Duister Maanlicht: Werken Van De Duisternis |

The Old School of Extreme Music

(2024 – SneeuwStorm Produkties)

A band with history, with a trajectory. That’s what the Duister Maanlicht project (a Dutch word meaning “The Light of the Dark Moon”) is all about. Since 2000, they have been releasing diverse material, including various albums and EPs, with the characteristic that their lyrics and vocals are entirely in the aforementioned language. This is hardly surprising, given that the band’s only member comes from the Netherlands. We are talking about Heidendoder, the author, composer, and multi-instrumentalist behind Duister Maanlicht.
As you might imagine when looking at the album cover and the band’s logo, Duister Maanlicht belongs to the Black Metal genre, or perhaps (Un)Black Metal, as many prefer to call this genre when its content has to do with Christianity, marking a difference from what we already know about Black Metal. Don’t despair, we’re not going to give a history lesson on the genre and the related discussions. I only mention it in passing because, although Duister Maanlicht’s lyrics revolve around themes that are anti-darkness and pagan and have a Christian conception, the group (if we can call it that) prefers not to be labeled as a “Christian” band, even though its only member has declared himself to be Christian.

Beyond these considerations, “Werken Van De Duisternis” is an album of extreme music, and a very good one at that. Excluding EPs and appearances on compilations and/or splits, this would be Duister Maanlicht’s eighth full-length album, which shows the continuity of the project over time and its sustainability in the most extreme Metal scene. Its aura of mystery, the atmosphere it creates, its dark aesthetics, etc., are all ingredients of the same dish that is served strong, cold, and invites you to sit at this exclusive table of the extreme.
“Werken Van De Duisternis” (“Works of Darkness” in Dutch) offers only seven tracks rooted in the most extreme variant of (Un)Black Metal, in a version that is very much old school in terms of the genre, musically speaking. There is no instrumental sophistication or crossover with other musical genres here; it is simply the purest form of this extreme style that can be found. Even so, Duister Maanlicht’s proposal has its own character and personalization. We can see this from the beginning with the title track of the album. It’s not just crazy blast beats, but its harmonic construction and riffs result in a piece that varies between fast and a slight influence of Thrash/Death in several passages.
As expected, the rotten vocals are right up there, and in “In De Krochten Van Een Goddeloze Aarde,” Duister Maanlicht gives way to an interesting melody, the product of the guitar riffs and the strumming of the song’s various bridges.
“Vervloekt Onder Het Licht Van De Zwarte Maan” shows its teeth much more. Darkly beautiful, its melodies and intensely intense blast beat show the best side of Duister Maanlicht, while “In Het Vuur Geworpen” seems to go in another direction; its speed and melody go against the rest, but still maintain consistency with the album itself. Of course, its different passages would not be out of place with Death Metal, even while remaining in the most extreme genre of Metal.
Duister Maanlicht never lowers the decibels, and also includes some passages that some might identify with certain sounds taken from Hardcore/Punk, and this is noticeable, for example, in “Verdorven En Verdoemd,” which at times debates between extreme riffs and others that are influenced precisely by that style, but still, it’s just a hint. Nothing that the dark, melancholic, and extreme atmosphere ends up covering up. In any case, purists can rest assured, “Dochter Van Een Heks, Zoon Van Een Hoer” puts things in order and takes the band down safer paths for the extreme.
The final track is “De Doden Roepen Zijn Naam,” another of the album’s gems. Its melodies, harmonies, and different speeds blend together in a combo that is really worth listening to more than once. It is undoubtedly one of the best tracks on the album.
In short, “Werken Van De Duisternis” is not just another album; it strikes a perfect balance between the purest elements of the most extreme genre of metal, the “old school,” and a sound that, without trying to be modern, remains current. In fact, what stands out most is that the album is never boring; it gradually draws you in, and you end up thoroughly enjoying it.
Duister Maanlicht rejects any approach or mixture with other genres, and does not even include instruments other than guitars, bass, and drums. In that sense, the purity of the most extreme is felt and leaves no room for doubt.

I really liked the sound of this album. The production, recording, and mixing strike the perfect balance between the raw, stripped-down sound that characterizes purist black metal and an approach that allows you to enjoy each instrumental section with relish. In that sense, the album is a pleasure to listen to, and you can tell that a lot of work went into the studio to achieve a sound that is clear, powerful, and at the same time overwhelming. “Werken Van De Duisternis” is possibly one of Duister Maanlicht’s best productions.
The artwork for this edition is also noteworthy. The cover is a painting by Jeronimus Bosch, which explains its similarity to the cover of “El Fin De Los Inicuos” by V8 (since it also uses an image by the same artist). In turn, the inner sleeve and the design of the album itself are filled with paintings by the aforementioned artist, who, incidentally, is also of Dutch origin (like the band), as well as photographs by Heidendoder. The booklet is of great quality, it must be said, which adds to an edition that is really worth purchasing in physical format.
This album is not easy to find, as it has only been released on CD and the usual digital editions. To find out more, we recommend contacting SneeuwStorm Produkties, a Dutch underground label dedicated to extreme music. In addition to this label, here are the coordinates to find more darkness on Duister Maanlicht’s social media, and, of course, something from “Werken Van De Duisternis”…

https://www.facebook.com/p/SneeuwStorm-Produkties-100063888286270

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063538263544