"Menetekel" is a warning about the destruction of our civilization and that the countdown on it is already running. Using time as a central element, GORLEBEN brings the predicted apocalypse into our present and makes it tangible from two temporal dimensions. The four tracks inevitably reflects the path of an uncertain future, marked among other things by the voracity of humanity. GORLEBEN divides, peering from an unknown future into the bleak present – mene tekel upharsin.” The album has four songs, and “Countdown” is first. The opening is smooth, and gentle, with weighted bass thuds and birds chirping in the background. Tension however looms like a serial killer waiting to come out of the shadows. Harsh vocals enter, followed by a hardened riff, and then the pace quickens. I can hear Post elements and Doom elements, and the keys keep it modern.

“Sarkophag” is a smooth transition from the previous song, with a similar sound, and there are some psychedelic moments as well. The band does show restraint in holding back the entire breadth of the storm or only letting it deluge for short periods. It seems they want that tension to remain a key feature. “Erg” has another gentle entrance and this time, a little more melody that you can reach out and grab. Both the female and male vocal pairings speak of dark, solemn things, maybe even into the realm of torture. Even the clean vocals drip with feeling and emotion, and many of them are quite sad. “Menetekel” is the final offering, and the firm, hard riff suggests a dark exit. It is not without snippets of melody however, but each is wrapped in an outer coating of black colored garments.

This was a solid listening experience, and I really enjoyed what keyboards brought to their sound. The album was cloaked in foreboding doom and the promise of a marred future for mankind; two things I am sure of, and they told the tale with a measure of warning and haste.