There is no point beating around any bush with a black metal band; that completely defies its purpose, which is straight to the point with a message carried on the back of raw brutality. Germany's ENDSTILLE employ a unique brand of Black Metal in their latest release, "Kapitulation 2013", in which, I believe, they have musically recreated the sound of war. The production is exactly what it should be for modern Black Metal; muddy, but clearly represent each part of the band. This is not a typical, "Hail Satan" band; another reason they are worth a listen, drifting away from what was becoming, for the most part, a rather vapid scene.

The first track, "Aborted", holds no bars whatsoever, and opens up with a cold and furious, yet majestic blast riff. I am noticing some very prominent, old IMMORTAL vibes, with ice cold riffs very reminiscent of the mighty Abbath. Like said band, "The Refined Nation" has some audible punk influences and does not once relent; it even closes with a wailing guitar 'solo'. "Sick Heil" is a much thrashier track, but overall is much less interesting and is extremely short, and feels more like filler, for we are enticed into a nice treat in the masterful cover of SODOM's "Blasphemer", putting a blackened twist on a legendary thrash piece. Zingultus' grim screams fit the track perfectly. Most definitely the heaviest track on the album, even the solo is recreated; a rare thing it is for a Black Metal record to contain even one solo. Short and sweet as it was, it was not meant to detract from this glorious reincarnation of classic thrash.

"Nostalgia" marks a rising above what was becoming a somewhat monotonous sound (by the time of the aptly-named track, "Monotonous 2013") with a greater use of atmospherics and additions of dynamics. Unfortunately, this was short lived, since upon listening to "Stalin Note" I'm noticing regurgitated riffs and chord progressions, and it feels like I'm listening to previous songs; not a bad track, just nothing new and inspiring. The last track, "Endstille (Abschied)" is a much more unique piece, and perhaps my favorite; largely instrumental, the 'vocals' consist of a monologue describing heartfelt war stories, backed by relentless and stampeding riffage.

I have heard a fair share of Black Metal, and some bands manage to pull off a release that tries to stray away from the 'formula' of 7-10 blast-beaten songs by incorporating more dynamics and ingenious arrangements. Unfortunately, this is not one of those releases; not a bad album, it is a good album; the individual tracks are solid, raw and deliciously blackened, but begin to drown in what becomes a little inconsistent in innovation. Luckily, it was saved by a beautiful final track, and an excellent SODOM cover.