The artistic vision is something that we love to talk about in the dense underground of what metal music can still become when the right circumstances are met, but what about when we’re met with such talent and ambition that even metal cannot be nearly enough to contain such vision? The sheer breadth of metal is something that has never ceased to deliver all sorts of glory and grandeur, yet it’s even now that we’re being bombarded by bands that push the boundaries far beyond our reality as if the musicians in question are operating on another plane of creativity altogether. While I normally would refer to bands like Neptunian Maximalism or Nagaarum, there’s always been room for expansion. Throughout this year, word has been spread here and there about a collective born from the same fictional realm of Eremit yet distinctly different despite being definitively adjacent. Now, with the arrival of “Stewards of Eon”, we see just how far metal can still be pushed thanks to the efforts of over twenty artists working together for a striking vision.

Right away, it should be made outright obvious to any curious listener that Raumordnung is anything but strictly metal. Rather, metal is just one of the many facets meant to drive the lore and the world of that Raumordnung inhabits. We’ve seen loads of different approaches to metal as the decades have piled on, yet I can easily count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen a band of any sort come anywhere close to what’s been dared into existence with the three overwhelming, disorienting, and engrossing pieces that “Stewards of Eon” boasts. Should you be hoping that some of that trademark Eremit heaviness would find a place in this world, you are in luck! Yet, you must accept that Raumordnung is so much more as we’re thrown into a sci-fi whirlwind that invokes the use of ambient, power electronics, and even opera along with others to make “Stewards of Eon” as ambitious as it is undeniably fucking massive.

Separately, these elements seem like a haphazard attempt at trying to be different that would amount to little more than the equivalent of throwing things at a work and seeing what sticks. However, it’s through meticulous craftsmanship, impeccable execution, gut-wrenching terror, captivating suspense, and undeniable imagination that Raumordnung somehow pulls it off to exquisite effect. By no means is “Stewards of Eon” an easy listen, but it is rewarding should you follow through on what the record asks you to undertake as a listener. Allow the kaleidoscopic flavors to wash over you, overflow your flesh and strengthen your spirit through immense strife, and the secrets of Raumordnung will begin to be revealed to you.

All of this isn’t even taking into consideration the overarching lore of the House of Eon, the self-made world in which Eremit and now Raumordnung draws their stories from. “Stewards of Eon” ties into much of what Eremit has been throwing down since its inception, yet much like how I felt when Eremit first came about, I could not even begin to understand the story that I’ve been thrust into yet again. Despite that, I cannot help but find myself fascinated to be before such a dense piece of work that demands you to pick it apart in order to understand all that transpires even if it’s not immediately presented to you. As if to channel the storytelling methods of artists like Hidetaka Miyazaki or even Chiaki Konaka in offering the listener a world that is not initially easy to understand, Raumordnung revels in its own absurdity. This creation is almost infuriatingly dense and always on the move, never one to stay in a particular genre for long as if to showcase an evolving storyline that depicts blazes across star systems, the ending of civilizations, the breaking of minds, and the tragic enslavement of the righteous all within the same track. Raumordnung is nothing if not uncompromising.

I defy you to find something like this in the vast overarching underground today. Transcending the use of the simple tag of “metal”, Raumordnung is so much more in every sense. This is a continuation of what has come before thanks to the legacy and exploration of Eremit but make no mistake! What we’re given here throughout the 32-minute expanse of “Stewards of Eon” is a new beginning the likes of which boggle the mind for all that it instantly accomplishes! It’s bold. It is ambition defined. It is artistic vision taken to great heights without once taking a pause to make things more accessible or easy to understand. It’s brutal. It’s a slog. It’s rewarding for those willing to take the plunge and sights heretofore unthought of. Dreams are made manifest and the stars themselves come to life at the beck and call of Raumordnung.

“Stewards of Eon” has the potential to unlock the floodgates for something truly exceptional. For now, though, the overwhelming grandeur of this piece is all we have to go on. Raumordnung is clearly onto something. We need only wait for the next chapter in the House of Eon to see what happens next. And surely, it won’t be anything we can ever hope to expect.

LISTEN to “Stewards of Eon” on Bandcamp here.

FOLLOW Raumordnung on Instagram here.