Love and heavy metal have always had a somewhat strained relationship as the former is at least nominally topic number 1 in pop music. It becomes even more complicated when black metal is involved, a genre in which hate is a major ingredient as much as blues musicians must have felt utter sadness.
This observation makes "Boezem", the debut full-length of Dutch quintet VUUR & ZIJDE ("Fire & Silk") the more remarkable as the album revolves around themes of conditional and unconditional love – and the difference between those, the liberation of intimacy, and motherhood. This album politely abstains from going through the motions of tedious heavy metal clichés.
It might help that although the Dutch have deep roots in black metal and the five have been or still are members in such established bands as LASTER, NUSQUAMA, SILVER KNIFE, GREY AURA, WITTE WIEVEN, and TERZIJ DE HORDE, they have stylistically shifted from their 2020 split-album with IMPAVIDA in the meantime. Having grown from a trio to a 5-piece formation has brought a wider range of influences and ideas to the table. The changes are subtle but enough to locate a part of their sound in the evolving and exciting realms of post-black metal.
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