There are some people in the world that refuse to let the constraints of time keep them tied down and prevent them from creating new music that can truly deliver. It’s a great thing to see a band that hasn’t put out material in seven whole years come back around with fresh music, and it’s even better to see that band make a triumphant return! That’s precisely what’s happened with Germany’s Der Toten Lebend Schein, and their return couldn’t be anymore tasty!

An EP is a good way to slide back into the metal scene as it has the capacity to show how you’ve come as a band while giving listeners a taste of what you can still bring to the table, yet not showing off all the tricks that are stuffed up your sleeves that you’ve garnered over the years. In the case of Der Toten Lebend Schein, the trio comes back into the fold with a standard 3-track EP in the form of “…von Leichen bewohnt” that shows off more and more of the intrinsic talent of this band as the EP progresses. With each tracks increasing in length, what we’re treating with here is the type of black metal that shows you how the band can lay down the metal right off the bat, but then we’re slowly introduced to see how else the musicians can throw down in so many different ways with each being more tantalizing than the last. That’s exactly what Der Toten Lebend Schein does here! Not only does “…von Leichen bewohnt” fucking smash as a piece of black metal, it also flexes its muscles by tossing in chunks of atmospheric deliciousness that pulls you further into the world that these Germans create seemingly with ease yet you can’t help but continue further into its reaches as there’s so much more to enjoy with each passing minute.

To say that Der Toten Lebend Schein took me by absolute surprise with this EP is no less than an understatement. I was simply checking out to see what a preferred label of mine put out, then lo and behold I saw this and holy shit am I glad I found this excellent comeback! By all accounts, “…von Leichen bewohnt” is an incredible and diverse slab of black metal that is an absolute treat to hear, and I can feel great things are to come from this German trio. Mark my words.

LISTEN to “…von Leichen bewohnt” on Bandcamp here.