If you search well in the misty plains of underground there will be many times you'll come forward to bands that will proclaim an earthquake to your mind. This is happening again with a band from Italy that I had the chance to learn them through Metal Defiance fanzine and then to see a gig of them in Athens.
KAISERREICH started in September of 2004 and in the end of 2007 we saw the release of their debut album named KRRH via the Chinese label Funeral Moonlight Records (that has also released a cool album by the Chinese Black metallers ORIGINAL SIN). The Italian's music is old Norse Black Metal in the paths of DARKTHRONE's Transylvanian Hunger or Panzerfaust together with GORGOROTH's first three albums. In most of their songs exist sad melodies that sometimes can be described as MARDUK living in Norway or much better as the MIGHTY Polish horde MGLA. The wielding of these riffs proclaims a catatonic mood to the listener isolating him from the world like building a dark wall around him. Sometimes feelings of misanthropy, inside coldness, an inexistence of positive thoughts will surround you if you listen to KRRH, which means it satisfies its purposes for a Black Metal record. This whole derivation of negativism is eminent and remarkable.
The first song, called Aurora Bleeds, places you instantly into this Black mood being frugal in its riffing achieving a monotonous and oppressive level close to some BURZUM songs; not the music but the feelings it exposures. Ravencrowned probably is my favorite song especially for a bridge riff somewhere in the middle that will torment you for sure. The holocaust continues with very good songs like A Noi La Notte, Aletheia Miit Veritas Mundi and Cross As Diadem while Kriegsanghelvete looks like the weaker moment being too melodious and incomplete. The last songs are cool with Requiem Division chopping what has left of the listener's soul but I cannot compare them with the others.
Someone, maybe, will find that the production is not professional but in my opinion it accomplishes the music's needs interceding what a real Black Metal sound is. A nice record that makes me feel that KAISERREICH will give us more in the future. A future that finds them without their guitarist Elfire but judging from their appearance here and looking much tied as a band this departure didn't had any bad results. Check them.