Again, we are faced with a Black Metal band with an entrancing name: Meister Leonhardt – a slight variation on the title of a short story by the equally entrancing Gustav Meyrink. The Meister has been lurking in our realm since 2021, when they released their self-titled debut album. Now they’re back with the highly anticipated ‘Thanatopoeia’, an album that’s just as drippy with darkness as its predecessor.
The people behind this Moscow-based project have all been active in the Russian metal scene for a long time, so it’s only natural that this project would be a decent one. The first single we were treated to was ‘Tomb Ore’, opening with a menacing drum beat which sets the mood for the entire album. Nihilistic to their core with music and lyrics alike, the songs are weaved together seamlessly, and thankfully avoid being longer than they should be. To me, the album didn’t quite pack a punch as hard as the debut did, but it’s still a decent effort and worth a shot if you’re into Black Metal that’s grim but not quite frostbitten.
If you’re new to Meister Leonhardt, I’d still recommend checking out the debut before diving into this one.
