Arkuum
Trostlos
Independent
Release Date: Out Now
Review by Jacob Gleeson
Evocative of a world or place long since forgotten, Trostlos transitions between ambient, minimalistic passages, to melancholic, bitter nuances expressed through sonically rich guitar-laden textures. Arkuum began in 2013 as a solo project of multi-instrumentalist David ‘Arkas’ Theobald in Germany, who plays all instrumentation on this debut release apart from vocals, which are supplied by Denny (vocalist of the band ‘Zeugen der Leere’). The album was independently released on 21 August, 2015.
Sonically rich, haunting soundscapes are achieved through layering of three guitars, adding an atmospheric and complex element to the music. The vocals are reminiscent of Dead, (Mayhem), and Abbath (Immortal).
Trostlos engulfs the listener in nostalgic swathes of reverb and dense imagery evocative of the freezing, grim environment of Norway, standing as an expression of devastation blanketed in haunting moments of beauty. While Arkuum orientates itself in ambient/post-black metal, the music runs much deeper than these genre labels, which merely represent the surface of Trostlos.
Morgengrau would have to be my standout track from this release, which translates to “tomorrow grey”.