If you were surprised to see the name Fluisteraars on this particular not-metal-related column, perhaps you shouldn’t have been. The black metal scene in the Netherlands is defined by a complete shrugging off of the orthodoxy that seems to define the scene worldwide, and Fluisteraars have been one of the flagship names championing this bold experimentation that has captivated audiences near and far, myself included. From 2020’s Bloem, which saw the band really begin to play with the form and function of their brand of romantic black metal, to the free-wheeling chaos of Gegrepen Door de Geest der Zielsontluiking, the trio’s descent into mania has only seen them become more and more artistically unshackled. The culmination of this is Manifestaties van de Ontworteling, a full dark ambient release that seeks to cast off what inhibitions are left in the band and strike out into brave new territory.

What use is it to draw lines between Us and Them? Who has a right to exist? Who’s space is being taken up by whom? These questions are given to the listener to ponder over an hour of vast, meditative drones, crescendoing cacophonies of strings, and jarring gong hits, taking the Zen Buddhism approach to achieving enlightenment by throwing one’s mental state into flux. Performed and recorded live on analog synth equipment under the approach path of the Eindhoven airport (while guarded by a Malinois), Manifestaties van de Ontworteling, or “Manifestations of Uprooting”, explores the ways in which humans and their environment spontaneously interact day to day, and what scars we leave behind on the natural world around us. The spontaneous nature of the recording means that frequently the soundscapes presented are interrupted by sounds of the natural world around, placing the listener in direct relationship to the conflict between man and our surroundings. This exploration of conflict and tension which runs through Manifestaties van de Ontworteling both musically and philosophically makes for a listening experience that is contemplative and perplexing, a journey within and without that leaves ones with perhaps fewer answers than questions, but one that pushes the mind to grapple with the realities of the world we live in in a way that is more tangible than most music can.

Manifestaties van de Ontworteling is another triumph for a band that is at the creative forefront of their music scene. Often these kinds of outside-the-box albums for metal musicians are met with blind criticism for the form, but much like Blood Incantation’s Timewave Zero or Wolves in the Throne Room’s Celestite and similar releases, I truly hope those people learn how to engage with art as it is and not just blindly criticize. This is an album that begs for your attention, that offers you worthwhile questions to think about, and one that can take you on an insightful journey if you let it move you.

– Vincent

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Manifestaties van de Ontworteling is available now through Eisenwald Records. For more information on Fluisteraars, visit the band’s Facebook page.