Review by Felix on March 10, 2024.

“Dodenkroning” was the first album of Bezwering I listened to. It is my subjective debut, so to say. But the real, objective debut bears the name “Aan de wormen overgeleverd” which seems to mean “Delivered to the Worms”. Since I had the CD delivered by a mail order company, I am now wondering if I am just a worm too. But if this is the case, I am the worm with the best music taste far and wide. This noble skill enables me to realize the high quality of the debut (the real debut) of the Dutch dudes.

Bezwering’s first full-length stands firmly with both feet on the unholy ground of black metal, but this genre does not suffer from one-dimensionality and so it is easy to offer different musical facets. Please feel free to compare the lively and energetic beginning of “Nagezeten” (just like in some songs of “Dodenkroning”, Darkthrone’s “The Cult Is Alive” period shimmers through) and the first half of the next track “Rouwstoet”. Its sad, melancholy melody seems to accompany four guys wearing a coffin on their shoulders. The sacral, serious vocals emphasize this imagination. Lead vocalist Alfschijn is obviously inspired by the desire to bring the benefits of classical vocal training to the entire black scene. It is possible that some guys cannot deal with his approach, but, haha, this is my review, and I appreciate this extraordinary element a lot. His full, charismatic singing marks the most unusual feature of the album, even though there is although a lot of hateful nagging and evil screaming to find here.

Of course, the guys were clever enough to provide the right frame for such an outstanding element. The production gives the vocals enough room to be an enormous factor. But the guitars, the drums and even the bass (listen to its driving performance in the lean, mid-paced “Aan gene zijde”) come into their own as well. No doubt, the sound has been done by someone who understands his job. The same can be said about MJWW, the main composer of the five-piece. More or less all songs do not beat around the bush. They are compact and score with their presence form the first to the last second. Moreover, none of the tracks is predictable. Bezwering deliver a high degree of variation within the single songs (and over the distance of the full-length as well). One gets different tempos and different moods, even though the creation of atmosphere does not stand in the centre of the band’s way of proceeding. Nevertheless, at least some parts, for example the beginning (but not only the beginning) of “Het tweede gezicht” delivers a strange, almost drug-imbued aura. Me, the worm likes it, but I also enjoy the fact that some frenetic high velocity sections are also integrated.

The great, mainly hypnotic and slightly industrial rhythms and lines of “Waanzinskolk”, the output’s only instrumental, close the album which clocks in at 43 minutes. From my point of view, it is an outstanding work, because all nine songs contribute to the very strong overall picture. I did not mention each and every song explicitly, but it does not matter which track you want to explore: the more and more intensity gaining “Vredeloos” with its restlessly droning guitar line is just the first bullet of nine which hit their mark. Well, as far as I know, scientists discuss whether worms can hear or not. This is ridiculous. How could I get so excited about this album without the ability to hear?

Rating: 8.5 out of 10