Geist - 'Galeere'

Black Metal with a nautical twist.

German black metal has never been a hotbed for originality, but the sextet known as Geist are seeking to serve as the exception to this unfortunate rule. The band’s third LP Galeere, is an enjoyable listen, and attempts to boldly take the genre somewhere it’s never gone before…underwater.

Containing a scant five tracks, one could easily dismiss Galeere as an EP, until the songs’ true epic intentions are laid bare. For most of these songs hover around the nine minute mark, with the album’s closing track, “Unter toten Kapitänen”, clocking in at a full fifteen. The fact that Geist takes their time with songwriting works in the band’s favor, for sure, as each composition possesses plenty of breathing room and space to grow.

Geist has also made sure to inject as much authentic atmosphere here as possible, resulting in a sonic palette full of blues and dark greys; Galeere actually makes the listener feel like they’re underwater. Sure, the nautical theme has been used most famously by bands like Mastodon and Ahab, yet for a BM act to attempt something like this within such a Satanically-linked concept is to be commended, not admonished.

From the music, to the oceanic sound effects (certain sections even have a slight touch of that Isis-esque metalgaze we all know and love), to Cypher D. Rex’s hollow-sounding screams, Galeere is an album which attempts to explore uncharted territory, and—more often than not—succeeds.