Formed in Lewin Brzaski, Opole (Poland) in 2018 and peddling a rather nice line in doomy black metal, Königreichssaal are a three-piece who operate with a take-no-prisoners ethos. Taking their name from the German word for “Kingdom Hall” (a place of worship for Jehovah’s Witnesses), Königreichssaal have a musical style and a lyrical bent that belies their name and makes for an interesting tension of opposites. It’s one of many juxtapositions that echoes throughout the band’s second album Psalmen ‘O’ Delirium and makes for a darkly discombobulating affair, and one that marks this record as one of 2024’s key releases.
With wolves howling menacing in a desolate wilderness creating a rather disconcerting introduction, you might mistake Psalmen ‘O’ Delirium as your prototypical black metal album, yet nothing could be further from the truth. While the intro to opening track ‘Iskarja’ does act as a warning to the curious, it doesn’t take long for the group to hit their stride and deliver an avant-garde affair that ties the listener up in all sorts of knots. Creating a real sense of time and place, ‘Iskarja’ (and, indeed, the whole album) is what Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson once termed the “Theatre Of The Mind”; it’s atmospheric and transports us to another dimension. The keys sound like an organ emanating from a haunted chapel and the whole thing projects strong images onto the mind’s eye; it’s cinematic and the musical equivalent to a horror film (albeit the most depraved slasher flick you’ve ever seen).
With each of the three band members (De Ateus; guitar, Papa Artur; bass, Jakob; drums) contributing to the vocals, Königreichssaal have a unique weapon in an already impressive arsenal. It’s a three-pronged attack that ranges from ghostly shrikes to demonic growls and attacks the listener from all angles. Take ‘Lazaret’, for example, it is as if someone has lowered a microphone into the depths of hell and recorded the tortured cries of the souls cast into purgatory. It’s an approach that’s enhanced by the production; this is a multi-layered affair; there’s plenty buried deep in the mix which means that this is an album that’ll reward repeat plays as subtle nuances bubble to the surface on successive spins. It’s also an album best experienced through headphones to fully appreciated its ebb and flow and multifaceted nature.
With seven songs in forty minutes, Psalmen ‘O’ Delirium tends towards the epic meaning that this isn’t an album mad for quick consumption; it deserves to be digested slowly and thoughtfully, and you won’t regret it.
- Psalmen ‘O’ Delirium is released via Godz Ov War Productions and is available now (from here).
Track List:
- Iskarja
- Rubikon
- Lazaret
- Psalmen
- Delirio
- Anatema
- Satyros
