The most important effect for AUSTERE is to fill their majestic floating or melancholic disturbing Black Metal compositions with atmosphere and epic broadness. Organic pulsating and stoic paced tracks are unleashed and poured out, in contrast to the manic, desperate and lightless heart-ripping voice. I think that last mentioned presentation will unsettle many esthetes, because the engrossed screams can get on the nerves remarkably.
Withering Illusions And Desolation acts like a sound carpet, holding insufficient variation concerning speed and suspense. The combination of mid-paced chords in undifferentiated reverberant sound and crestfallen vocals wears out in course of the first tracks, caused by the absence of light-bulb-moments or breaks. Nevertheless, I appreciate this work’s cumulative effect, deployed by meandering guitar walls. Consequently, I recommend this re-release (originally edited in 2007) for likers of epic tunes, but I search for awakening turns in vain. Finally, the very hard to digest extreme epos Coma abducts me to the title-giving mood because of all too long lasting monotonous riff.
AUSTERE’s music does not touch me deeply, this album passes me by without grabbing me by the neck, but if you like extremely exhausted, gloomy tunes and grumpy-cranky as well as desperate vocals, this release could develop a knock-on-effect.