Schavot is a Dutch one-man Black Metal project founded in 2021 by multi-instrumentalist Floris Velthuis, a prolific figure in the Dutch underground scene known for his involvement in bands such as Asgrauw, Meslamtaea, and Sagenland.
Based in Venray, Limburg, Schavot was conceived during the COVID-19 lockdown, when Velthuis finally found the time to realize a long-held ambition: creating a personal tribute to the symphonic/melodic and atmospheric second wave of Scandinavian Black Metal that had profoundly influenced him during the 1990s.
The name Schavot, Dutch for “scaffold,” reflects both the dark imagery of traditional Black Metal and the project’s connection to folklore, history, and mortality. Musically, Schavot embraces the spirit of classic bands such as Emperor, Summoning, Dimmu Borgir, Ancient, and Obtained Enslavement, combining icy riffing, shrieking vocals, driving blast beats, and atmospheric keyboards. Unlike many purely nostalgic acts, however, Velthuis sought to infuse the style with a distinctly Dutch identity rooted in local legends, folk tales, landscapes, and historical narratives.
The debut album, ‘Galgenbrok’ (2021), introduced this vision through fast, melodic, and evocative Black Metal steeped in the aesthetics of the genre’s classic era. The record was well received in underground circles and immediately established Schavot as more than a side project. Velthuis followed it with a series of singles and then the acclaimed second full-length, ‘Kronieken uit de Nevel’ (2023), which expanded the project’s thematic focus on Dutch folklore and regional myths. Critics noted the album’s stronger narrative qualities and richer atmosphere while maintaining the ferocity of its predecessor.
As the project evolved, Velthuis gradually incorporated more elaborate arrangements and symphonic elements. The 2023 split release ‘Verloren Vertellingen’ marked a turning point, featuring more complex songwriting and enhanced keyboard work. These developments culminated in the third album, ‘Verstrikt in Halflicht’ (2025), which further broadened Schavot’s musical palette while remaining firmly anchored in atmospheric Black Metal. Velthuis has described this evolution as a move toward a more storytelling-oriented approach, with nature, folklore, and historical memory serving as central sources of inspiration.
A defining characteristic of Schavot is its strong connection to the Dutch landscape and cultural heritage. Raised in the historic town of Ootmarsum, Velthuis developed a fascination with regional folklore, ancient customs, and the relationship between people and nature. These interests permeate Schavot’s lyrics, which explore forgotten legends, ghost stories, rural superstitions, and reflections on humanity’s place within the natural world. According to Velthuis, Black Metal and nature are intertwined forms of contemplation and expression, making Schavot as much a cultural and atmospheric endeavor as a musical one.
Today, Schavot stands as one of the most distinctive contemporary Dutch Black Metal projects. While clearly indebted to the Scandinavian classics of the 1990s, it has forged its own identity through a uniquely Dutch blend of folklore, history, and evocative Black Metal craftsmanship, earning recognition both within the Netherlands and among international underground listeners.
Dutch Black Metal has produced many remarkable acts in recent years, yet few releases capture the magic of the genre’s golden age as convincingly as ‘Verstrikt in Halflicht’. With his third full-length under the banner of Schavot, Floris Velthuis has crafted a work that feels both deeply rooted in the glorious second wave of the 1990s and strikingly alive with its own identity. Rather than merely paying homage to Emperor, Obtained Enslavement, Dimmu Borgir, and their ilk, this album breathes the same cold air, wanders through the same haunted forests, and gazes into the same moonlit abyss while speaking with a distinctly Dutch voice.
From the opening moments, the listener is drawn into a twilight realm where folklore, history, and nightmare intertwine. Ancient spirits stir beneath mist-covered landscapes, forgotten legends emerge from black waters, and distant lanterns illuminate paths best left unexplored. The album is steeped in Dutch folklore and historical imagination, yet these themes never feel academic or nostalgic. Instead, they live and breathe through music that constantly shifts between savage aggression and spellbinding atmosphere.
What immediately stands out is the richness of the songwriting. Every track unfolds like a tale told beside a dying fire while a storm rages outside. Furious tremolo riffs and relentless blast beats surge forward with exhilarating force, only to dissolve into passages of mournful melody, hauntingly majestic keyboards, acoustic interludes, and expressive solos. These transitions are masterfully executed, creating an incredible sense of movement and narrative that keeps the album endlessly engaging. There is always another detail waiting to reveal itself: a subtle keyboard layer, an unexpected guitar lead, a fragment of spoken word, or a melody emerging from the shadows.
The symphonic dimension deserves particular praise. Rather than functioning as mere decoration, the keyboards become an integral part of the storytelling. They sweep across the songs like curtains of mist, adding grandeur, melancholy, and mystery without ever diluting the raw Black Metal core. Combined with excellent guest contributions, including evocative spoken-word performances, stirring guitar solos, and even subtle trumpet accents, the album achieves a cinematic quality rarely encountered in contemporary Black Metal.
Vocally, the album is equally compelling. Harrowing shrieks, deeper growls, and narrative passages weave together into a dramatic tapestry that gives each composition additional depth and character. The result feels theatrical in the best possible sense: every voice serves the atmosphere, and every phrase strengthens the illusion that these songs are fragments of ancient stories clawing their way back into the present.
Perhaps the album’s greatest triumph lies in its ability to evoke emotion. Beneath the cold exterior and folkloric imagery beats a profoundly melancholic heart. There is longing here, wonder here, and an almost tangible sense of connection to landscapes, traditions, and memories half-lost to time. The music conjures desolate marshes, fog-soaked forests, and moonlit waters inhabited by restless spirits, yet it never becomes merely atmospheric background music. Every riff matters, every melody lingers, and every composition leaves a mark.
With ‘Verstrikt in Halflicht’, Floris Velthuis has delivered what may well be the definitive Schavot statement thus far: a majestic synthesis of second-wave ferocity, symphonic splendor, folkloric storytelling, and heartfelt songwriting. It is an album that honors Black Metal’s past while expanding upon it with imagination and conviction. Immersive, haunting, and utterly absorbing from beginning to end, this is not simply one of the finest Dutch Black Metal releases of its year.
It is the kind of album that reminds us why we fell in love with Black Metal in the first place.
