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Band: Kreuzweg Ost
Album title: Gott Mit Uns
Release date: January 2012
Label: Cold Spring Records
Tracklisting:
01. Exitus In Paradisum
02. Calvaria
03. Stammen
04. Heiliger Gehorsam
05. Thy Will Be Done
06. Black Moon
07. Geh mit Gott
08. Feuertaufe
09. Geistige Emigration
Religion and war, two concepts that go along so well and this music is a good testimony of that. Is humankind forever damned? Is any light out there? The answer probably lies in Gott Mit Uns. The third studio effort from this Austrian band/project Kreuzweg Ost, formed by Michael Gregor aka Silenius (Summoning, Amestigon, ex Abigor, ex Die Verbannten Kinder Evas), now together with other two programmers: Oliver Stummer aka Tomoroh Hidari (known also for his work in His Namelessness Is Legion, Aeon,...) and Ronald Albrecht is absolutely something that listeners won't forget so easily, either you'll like it or hate it.
If their first album Iron Avantgarde was something so disturbing to listen, that many people turned their backs from them, as it was like a dark collage of movie samples backed with industrial and martial beats leading nowhere through that suffocating ambiance. This is a completely different story. It's a natural progress, even from their second album Edelrost released seven years ago, still following the path from that one, but much more implemented with dense atmospheres you can't imagine. Their music ranges in the fields of dark ambient, martial industrial, neoclassical and cinematic music. Instead of classic vocals they use vocal samples from religious and war themed movies and they are able to create an astonishing picturesque wall of sound around them.
»Exitus In Paradisum« opens this album and right away you are somewhere out of this time and place, call it middle-earth, middle-ages perhaps. Depressing, dark veil of sound, calm and yet tremendous, similar to the atmospheres in Summoning without the metal part. Like a thick fog approaching from a distant land, coming to take those few defeated and wounded survivors from the battle. But it ain't over yet. The most disturbing track here is the second one »Calvaria«. Something went wrong here, somebody said something,... a lie? Total drama. This is just the beginning of this voyage into darkness as the best is still to come with »Stammen«, »Black Moon«, »Geh Mit Gott«, actually each song has it's own qualities and story behind it. Put on your headphones and listen to »Heiliger Gehorsam«, then close your eyes and there will be no need for a screen to watch a movie.
Spoken, screamed or shouted female or male words, combined with martial, Laibach kind of industrial beats, pounding drums, trumpets, atmospheric synths, orchestrations, some choirs in the distance and neoclassical arrangements make this an extraordinary piece of sonic adventure, different from all others in this genre. It's a black ritual going on here. Still there is some kind of paradox, as within all of this suffocating blackness, delusion, doubt and desperation lies faith and hope. Yes, I can develop a long philosophical lecture here, but this music is an intimate piece of art just waiting to be consumed by each listener in his/her own privacy. This musical majestical work is after all for those seeking salvation. God be with you!
Review written by: T.V.
Rating: 9/10
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