Trading Gelderland folk legends, eyeing will-o’-the-wisps and soaking in the glacier carved marshlands in surround Bennekom, Netherlands-based atmospheric black metal duo FLUISTERAARS strive in pursuit of the unknown on this heady, slow-soaring sixth full-length album. Cut from three extended pieces and performed as off-the-cuff as possible ‘Jacht der Mysteriën‘ reflects a philosophy achieved deep within nature, a stoic wanderer’s curiosity in approach of instinct, expression and psychedelia-folded patternation. This leaves the whole of it flowing as if wind over hilly grasslands, gushing and breaking in long and occasionally irregular movements thickened by the atmosphere provided by the late evening.

Formed back in 2009 the proverbial glue that binds Fluisteraars‘ efforts can be reduced to something like atmospheric black metal with all efforts aimed at new horizons, whatever might distort and evolve their sound forward. The goalpost might not be moving in terms of expressive ideation but their output reaches for something new, be it conversation or approach, with each step. This means different points of the band’s projection have been compared with everything from (early on) Cascadian black metal and Drudkh to Yellow Eyes and Urfaust. I’m not sure any reasonable holistic comparison can be made with consideration for their discography thus far but you can expect a voluminous and organic capture of emergent ideas in their more recent efforts.

Though they’d released two oaken post-black records in the mid-2010’s the broader public was introduced to Fluisteraar‘s work via their third LP (‘Bloem‘, 2020) a record I’d reviewed favorably, heaping praise upon its singular, energetic sound. From that point they’d been entranced in exploration of naturalism and some improvisational foundation on follow-up ‘Gegrepen Door de Geest der Zielsontluiking‘ (2021) before exploring fallen and forgotten castles in their district via the three part, multi-year/session spanning ‘De Kronieken Van Het Verdwenen Kasteel‘ trilogy of 10″ singles. If you’d overlooked those EPs consider them key context as they reflect direct adjacency to the band’s growth and musicianship from 2020-2024, eventually placing themselves nearby what we find today on ‘Jacht der Mysteriën‘, especially via the illustrious part three.

Conceived as a contiguous live performance and intentionally captured in a single take (via producer & session bassist T. Cochrane) ‘Jacht der Mysteriën‘ is unmistakably psychic and sonic kin to the era of introspective atmospheric black metal Fluisteraars emerged from. Sans strictures upon tone and black metal derived structuring their work on the album’s three pieces offers a range of expressive vocal snarl, both ferally snarled and in narrative cadence, amidst dirging bass guitar rounded thrum. The collision of these elements in stream is ordered but reeling, a steadily rolling flow through its ideas exemplified within the synth-weirded psych black trod of opener “Grondeloos Donkere Bossen”. It isn’t a total deathmarch through but the path is generally unbroken, a ranting paragraph divulged amidst outer-spaced effects which lend their introductory moments their own dramatic surrealism.

Beyond our plow into the dark forest ahead “Condities der Afstraffing” doesn’t change the subject so much as martial the rhythm a bit, still warping the third ear with its aural effects but trampling in alternate step. The melodic push around ~2:42 minutes into the song is one of the finest parts on the whole of ‘Jacht der Mysteriën‘ and in no small part thanks to the heady guitar synth (?) used to elevate the moment. This’d end up being the piece to pull me back into Fluisteraars‘ portal repeatedly, serving as the major apex of the listening experience, depending on how you rate the extended ambient portion of closer “Zwarte Zomermaan”, and the most reasonable piece to compare to something like ‘Empty Space Meditation‘.

The piece most likely to knife the ear, as suggested, is “Zwarte Zomermaan” which features as a series of two movements in steady succession ’til its ~second half buzzes into solemn skygazing buzz and hum. The night-set ambiance floated beyond the ~10:20 minute mark capably sets the scene for a flip back to Side A on repeat but wasn’t immersive or active enough for my taste, the sort of thing I’ll skip after just a few minutes of fade. I’d hoped that part of the record would brandish something more abrasive a la ‘Manifestaties van de Ontworteling‘ (2024) but I understand we are meant to be stargazing out-of-body by the end.

Though I’d like to experience it uninterrupted in a live setting, as intended, I’d found the woolen warmth and space-cased warping of ‘Jacht der Mysteriën‘ beyond redeeming as experientially summoned atmospheric black metal kraut-psychedelia. Fluisteraars‘ve always had a knack for dramatic sonic landscapes in this context but here they drift off (without discounting ‘Bloem‘) into even more of their own unique headspace. It is an exceptional addition to their discography, an appreciably different experience which yet advances their performance directed authorship. A high recommendation.

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