Welcome, my fellow black metalheads, Sean here at the Black Metal Archives, and today we’re descending into the shadowed realm of Germany’s own, Wrack, with their haunting 2023 release, Altäre der Vergänglichkeit. Unleashed on April 7 via Crawling Chaos, this fourth full-length from the Bochum-based outfit—led by Wishbone (vocals, guitars, bass, acoustic instruments, programming), with Grabestau (vocals, bass), Havoc (guitars), and Kaos (drums, backing vocals)—is a nine-track pilgrimage through decay and transcendence. After years of silence since their 2010 debut Gram und gleißende Wut, Wrack return with a vengeance, joined by guest vocalists Stef (Minas Morgul), K (Hallig), and Frida Nordlys (Miscreation), plus guitarist Sulphur (ex-Wrack). This is atmospheric black metal laced with doom and neofolk, a spiritual altar to transience—let’s kneel before it.
The album opens with “Praeludium,” a somber invocation that sets a melancholic tone. Wishbone’s acoustic guitars pluck a mournful melody, layered with ambient drones that whisper of inevitable endings, while distant vocals rise like a requiem. It’s a fragile yet potent gateway, pulling you into Wrack’s world of poetic despair with a sound that’s as intimate as it is vast.
“Forlorn I” follows, a crushing plunge into black-doom depths. The guitars—electric and heavy—churn with slow, deliberate riffs, while Wishbone and Grabestau’s vocals intertwine, shifting from guttural growls to depressive shrieks that echo with raw emotion. The drums pound with a mournful weight, and the bass rumbles like the earth settling over a grave. It’s a track that carries the heft of a quarter-century’s worth of lethargy, transformed into a sonic lament that’s both crushing and cathartic.
“Forlorn II” builds on its predecessor, weaving in neofolk tendrils and post-rock flourishes. The guitars take on a twin-lead shimmer—reminiscent of Wishbone Ash’s legacy—while the vocals soar into cleaner, solemn territory. Kaos’s drumming adds a dynamic pulse, guiding the track through waves of melancholy that feel like life slipping by in slow motion. This is Wrack at their most expansive, blending genres into a tapestry of somber beauty.
“Fluchtwald” stands out with its collaborative might, featuring guest vocals from Stef, K, and Frida Nordlys. The guitars roar with frosty aggression, tempered by acoustic interludes that paint the forest as both refuge and curse. Sulphur’s guest guitar work adds a jagged edge, while the layered vocals—spanning shrieks, growls, and ethereal chants—create a chilling harmony. It’s a track that captures the duality of nature’s embrace, a blackened hymn to inner retreat turned to peril.
“Reise I” embarks on a progressive journey, with Havoc’s guitars weaving intricate, melancholic melodies over a bedrock of Wishbone’s programming. The drums roll with a hypnotic grace, and the vocals—clean and screamed—carry a sense of wandering through a ruined world. It’s a reflective piece, rich with atmosphere, that pulls you deeper into the album’s spiritual core.
“Ruinen I” emerges as a poetic pinnacle, its guitars blazing with heroic rhythms that rise from the ashes of despair. Wishbone’s lyrics—depicting a white dove returning as a burned crow—find voice in his spat screams and Grabestau’s garish growls, while Sulphur’s guest riffs add a fiery spark. The track surges with emotional intensity, a leuchtfeuer of melody piercing the gloom, making it a standout in Wrack’s arsenal.
Wrack’s sound on Altäre der Vergänglichkeit is a masterful fusion—Wishbone’s guitars, both electric and acoustic, drive the album with versatility, from frostbitten riffs to delicate plucking, while Havoc’s contributions add a melodic edge. The bass, shared between Wishbone and Grabestau, pulses with a thick, grounding presence, and Kaos’s drums bring a dynamic heft, enriched by backing vocals. The programming and ambient drones weave a dense atmosphere, amplifying the album’s spiritual weight. In the black metal genre, Wrack stand alongside atmospheric acts like Burzum or early Ulver, yet their death-doom heft and neofolk accents echo Agalloch or Empyrium, crafting a sound that’s both traditional and boundary-pushing. This is a triumphant return, a poetic and musical altar to transience that demands reverence—light the candles and let it envelop you.
