Welcome all my fellow black metal heads, welcome back to the Black Metal Archives! I’m Sean, and today, we’re diving into Reue, the latest release from Leipa. This album is a raw, immersive journey through melancholy and aggression, blending atmospheric and depressive black metal in a way that cuts deep. So, let’s break it down and see what makes Reue such a standout release!
Leipa. A name that may not be on every black metal fan’s radar yet, but if their latest release Reue is anything to go by, they absolutely should be. This album is a raw and immersive experience, drenched in melancholy, aggression, and a deeply personal sense of regret—fitting, considering the title translates to “remorse.” Released via Avantgarde Music and Noisebringer Records, Reue is a seven-track journey through the depths of atmospheric and depressive black metal.
From the very first moments of 01.09.2015, it’s clear that Leipa isn’t just about raw aggression—they have a masterful grasp of dynamics. The album thrives on contrast: blistering blast beats and tremolo-picked guitars set an unforgiving foundation, while melancholic melodies cut through the chaos like haunting whispers.
Vocally, Leipa’s mastermind, known simply as Noise, delivers a visceral performance. His rasping screams feel less like a performance and more like a cry from the abyss, adding an emotional weight that few bands can achieve. The guitars are sharp and icy, weaving between moments of ferocity and aching sorrow. There are plenty of melodic undertones here, but they never compromise the album’s intensity.
The drumming is another standout element. While relentless at times, it knows when to pull back, allowing tracks like Fremdkörper to breathe. Speaking of Fremdkörper, this track features guest vocals from Dany Tee of Los Males Del Mundo, adding even more depth to the emotional torment. The instrumental section within this song, where everything slows to a haunting, almost funeral-like pace, is a perfect example of Leipa’s ability to balance fury with fragility.
The title track, Reue, is a perfect encapsulation of the album’s themes. It starts off with an eerie, almost meditative riff before building into an intense and cathartic storm of sound. This track is one of the most emotionally charged moments on the album, and it perfectly captures the overwhelming sense of regret and sorrow that runs through the entire record.
Then there’s Schlaf—a song that feels like the slow descent into oblivion. The weight of the atmosphere here is crushing, with prolonged instrumental passages that let the listener sit in the sorrow before plunging back into a wall of tremolo riffs and tortured screams. It’s moments like these that make Reue such an effective album—it doesn’t just sound melancholic; it makes you feel it.
So where does Reue fit into the larger black metal landscape? It straddles the line between atmospheric and depressive black metal but avoids falling into the more formulaic tropes of the latter. There’s no excessive minimalism here—every moment feels intentional, every riff crafted with purpose. Fans of bands like Agrypnie, Harakiri for the Sky, and even some of the more emotionally charged works from Der Weg Einer Freiheit will find something to appreciate here.
Leipa has crafted something truly special with Reue. It’s raw, it’s immersive, and above all, it’s honest. This is an album that doesn’t just present black metal as a genre, but as an emotional outlet, a catharsis. If you haven’t checked it out yet, now is the time. This album can be streamed in full on their bandcamp page.
And that wraps up this review—if you enjoyed this breakdown and want more deep dives into underground black metal, don’t forget to like to keep up to date with all of our black metal reviews, and let me know in the comments what album you think I should review next. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in the next one!
