Lengthy songs are often a dealbreaker to some people and their listening habits, even within the realm of something as intricate and challenging as Extreme Metal. Not this reviewer, mind.
When the general populace even in metal considers a song that goes over five minutes a “lengthy track”, imagine how much they would baulk at the likes of Dutch Black Metallers Dystopia, whose latest album has only two tracks, with said tracks clocking in at over fourteen minutes and eighteen minutes respectively!
I will admit this release caught my eye because of the lengthy tracks; in addition to the fact that the album in its entirety is in Dutch (and if you read my review about Kaosophia from Ukraine, you’d recall I am fond of releases that do not feature English as the main language)
This, however, is a tremendous album from a band from The Netherlands that I admit I am not overly familiar with; though the sound and production being crisp and taut on both tracks, the first of which, entitled ‘Confrontatie’, features two sublime passages for my ears contained within its fourteen-minute run time.
The first of these passages; a melodic and slowed horn section near the five-minute mark, which evoked shades of Rivers Of Nihil and White Ward, and the other, a beautiful harmonious lead solo part, towards the end of the track. In amongst this, the track is powerful and paced so well, the fourteen minutes seemed to dissipate rapidly.
The second track, ‘De Ultieme Roeping’, eschews much of the melody that was present in the first track, and doubles down on the riffs, until slowing right down around eight-minute mark, and creating a brief unsettling aural liminal space, before bursting back into the atmosphere with a sense of triumph.
There’s more of a sense of somewhat “straightforward” Black Metal riffing and extremity throughout the track, before the fifteen-minute mark where a brief but powerful lead solo grips you tightly, and the track powers on with pounding drums, reaching a downtempo crescendo, replete with subtle horns and atmosphere.
In addition, the Black Metal that Dystopia employs are superb; with tight and controlled riffing, excellent tinges of melody here and there, away from the aforementioned horn passages and lead solos.
The vocals are a wonderfully anguished, brutish and howled wail, bringing to mind Bethlehem and Kanonenfieber in differing degrees, but in a way that fittingly complements the relentless ‘sturm und drang’ of the album.
I truly do admire a band that is not afraid to do things on their own terms in certain ways, but Dystopia has outdone themselves by going against convention multiple times within the same release, which is simply formidable in my estimation.
My hat is off to them for creating an excellent album with only two tracks, the entire album clocking in at over thirty-three minutes; along with being able to do so with a lengthy Dutch album title, which is a trifecta of tremendousness right there!
In closing, despite the plethora of amazing Black Metal releases that come out every week, it’s hard to stand out, but Dystopia have done so in multiple ways, offering up an album that is well worth checking out, and who knows, perhaps finding its way into End of Year album lists, and at this stage in April 2026, I could safely include on mine.
