Gnadenthron: Verheissung | A Viking Mystery
(2024 – SneeuwStorm Produkties)
Black Metal is already a rather mysterious genre in itself, and if we add to that the aura of mystery surrounding a project where we don’t even know who is behind it, the combo seems much more interesting and intriguing. This happened with Horde, a project from the 90s and pioneers in Christian-themed Black Metal; no one knew who was behind Horde until we found out that it was none other than Jayson Sherlock, drummer for Mortification. A good move that worked at the time.
That’s the case with Gnadenthron. No one knows who or who is behind this band since the CD doesn’t indicate a name or even a piece of information. The mystery deepens since the lyrics of the songs on this album, titled “Verheissung,” are in German, a rather complicated language for all of us mortals who are not accustomed to it.
In fact, Gnadenthron means “propitiatory,” and refers to the golden cover that covered the Ark of the Covenant, a well-known object from the Old Testament of the Bible. With that in mind, we can already guess where this interesting project is headed. If you don’t know German, you would hardly realize that Gnadenthron is a black metal project with Christian content in its lyrics.
Musically, Gnadenthron revolves around the Viking variant of Black Metal. This is somewhat strange considering that, apparently, the band or project is from Germany. In any case, the album is truly thunderous and gradually draws you into the appropriate atmosphere, making it clear that music with Viking and extreme influences does not necessarily have to be anti-Christian, as in most cases.
“Verheissung” contains only six tracks, all of which are quite long. It begins with “Christ Ist Erstanden,” an epic piece with enough Viking sound to justify its inclusion in the Black Metal genre. It is a song with an air that is both warrior-like and ecclesiastical, with clean, almost monastic vocals, one might say. It is almost like an intro to the rest of the album, which continues with “Im Angesicht Des Konigs,” an intense display of riffs, strums, and blast beats with a slight orchestration in the background that serves as a cushion for a song that ultimately has a slight inclination toward epic singing.
The title track makes its presence felt. “Verheissung” begins with a somewhat limited tempo, in the best Mayhem style, one might say. The base and riffs are truly devastating, and their complexity lies in the different moments that the song itself offers in its different parts. It is as if Gnadenthron were telling a story in parts within the same song. In contrast, “Sieg Im Norden” goes all out, with immeasurable guitar riffs and furious blast beats, with a kind of prayer in between, which gives it a much more epic tone.
“Synagoge Satans” sets a much more Death Metal-focused rhythm while remaining within the tortuous framework of Black Metal, with orchestrations and a section in the middle of the track that radically changes the song’s pace, taking us to a terrain much more related to the old school of the most extreme genre of all.
Finally, “Winterdemut” is perhaps the most distinctive track on the album. With a rather ‘demo’ sound, it is clear that this track does not belong to the same recording sessions as “Verheissung”; rather, it seems like a rehearsal with a totally raw sound, maintaining the same style as the rest of the album, with riffs that are perhaps unthinkable for a song of this genre.
Beyond the mystery and curiosity that Gnadenthron arouses, the truth is that “Verheissung” is an album that can be enjoyed from start to finish. Its orchestrations, harmonies, and melodies turn its primitive black metal into a melodic, melancholic terrain that is consistent with what Gnadenthron proposes. The conception of the album and the songs included are closely related to the themes developed. It is a pleasure to listen to, and the album itself is introspective enough to keep casual listeners engaged, even those who are not accustomed to this genre.
Much of this is due to the successful mixing and remastering of the album, which achieves a truly immersive, enjoyable sound where the different musical sections of each track can be appreciated. Even the vocals are fully understandable (if you understand German, of course), but without losing intensity and brutality. The background orchestrations, sporadic and sometimes unclear, may not help entirely, but everything is compensated for by the different sounds of the guitars and percussion that are clear, effusive, and particularly natural in their final sound. An impeccable job in that sense.
The cover of “Verheissung” shows us a soldier who looks more like a crusader than a Viking. In any case, the design, combined with the illustrations featuring old maps and paintings evoking different biblical passages that fill the booklet, give the album that special touch that justifies owning it in physical format, even with its limited edition. I am convinced that, over time, this album will become one of those hard-to-find gems, not only because of what the album itself implies, but also because of the curiosity it arouses about who is behind this project.
Gnadenthron is not about marketing, that’s for sure. At least it has enough musical substance to sustain the mystery and uniqueness of releasing an album with no names, titles, or anything of the sort. This is just Black Metal, and apparently one of the best things I’ve heard in recent times…
And if we don’t even know who Gnadenthron are, we know even less about social media and the like. So we’ll just leave you with how to find the label that releases them, and something of what “Verheissung” is, more precisely the track “Im Angesicht Des Königs,” so you can learn and hear something about this mysterious project…
https://www.facebook.com/p/SneeuwStorm-Produkties-100063888286270
