Following the success of Corrosion of Hearts, Austere are now releasing The Stillness of Dissolution. They once again prove their special position in Depressive Black Metal. The Australian duo once again creates a cold but very emotional soundscape that you can feel deeply. The sound is clearly produced, but does not seem artificial – walls of guitars meet mournful vocals. Occasionally, delicate clean vocals break through the darkness and create strong contrasts.
The opener “Dissolved Exile” begins melancholically and harshly. It creates a dense atmosphere that lingers over the entire album. With “Time Awry”, Austere achieves another highlight. Soft, clear voices paired with harsh vocals combine with melodic guitars to create a melancholy elegance. Redolent Foulness“ also deserves special mention. Due to its early and striking riffs, harmonious clean vocals and dense atmosphere, this track is one of the most accessible but also most powerful songs on the album.
“The Downfall” and “Rusted Veins” continue this line, but with a slightly different tonality. The former sounds dark and introverted. The latter shows a tendency towards a melodic death aesthetic reminiscent of bands like Katatonia, but remains rooted in black metal. The concluding “Storm Within My Heart” forms the emotional and musical climax of the album. This ten-minute work combines all the typical Austere characteristics – dark melodies, calm passages and violent, almost liberating outbursts.
All the tracks are of high quality, but there is one small point of criticism: the songs are structurally very similar. This leads to a somewhat uniform overall impression. More variety – for example in tempo, rhythm or timbre – would have done the album good. Nevertheless, The Stillness of Dissolution convinces with its consistently dense atmosphere, honest emotions and a well thought-out production. It gives every instrument and every vocal line enough space.
Austere show once again that they are among the most impressive representatives of their genre. The Stillness of Dissolution is an intense, honest and thoroughly melancholic work that needs time to unfold its full effect – an album that you can immerse yourself in and find yourself in. Anyone who likes depressive black metal or atmospheric, melancholic music should definitely buy this album.