work perfectly as an intro for this visceral track that feels breathlessly compelling. The remaining portion of this monolithic track overflows with scathing tremolos and pounding drums. Simple chords and rhythmic patterns build up a dark atmosphere leading to slow tempo changes.

On the album closure “Haven”, DWEF expand its interest in avant-garde music where they explore further from traditional black metal style to emphasize the clean vocal techniques. DWEF has gone through many evolutionary changes in the past decade and it seems the band is at the edge of finding a new niche in the modern spectrum of the avant-garde. On their fifth album “Noktvrn” the German quartet forge a new path without sacrificing their roots in black metal music, although the newest endeavor might sound different to its predecessors they managed to bring a unique mixture of post and atmospheric forms of black metal that feels powerful and atmospheric. This is recommended for fans of Ulver, Sólstafir and Solbrud.  

Release Date: November 19th, 2021
Label: Season of Mist
Tracklist:

1. Finisterre II
2. Monument
3.  Am Rande der Dunkelheit 
4. Immortal
5. Morgen
6. Gegen das Licht 
7. Haven