Imperium Dekadenz – When We Are Forgotten

Label: Napalm Records
Releasedate: 30-08-2019

“Black metal from the black forest (Schwarzwald)”. Imperium Dekadenz is a name that the black metal audience in Germany is familiar with. Formed in 2004, these guys from the Baden-Württemberg area (where the black forest is) has been going strong with many releases and live shows. The sixth release “When We Are Forgotten” is out!

“When We Are Forgotten” offers us the progressive and atmospheric style of black metal. Combining the ‘old style’ with their interpretation, these guys deliver a refresh and a harsh sound with elements from post- and doom metal throughout the release. The highlight, however, is the intense emotions as well as the dark and doom-y atmosphere contained within each song; this record is not just blast beats and riffs, it is heavy and so you need to focus and take your time with this. That being said, this intense atmosphere can also be seen in the length of the songs; the album in general contains main songs and short ‘transition’ songs in between, adding that extra dimension. Since we are talking about an atmospheric release, the long songs are quite typical and to be expected. So if you are a fan of the short and direct approach in your black metal, this release is probably not the right one for you.

One minor aspect I would criticize would be the general flow of the record; in releases like this, I expect the general atmosphere to be so captivating that the listener will lose themselves and not realize how the time passed by. This was missing a bit in “When We Are Forgotten”; even though each song is surely epic, the songs could have been connected a bit better so that the album would flow easily. Other than that, nothing to complain about this one; from the production to the overall sound, the album will surely catch your attention.

Intense, dark and atmospheric… “When We Are Forgotten” is definitely a record worth checking out if you are a fan of the atmospheric and ‘post-metal’ side of black metal.

Line up:

• Vespasian – guitars, bass, drums, keyboards
• Horaz – guitars, keyboards, vocals

Tracklist
01. When We Are Forgotten
02. Bis Ich Bin
03. My Solace I (Choirs of Solitude)
04. Trauma
05. A Cave Called Wisdom
06. Transcendence
07. Seance
08. Absenz Elysium
09. My Solace II (Paths of Perception)
10. Reverie
11. Frozen in Time

Links:

Facebook
Bandcamp