“Primordial, bardic hymns for forest dwellers.” – Sarah Ann, Smoulder

The first full-length from expansive, brilliant German epic metallers-on-’70s folk-rockers! A glorious intermingling of epic metal, epic doom, acid folk, folk, folk rock, Krautrock, renaissance fair-styled music and ’70s rock, Germany’s GRENDEL’S SŸSTER may have no identifiable and convenient genre tag, yet on their first studio album, “Katabasis into the Abaton”, the band weaves a dynamic, potent spell untethered to anything but their own creative whims.

Formed in 2015 after a series of impromptu jam sessions tucked away in the Vosges Mountains region in France, GRENDEL’S SŸSTER – comprising vocalist Caro, guitarist/songwriter Tobi, drummer Till and bassist Simon – proceeded to release the “Night Sea Journey/Sayings of the High One” single in 2017, which was followed by the “Orphic Gold Leaves/Orphische Goldblättchen” EP a year later. Cruz Del Sur Music subsequently signed the band in 2020 and reissued the 2019 “Myrtle Wreath / Myrtenkranz” EP, which brings us to “Katabasis into the Abaton”.

Recorded between 2002 and 2023 at der Soundmann Studio in Stuttgart with Mitch Meister (Jan Sachsenmaier provided mixing at Harmony Mastering in Stuttgart), “Katabasis into the Abaton” features nine songs that are harmonious, driving and multi-faceted, straddling the above-mentioned lines while casting a wide net suitable for the heaviest ‘banger and the most stoned-out rocker. It’s a credit to the songwriting brilliance of Tobi, who, in his own estimation, claims that being “patient” and “attentive” was the secret sauce for the album’s creation, including a surprise pairing with Caro on her mellotron arrangement on “Golden Key (Won’t Fit)”.

Caro’s development as a vocalist is palpable across the album. She can either be a metal goddess or sorceress, depending on what the song requires. Yet, it is her ability to slip into these roles effortlessly (and sometimes within the same song!) that is a direct reflection of her emergence as a frontwoman. And, across “Katabasis into the Abaton”, Caro is singing about historical, mythological and philosophical themes that are relatable on a personal level but are viewed through the lens of Jungian psychology.

As a special treat to their homeland fans, there is also a German-language version of “Katabasis into the Abaton” available on compact disc and digital. GRENDEL’S SŸSTER did it for the challenge and fun of it all but also to explore the depth and roots of their native language and to give it an archaic and timeless feel. And perhaps that last word, “timeless,” is the best description of GRENDEL’S SŸSTER, for they are a band that could have thrived in any era. It just so happens that we are lucky to have them in the here and now in 2024.

LINE-UP
Caro- vocals
Tobi- guitar
Simon- bass
Till- drums

REVIEW

I love that album cover! I’m not sure what the exact style is called, but it’s one that always makes me happy to see. This is a band whose been on my radar for a bit now, but I’ve largely avoided listening to their music up to now (I like to go into albums completely in the dark). Before I begin, I will be listening to the English versions of the songs first, and then the German ones. As a cursory German speaker, thanks to almost 1000 days of Duolingo, I’m looking forward to that half of the record most of all.

“Boar’s Tusk Helmet/Eberzahnhelm”. Hypnotic vocals. Outstanding guitar work, and thunderous drumming. Lyrics that were perfect for me to visualize a scene (complimentary). I imagined a sprawling plain with winds laying down the grass on an overcast day. The German version, “Eberzahnhelm”, is obviously the same track structurally, but I was very much excited for the vocals. Caro’s delivery is perhaps even stronger in her native tongue, though sung German is a personal favorite of mine.

“The Plight of the Sorcerer/Die Bürde des Schwarzkünstlers”. Love the vocal delivery, and the bluesy guitarwork. Adore that portion where the vox are isolated briefly. Brief interlude near the end before a wonderful psychedelic portion kicks in to close out the track. While not essential to the song as a whole, it really helped move it to the next level.

“Rose Arbor/Rosenhag”. Excellent vocals to start off, with a real storytelling quality to them. Really feels like medieval tavern music, and that’s amazing. Instruments a bit more subdued in this one, letting the vocals take center stage, but they’re no slouch at all. This is one where I think the German version is superior to the English version by a slight margin.

“Night Owl’s Beak/Nachteulenschnabel”. Intro guitar work reminded me a lot of NWOBHM. This was a shorter track overall, but it blistered through and never felt shorter than the rest of the songs thus far. Also for some reason reminded me of Elder Scrolls games, and I have no clue why.

“Golden Key (Won’t Fit)/Güldenes Schlüsselein (klemmt)”. Incredible acoustic opening with some great flute(?) in the background, and that acoustic instrumentation continued throughout the song, never wearing thing. Proper epic ballad stuff, that made me recall MANILLA ROAD and a bit of the criminally underrated ASHBURY. Adore the vocal work in this one, which reminded me a bit of Grace Slick of JEFFERSON AIRPLANE.

“The Fire That Lights Itself/Unentfacht Flammend”. An almost Middle-Eastern flair to the opening guitar riff (idk, it reminds me of the desert music in JRPGs). Literally in love with the vocal work, and the more doomy nature of this one. As she starts singing to the sky with high notes akin to Floor Jansen, the song comes to its climax.

“In Praise of Mugwort/Beifußweise”. Once again the guitar work and vocals are the standouts, channeling that late 70s prog rock. But the drums and bass are stalwartly holding down the rhythm section. Just the cadence in the way the lyrics are delivered is so infectious. It’s everything I like about this style of music, reminding me of epic fantasy novels and RPGs.

“Cosmogony/Kosmogonie”. A more doom-influenced track to close out the album, but damn this band doesn’t miss. Once again, all pieces of GRENDEL’S SŸSTER are giving it their all. This is a tight band playing tight music. Really loved the bass in this one, there’s a bass-led interlude that really seals it.

CONCLUSION

So, this was amazing! I acknowledge that it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you like this avenue of folk-prog, then you should not miss GRENDEL’S SŸSTER. I remain entranced by Caro’s vocal work, and the instrumentation is a perfect accompaniment to it, and vice versa. I’ve been put off by dungeon synth, because of the more black metal inspired vocals a lot of the time, but this is like if dungeon synth had clean vox.

TheNWOTHM Score: 9.5/10

GRENDEL’S SŸSTER‘s “Katabasis Into the Abaton” releases on 30 August, 2024
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