Band:	Paysage d'Hiver
Album:	Die Berge
Style:	Ambient black metal
Release date:	November 08, 2024
A review by:	AndyMetalFreak

01. Urgrund
02. Verinnerlichung
03. Transzendenz I
04. Transzendenz II
05. Transzendenz III
06. Ausstieg
07. Gipfel

Here's your perfect cold winter playlist; now you just need a majestic snow-capped Alpine peak to climb, and all shall be complete.

Masterminded by Tobias Möckl (Wintherr), known also for his ventures into Darkspace, is the mighty Swiss ambient black metal project Paysage d'Hiver. First emerging in 1998, the project has eventually followed up a long string of highly praised demos with three full albums released since 2020, including latest offering Die Berge (The Mountains). Paysage d'Hiver's discography is known for its lengthy ambient songs that demands the listener's full attention, ideal for absorbing the wonderful natural landscapes that surround you during long midwinter hikes in the vast wilderness. An absolute colossus of an album with a staggering runtime of 103 minutes, Die Berge is certainly no exception. As usual, you'll need to find the right time and environment to fully absorb and appreciate what this epic ambient journey truly offers.

The band's homeland of Switzerland has, without a doubt, some of the most beautiful and picturesque landscapes on Earth, and Die Berge captures the wonderfully ragged, snow-capped peaked land in such an authentic fashion. Unfortunately for me, I live in the UK, and although this is a nation not without its fair share of wonderful landscapes, nothing here even comes remotely close to the majestic Alpine scenery of Switzerland. Nevertheless, Paysage d'Hiver have a real knack for allowing your imagination to wander to such places if you so allow it, and once again, Die Berge succeeds in this department exceedingly well.

Die Berge follows the 14th chapter in the story of the mysterious protagonist called 'Der Wanderer'. This time he embarks on what could well be his final journey, as he makes his way to the peak of a mountain, feeling as though his time has come. This journey proves to be his most epic, and often most treacherous yet, as he struggles to battle through some of the most unforgiving elements and inhospitable environments he has yet to endure. The music perfectly reflects this theme through 7 lengthy songs that each represent a milestone on the wanderer's path towards what fate lies for him ahead. However, these soundscapes are also easily open for interpretation, meaning the music could also reflect on a personal journey of your own. Maybe you have your own struggles and scenarios to contend with, or simply want to answer nature's call in this cold winter season, and take a brisk hike in what beautiful landscapes may surround you.

Once again, the music is rooted in raw traditional Nordic-style black metal, with the songs mostly constructed in the band's signature simplistic approach. The riffs consist of hypnotic, looping, semi-melodic, or droning tremolos that remain pretty straightforward, not often varying throughout each track. The rhythm section rarely shifts from rapid blast beats and rumbling bass, and despite a few groovy detours, it mostly retains a consistent pattern throughout. Enchanting wintry keys play a vital role in capturing the all-important cold Alpine soundscapes. Menacing shrieks echo beneath the instrumentation, almost as if reaching out to you from the mountains peak ahead through a cold, stormy blizzard that's obstructing the path. Short, slow atmospheric passages allow for breathing space amidst the ferocious instrumentation. These sections are usually accompanied by the sound of gentle rainfall, a chilling wind, or sometimes rocks gently sliding down the mountain side.

The beauty of this album lies in its simplicity and lo-fi authentic production, and Wintherr has once again made it clear that he has no desire to budge from the traditional black metal ways. Despite Die Berge's massive total length, it feels as though your journey passes you by in the blink of an eye. The intensity builds all the more as each moment passes, and from start to finish you remain in a hypnotized state. Only on the rarest of occasions does an album exceeding the 100-minute mark manage to keep me engaged throughout, and not only does Die Berge captivate me, it inspires me to want to buy some decent walking boots, wrap up warm, pack my bag with energy bars, a banana, or whatever else can keep me going for the duration, leave reality behind, and go on a long hike in the middle of this dark, bleak, cold winter month, when I could instead be having a coffee with my feet up next to the heater in the comforts of my own home.