After realising a lifelong vision with his solo Black Metal project Duisternis and releasing his Unity Unto None EP in February, musician and photographer Chris Howell is keeping the momentum going, returning with a follow-up full-length studio offering Relapse Into Submission.
Duisternis – Relapse Into Submission (Independent release)
Release Date: 02/12/2024
Words: Jools Green
Howell continues to explore the concept of Black Metal from uniquely different angles, delivering a sound that is once again built on solid Black Metal foundations. With a huge element of that sound coming from thinking outside of the box, the result is unique and innovative atmospheric Black Metal from Duisternis that engages and intrigues.
Opening with Seductive Addiction, this is a dark hypnotic and engaging piece that gradually builds towards you in a wave of distortion, synth, repeating riffs and spoken soundbites, dramatically expanding into bass and acidic vocals. I love the extremes of sound between the repeating ebb and build, and the lead work is also superbly nonstandard and off-kilter. The spoken element alongside the bass repeat adds a dark, almost industrial undercurrent. An impressive start to the album.
Continuing in the dark, eerie mood is Spare The Blood Of The Damned, where acidic screams, dark bass lines and distorted riffing merge in a maelstrom of sound that ebbs and builds in waves of chaos and calm. The layers of sinister hissed/spoken vocals add further atmosphere.
Decline Of The Ages has a raw old-school undercurrent initially but goes way beyond that as acidic vocals and off-kilter rhythms merge, ebbing and building in waves. There is even a psychedelic element that surfaces in the second half. A track that is both superb and crazy in equal measures. I love it.
It does not get much more unnerving than Relapse Into Submission, where eerie repeat riffs build over creaking, unnerving soundscapes. The air is punctuated by whispered spoken vocals between the eerie repeat, building into dark waves of keyboard and deeper vocal hisses, dropping back unnervingly. The overall atmosphere is constantly icy, bleak and pitch black. With a despairing undercurrent, too, it is such a powerful piece.
Darkest Desires is thunderous from the offset as a mass of icy riffs and acidic vocals surge towards you in the first minute, utterly engulfing you. This ebbs back to hypnotic but heavy rhythms and spoken lyrics briefly, before resuming that engulfing drive. I love the eerie distant melody that briefly courses over the next wave of driving riffs, coming to the fore as the intensity ebbs away towards the close.
Does this signal the satiation of those darkest desires? Maybe, but what I do know is that it is a striking attention-grabber of a track. I can’t help but love it.
A piano opener over soundbites begins to build an unnerving picture on Refrain From Mind before crushing riffs, keyboards and pummelling drums build on the imagery further. The acidic vocals cut through viciously, again with an ebb and build that even when it drops away does not release its relinquishing grip on your senses.
When the vocals become more of a spoken whisper, they are still sinister and unnerving. It is a superbly oppressive and darkly atmospheric piece that holds your attention. The final words, “Help Me,” complete that unnerving mental imagery.
Eerie keyboards and crushing hypnotic rhythms form the backbone of Exist Not To Live, alongside scathing acidic vocals that soar and menace. A sharp repeat riff melds midway through the first half, while the vocal range is expanded to a lower but equally scathing delivery in the latter part of the track. With a dark, unnerving texture to the sound, this is a delightfully unsettling piece.
Relapse Into Submission closes with Crowned With Filth, where opening eerie notes are superseded by pummelling drum rhythms, keyboards and equally eerie guitars. Casting forth dark, filthy riffs, it does not take long for this track to step way outside of the box to become one final deliciously bizarre and off-kilter offering. Densely filled and deeply layered, it also has quieter moments. But they are still unnerving and unusual.
I have not known what to expect from one track to the next on this unique album. But each has been a fascinating journey of discovery, one after the other.
Chris Howell as Duisternis has definitely excelled himself with Relapse Into Submission. It is an excellent album, and I cannot pick a favourite track here. This is an end-to-end enthralling listen that goes way beyond the perceived norms.
Relapse Into Submission is both innovative and hugely listenable and is creative brilliance at its finest.
It will be available on all major streaming platforms or can be bought as a digital download from the Duisternis Bandcamp page.
