Iskandr - Vergezicht (2021)

Unleashing a very cohesive and emotional musical experience, today we have Iskander and their third full-length release “Vergezicht”. Perfectly flowing between six tracks and nearly 64 minutes of music, this release combines melancholy, harshness, and dreaminess in a very robust and enjoyable package. Released through Eisenwald, this album showcases a great level of maturity and expert craftsmanship from this Ducth duo.

Opening with the lush acoustic elements of “Gezag”, there is a magical mood that is slowly set until it's nicely contrasted by heavy riffs and harsh vocals. Oozing with melancholy, songs like “Bloeddraad” and “Gewesten der Tijd” perfectly showcase the band’s range and creativity, with tons of unique tempo changes, atmospheric and dreamy passages alongside haunting vocal arrangements. However, the heavy side of the band is always present with furious onslaughts like on “Baken”, making this band comparable to a mixture of Thurisaz and Thyrfing.

Longer songs like “Verbod” create very ethereal journeys thanks to their lush instrumental arrangements, moody interludes, and dark atmospheres. This track is certainly one of our favorites as it slowly builds up, adding layers of atmosphere as it trudges along its 10-minute duration. Closing with the fierce “Het Slot”, there are some elements present of bands like Fell Voices, Ash Borer, creating a truly mystical experience.

Overall, “Vergezicht” is one of those releases that need more than a few spins to fully digest and dissect all the cool things going on. The band’s sound is quite unique and yet very rich in external influences, without sounding like a copy of absolutely anybody else. If you like unique, diverse, and highly atmospheric Black/Pagan Metal, you are in luck with this excellent and trascendental release.

Label: Eisenwald

Release: September 24th, 2021

Genre: Atmospheric Pagan/Black Metal

Country: Netherlands