Dwelling at the junction of the experimental and the known, the artists Dodenbezweerder risk everything in the desire for expansion. But expansion into what? When music becomes this instinctual, it can be almost impossible to know from whence it comes or to where it is headed. This is a descent into the abyss, a sonic séance conducted by ritualistic drumming and tortured howls.

For much of the six pieces that comprise this release, the artist weaves a nightmarish tapestry of slow, suffocating doom and experimental black metal. Song structure – as it is commonly recognised – has no place in this milieu, for what is represented here is simply too vast to be encapsulated in song. The masterpiece of the collection, entitled His Wrath, resembles nothing so much as the implosion of a galaxy, the sheer weight of instrumentation crushing the listener in an ever-diminishing yet always-intensifying vortex of black noise from which there is no escape. The atmosphere is thick and oppressive, with droning guitars, chilling whispers and, ultimately, the anguished cries of the soon-to-be-destroyed. As a metaphor for both the unknown secrets of the universe and the very-well known horrors of modern existence, the piece makes for a chilling accompaniment.

As a collection of pieces, the cohesion presented is faultless, with the artists managing to encapsulate a wide variety of shades of mystery and despair into their palette. Listened to as a single piece the whole makes sense, though the listener will need a deal of forbearance to see the process through. This is extreme ‘music’ in the purest sense of that term, meant for none but the most discerning listener, a plunge into the darkest corners of human emotion and mortality itself. If you crave sonic nightmares and revel in the macabre, then this album will resonate deeply with you.

Als De Hemel Zich Vult Met Apocalyptisch Kopergeschal is out now.