It’s very often in many scenarios with metal that we like to throw around the word “epic” to describe something that’s awesome. It’s a word that fits every now and then, for sure, but it’s only on rare occasion do we get an album that perfectly embodies that word. Finsterforst has never disappointed by bringing material that’s either really close to such description or spot on. When I went into “Zerfall”, I knew that they were going to deliver but there’s nowhere I could’ve expected what magnificence they bring here.

If you know anything of me, you know that I love it when bands do a super long song. It shows the band in question dares to try and craft an experience that five minutes just can’t encapsulate. Material that is meant to be listened to with full attention to witness all that great detail. So, when I saw the tracklist for “Zerfall” containing no more than a mere five tracks, I got really excited knowing that Finsterforst never shied away from a challenge. With the short track being eight minutes and the longest being over thirty, there isn’t a single thing in this long and stupendously epic journey that is one of the most compelling works of its kind that I’ve ever heard! And that’s not even mentioning all the talent and beauty that was poured into this immensely powerful album.

While many people thought Finsterforst was going down a dark path with their previous album, “#YOLO” (that I still enjoy, much to contrary opinion), it’s clear with the first track alone that Finsterforst hasn’t lost an ounce of their potency. There isn’t a single element of this massive and ambitious album that Finsterforst doesn’t absolutely dominate from beginning to end as Finsterforst bring their A-game in full force for the entirety of “Zerfall”. If you’ve ever been a fan of Finsterforst in the past, there’s undoubtedly something for you to enjoy this work. Bringing together everything that’s ever made them a force to be reckoned with, cranking the glory up to a million, nailing every folk piece, and devastation at every display of power, “Zerfall” has so many stories to tell us that are all superb in every way and gripping in such fashion that even the 36-minute finale is an engorging experience that simply can’t be ignored. It’s with every morsel that Finsterforst throws our way that astonishes and compelled to a level that sounds virtually godlike with every note feeling as though it was pulled straight from a fantasy universe the likes of which is so grand that words cannot encapsulate. And by the end, “Zerfall” comes together in an over hour-long experience such that I can easily claim this to be one of the best albums we’re to get this year as it is just too immaculate to ignore or deny.

Just listening to “Zerfall” is a reward like extremely few others and is the sort of thing that I truly do hope will get the love and recognition it deserves upon its release. Finsterforst has somehow outdone themselves with this album and you can bet your ass that I’ll be shoving this down all of your throats at every opportunity I get.

“Zerfall” releases on August 2nd via Napalm Records!

LISTEN to singles from “Zerfall” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Finsterforst on Facebook here.