Review by Felix on February 28, 2024.

Is there a hammering in the mountain? Does someone forge a red-hot iron underground? I don’t think so, but Dauƥuz take us back to archaic times. They are a reminder of the hardships that people have taken on in order to lead a slightly better life. Of course, they give the historic, pretty archaic scenario a poetic touch. Nevertheless, their main lyrical topics (ancient mining, nature, mysticism) lend them a relatively unique approach.

And that’s not all. The music itself advances into overwhelming dimensions. Not always, but a lot of times. Whenever the duo offers an outbreak of great, powerful emotions, based on titanic melodies, I feel drawn into the album irresistibly. So much triumph, so much pain, so much drama. The atmosphere is really fantastic on “Vom schwarzen Schmied - Bergkgesænge”. The silent beginning of “Mein Berg” with synthesizer and piano sets the stage perfectly. Drums and guitars join the introduction. The tension rises in an upward curve and ends in wild, Latin choirs that lead into an adventurous verse. Dauƥuz are able to create an encompassing storm with powerful vocals, murderous guitars and a quite opulent quantum of melody. But their passionate outbursts are no end in itself. Calm sequences have also found their place here and both sides of the album add value to it.

Sacral, multi-voiced sequences are another important, characteristic feature of the album. Valkyrie-like, Graveland-compatible background vocals accompany the raging yet harmonic guitar lines in a great manner from time to time, but the performance of lead vocalist Syderyth G. crowns the album. He always strikes the right tones in a very powerful and charismatic way. While doing so, he supports the vibes of the music in an extremely great and impressive way. The fascinating, monumental “Der Eid” alone holds many examples of his outstanding skills. Sometimes his voice and the music sound like a more metallic and much better edition of In Extremo, but the duo shows an affinity for the Middle Ages in general. Nevertheless, “Vom schwarzen Schmied – Bergkgesænge” does not lack profound heaviness in any way. Okay, “Desperation” and “Cognito” are only carried by acoustic guitars and vocals, but they convince due to their gloomy aura. Nevertheless, the grim bombast of outbursts like “Zauberwerk” or “Sagenlieder” (what a gargantuan centre of the album) present the most exciting moments of the duo’s art. And I may not forget that the band has also integrated some spooky, almost fragile guitar lines that send exactly these showers down my spine which I always feel when I listen to Pest’s masterpiece “Dauđafærd”. It seems as if these guitar tones walk the very thin line between life and death. That’s just gigantic.

Are there any weaknesses to find here? Of course, otherwise I would have given 100%. But, thank God, they appear in diminishing numbers. For example, I am no friend of narrative, spoken parts. It always makes me think of fairytale records. Music-wise, I don’t have any complaints. All parts are somewhere between good and absolutely outstanding. Fortunately the technical execution does not pale besides the songwriting skills. The full-length can rely on its opulent, evil and well-defined production. All elements have enough room to leave their footprints and to breathe. Despite the dark tales of Syderyth G., the sound has a lively component. No I cannot find any serious deficiencies here, but nearly Wagnerian melodies that reveal a rarely experienced might, while the furious sections lie in close proximity to the powerful guitar walls that the black metal scene of Quebec loves to create. Conclusion: this album seems to be criminally ignored, otherwise I would not be the first one who writes a review for it – nearly two years after its release. Everybody who does not hate their good taste should listen to this. Right away.

Rating: 9 out of 10