One of things I love about extreme metal is the proliferation of concept albums. Instead of a clutch of tracks covering random ideas the band’s designated songwriter happened to think about over a span of six months, we get a full story arc and deep exploration of some arcane, long forgotten event or person or myth complete with eldritch references . . . all sung in Latin, backwards. In this case KRÂEL, a Black Metal project out of Bavaria, Germany, brings us the story of a fictional town in the Middle Ages which is visited by war –sung in German—on their debut album, “Vanitas Vitae,” released on October 27, 2023 via Naturmacht Productions.

While there is a hint of the supernatural in the narrative, the true evil it focuses on is war. We first get the perspective of the towns folk who are called upon to defend their city not only out of a sense of duty and honor to their sovereign lord, but for their very livelihood and lives. The consequence of war, after all, isn’t just political upheaval, it’s death and carnage to soldiers and citizens alike. As doom approaches, the narrative shifts to the attacking army’s side. War, it would seem, is not a glorious thing for them either as they march onward to vanquish and slaughter those before them. In the end we get a meta perspective which ruminates on the senseless horror it all. Although the story takes place in the Middle Ages, we can see it unfolding across the modern world today. It seems we are not so removed from the barbarity of the past.

Lyrically and conceptually, A+. As for the music, Black Metal is the perfect medium to convey this dark allegory. Kræje does a great job in capturing the tension and dread of the event not only in the lyrics but in the music as well. The cover art by James Hutton based out of Bedfordshire, England depicts in a single shot the overarching crude brutality of the album. Stylistically it looks like a Medieval etching, and with this rudimentary rendering it wonderfully illustrates the emotion of the scene.

Musically it’s solid, but not terribly innovative. I wouldn’t recommend the album solely on its execution nor would I recommend it solely on its story—it’s the combination of them both that propels the album. Track by track, all the songs are fairly consistent. No real standouts but also no regrets.

KRÂEL is the ideal project band: You have a minimal number of members (two) weaving an intriguing story through music and words that move the spirit and convey a socially relevant message. That pretty much defines art. “Vanitas Vitae” is a solid debut offering from Kræje and his KRÂEL project.