Review by TheOneNeverSeen on January 1, 2024.

I've found this project thanks to the "Similar artists" section in YouTube Music. Although not an expert in DSBM, I am familiar with the more and less common traits of the genre, and I can say that despite not being innovative or outstanding, "Wo Trauer niemals endet" is a pretty strong EP that is worth listening if you are already familiar with the most famous DSBM artists.

There are a few reasons for why I like this album. The first one is its production. While many DSBM artists have a raw sound, "Wo Trauer niemals endet" has a much cleaner one, which is what I normally prefer in all subgenres of metal. The guitar tuning reminds me of Dark Funeral and late Nocturnal Depression, so if you like these bands, you will probably enjoy the guitars here, too. Second of all, the guitar riffs in "Death Addiction", "I Left This Life to Rot", and "Als all Licht meinen Lieb verließ" are absolutely sick (the intros of all the three songs are now among my favorite ones in DSBM). The drumming is decent, especially the awesome blast beat at the beginning of "I Left This Life to Rot". The EP is not long and has no filler songs, making even the extremely conventional intro less annoying and more appropriate than it would be in a lengthier record. The vocals, balancing between evil rattling screaming and melancholic whisper, although not extraordinary in any way, are satisfying and fit the album's desperate atmosphere perfectly. The only arguable song on the album is "Todeslust", where the vocals are in the left channel only, the guitar sometimes sounds a bit awkward (and produces a less "thick" sound), the main riff is way less remarkable and the song length is in my opinion greater than necessary. However, it's not too bad to change my impression of this album greatly.

So, while "Wo Trauer niemals endet" is far from perfect and definitely not the best record to start listening to depressive black metal, those already familiar with the genre will probably find a couple of songs to enjoy in it. A solid album with good songs, pleasing melodies and melancholic atmosphere. Definitely recommended to all DSBM fans, especially those looking for relatively unknown bands with good production.

Rating: 8 out of 10