Minenwerfer (USA) ‎– Volkslieder GOLD LP

Black Metal

Since their formation in 2007, MINENWERFER have pursued a proud ‘n’ pure vision of black metal idiosyncratically focused on World War I – idiosyncratic, in the sense that the band hail from America but mostly sing in German. What has resulted is a startlingly accomplished canon that has quietly built itself into prolific proportions, with their first album arriving in 2010, followed by albums in 2012 and 2019, and a slew of split releases and EPs in the interim.

That first album, Volkslieder, was a throttling first introduction to MINENWERFER’s unique world. Grim and violent but not short on grace, Volkslieder indeed conveyed a folkish element that was by turns tragic and triumphant. And while the duo’s foot was firmly on the accelera to here, it never sacrificed strong songwriting, with those icy-hot melodies searing the soul during every successive spin.