The Answer Lies In The Black Void
is the project of
vocalist Martina Horváth (known from Thy Catafalque) and multi-instrumentalist Jason Köhnen (Celestial
Season, Bong-Ra, The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble). Together
they’ve carved out a particular corner of doom metal they call “transcendental
metal,” where heaviness is never just about riffs but about atmosphere,
psychological depth and emotional weight. Since 2021’s “Forlorn” and 2023’s
“Thou Shalt,” the duo has been steadily building a reputation for metal that’s
equally crushing and contemplative.
Their third
full-length, “Transcendental,” continues this path with eight tracks that play
out like chapters in a dream that edges toward nightmare. Guitars carry the
deep, slow motion pull you’d expect from doom, and the layers of electronics
and ambience stretch the soundscape wider. Martina’s
voice is an anchor throughout. Sometimes soaring and ghostly, sometimes raw and
human, always commanding attention. Her vocal presence gives the album a
character that’s difficult to shake off once you’ve heard it.
Lyrically,
the album circles themes of denial, transformation and the confrontation with
hidden truths. Tracks like “Sine Morbo” and “Love Is A Dog From Hell” suggest
not just despair but the complicated journey through it. Closer “Mists Of
Krakatoa” leaves the impression of resolution, a descent into ash and silence
that lingers after the music cuts out.
“Transcendental”
is heavy enough in sound and heavy in intent, the kind of doom that does not
simply crush, it unsettles, and makes you think about what’s beneath the
surface. This is an album that creates an otherworldly atmosphere where doom
and dark introspection become one.
Score: 8.2
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