Iskandr - Spiritus Sylvestris

Angry Metal Guy 50

The Netherlands has a very healthy black metal scene, with many bands using peat-bogs and Germanic folklore as inspiration. Until recently, Iskandr was part of that tradition. Twelve gave the band a mixed review last time, and clearly, this caused a major identity crisis in drummer M. Koops (Fluisteraars et al) and everything-elser O. Iskandr (Dool, Turia et al). Because Spiritus Sylvestris marks a huge shift in the band’s sound, going from shrieking and blastbeats to pastoral atmospheric doom. Dead Can Dance was cited on the promo sheet, which got me excited; while I’m not too well-versed in the folk-goth pioneers, their 1993 album Into the Labyrinth made its way into my regular rotation via a parental gift, and it’s not the most common influence in doom metal. If nothing else, Iskandr’s 180 was likely to lead well off the trodden path.

That certainly proves true. The biggest success of Spiritus Sylvestris is in its sound, a very particular and immersive combination of textures that paints vivid pictures of drowning sailors and foreboding castles in the countryside. The aforementioned Dead Can Dance influence is evident: dark brown vocals, synths and Hammonds filling the cracks, and an atmosphere of Calvinistic austerity. But the new Iskandr is very much a drum-forward album, the tone set by the heavy unyielding percussion. With the production giving the kit more attention as well, the album pulls much atmosphere from the unabating rise and fall of Koops’ hands. The stomping engine is embellished with unusual spare parts, such as the chunky metallic crashes not unlike a bag of horseshoes featuring prominently on “Hof der Valken” and the wood-box tippy taps on “Waterwolf,” bringing the several centuries-old picture further into focus.

Spiritus Sylvestris by ISKANDR

It gets frustrating how little Iskandr does with this unique sound, though. For all its focus on the drums, they offer precious little variation, with most of the beats based around the same tom-snare-tom-snare trudge, without even changing it up for the chorus. Any sense of dynamics is generated by stopping for a bar or two before resuming at the exact same pace and cadence. The vocals do much the same, intoning the Dutch lyrics religiously, three or four words at a time, all within a narrow range of pitch and tempo. “Hof der Valken” is the worst contender, failing to change up the incessant, insistent plodding until 8 minutes into its overlong running time. Nestled between “Hoor het Smeken,” which commits several of the same sins, and “Interlude,” which commits to 5 minutes of bird calls and soothing reverb, it makes for a long stretch of waiting for stuff to happen.

This significant shortcoming is more evident contrasting those moments when everything does fall into place. The end of “Waterwolf” rocks an enticing organ passage that brings the whole piece to life. Closer “Nachtvorst” demonstrates that the band does know how to avoid the lethargy-inducing pitfalls of the prior songs with a lighter, more driven beat and a nice layered interchange between the Hammond and the jangling guitars. But the album really peaks with the opener “Knagend Zout,” which feels less like a plodding workhorse and more like a pitching, yawing ship in rough seas.

Despite the extraordinary rebranding, Spiritus Sylvestris winds up with the same mixed score as its predecessor Vergezicht. In both cases, Iskandr shows off its two members’ prodigious talent on their instruments but falls victim to a variety of songwriting woes. And yet, I am hopeful for Iskandr’s future. The new sound brings with it a strong sense of identity, and it has the potential to ripen into a juicy chunk of stark goth-folk-doom. The seed of that makes Spiritus Sylvestris worth a spin, but the issue of monotony keeps it from being more than that.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Eisenwald
Website: iskandr.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: September 29th, 2023

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