WOLVENNEST is an experimental black metal band that started in 2015, based out Brussels, Belgium and this is second full-length album entitled "Temple" released on December 20^th, 2020 independently through Bandcamp. Now here we have something I was not expecting or used to listening/reviewing. This band is not your run of the mill black metal project, there are a multitude of musicians in this band, not to mention a myriad of musical influences and portraits, so let us dive into those pieces.

It is pretty evident that with the psychedelic parts opening up the song "Mantra" that this will not be a fast-paced viking metal-infused black metal project. The introduction just makes your skin crawl and leaves you anxious, wondering what will be next. Honestly, all it made me think of was when MARDUK changed their style to a more post-rock meets funeral doom/black metal. When the guitars and the drums chime in, the song actually does borrow on the genres mentioned above with some choirs, female vocals. I guess it has a bit of ULVER and BORKNAGAR when both bands were raw and primitive, except this track is much more diverse.

To be fair, it is very difficult to make any analogies to other bands, because this band has a lot of ambient noise at the start of their songs, and the vocals are all over the place, but they are exceptionally clean on "Swear to Fire", another number that is creepy and has that prophetic side to the lyrical delivery. I would not consider myself an expert in the matter, but it seems that the band loves the shamanic aspect and uses it particularly well.

The rather trippy side to "Incarnation" is probably as close the band ever gets to that epic viking metal sound that is now iconic in Europe, but by that I do not mean the song goes into warp speed, far from it. This is another slow grinder that has musical parallels to ALCEST. As we are halfway through the album, there is tendency to have slow progressions in the music and having the guitars get louder as the song gets to the middle portion. While it may not be the best term to use, this song has some of the catchier moments on the record, easy to cling to and remember.

There is a special guest on the album in King Dude on the song "Succubus" which at times sounds like a progressive rock song straight out of the PORCUPINE TREE catalogue of the early 1990s.  The vocals on this one sound like they were recorded in some far away cavern, they are deep and have a much lower register than any of the other songs. The contribution from King Dude adds a completely new dimension to the album and should be a fan-favorite of both artists.

Last but not least, we have the French-titled "Souffle de Mort" and its title is fitting as the song makes you believe you are on the verge of death. As if the other songs were not ominous and horror-influenced, this one is actually even scarier. The way the song is recorded almost causes a feeling of claustrophobia and high anxiety. There is a constant feeling of being in the unknown on this album, having no clue when or how the other instruments will come in after very lengthy ambient intros. I am not sure if this song is about witches, but it surely has that impending effect when you hear the spoken-word parts. Being a francophone, hearing and understanding the vocals so clearly adds a lot to the message portrayed beyond the music and it gave me legit shivers down my spine.

This was probably one of the most unique albums I have ever reviewed because it was so diverse and different from any bands I listen to regularly. Many moons ago, I was heavily intrigued by the experimental bands and gave some listening time to bands like ARCTURUS and ULVER, but this project goes way beyond the material from these 2 legendary bands, they crafted their own style, their own sound and a special way to project very gruesome and horrific themes, without using any of the gory details or cliches usually found in black metal. If you have the time and patience to listen to something out of the ordinary, you will appreciate this band's craft.