WIEGEDOOD - De Dobben Hebben Het Goed III

Release date April 20/18 (Century Media)

Here's one to slit your wrists to. Wiegedood live up to their name (Dutch for "crib death") with this depressive slice of black metal that will take you places best not visited. Missed the first two parts, but this third and last component of the De Dobben Hebben Het Goed ("the dead are the lucky ones") trilogy is atmospheric gloom to the core.

Four lengthy compositions, totaling almost 35 minutes, make up this release from the group (which is part of a Belgian musical collective called the Church Of Ra). This gives plenty of time and room for the band to go many places within each track. Tremolo-powered black metal enhanced by a screeching vocal often morphs into acoustic respites or a doom-filled sequence with zombie-fied vocals at the drop of a hat. All delivered with precision instrumentation (the drumming here is especially effective) and production values.

Personally wouldn't want to take this journey too often, but can understand its allure to many. Harrowing to say the least.

[7.5]