Skinliv and Vermisst Find Black Metal's Quintessence On New Split (Full Album Stream)

Denmark’s Skinliv (which I believe is tangentially related to the prolific Korpsånd circle) and Poland’s Vermisst both operate in a similar sphere; both bands compose ethereal takes on black metal, often relying on keyboards to “fill in the cracks” where guitars, vocals, drums, and bass might not quite reach. This doesn’t make them symphonic, though, just to be clear, as both acts operate on a subtler level than their VST-laden cousins–both Vermisst and Skinliv look towards atmosphere as a primary, often doubled with some sort of aggression, be it a riff-after-riff onslaught or a sinister melody which sneaks its way through to the surface.

Skinliv’s half of their impending split LP with Vermisst presents itself as a more traditional black metal outing, though the aforementioned keys and the occasional strange vocal sound definitely keep this exciting. Definitely on the riffier end of the black metal spectrum, Skinliv’s approach is menacing, but aged, sounding as if it was recorded to tape long ago and left in a closet for an unexpecting relative to find years later. As such, there is a “rounded” affectation to Skinliv’s half of this split–not quite sharp, but instead weathered and aged. A standout moment would definitely be the keyboard-led groove about three quarters of the way through their second of four untitled tracks.

Vermisst, on the other hand, takes the atmospheres at which Skinliv hints and takes them to new heights, operating as an atmospheric black metal band (in the 1990s sense) rather than something riff-adorned and somewhat straightforward. Performing at a slower pace than their splitmates, “Incantations of the Crimson Twilight,” the twelve-minute black metal half of Vemisst’s side, drones with abject misery. Raw, obscure, and uncompromising, Vermisst’s take on black metal draws from an ancient pool of ethereal might. Following this up with an equally-as-lengthy dungeon synth track, Vermisst ends this split LP on a calm but unsettling note; “Weeping from the Old Labyrinthian Spire” takes the listener on an adventure through the darkened halls of an abandoned castle, flying through the ruins to a looming spire above a dead kingdom.

Listen to an exclusive pre-release stream of the Skinliv and Vermisst split below.

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The Vemisst and Skinliv split releases January 31st on Nebular Carcoma Records.

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