So many of us look for a meaning to our very existence, a force to get us through it all and let us sleep peacefully at night knowing we have accomplished something. But in the end, what does that really matter? What does it really matter now? We live in a commodified world where capitalism is king, so it’s sometimes hard to feel pride in our actions.

German black metal force Firtan didn’t go that exact route when writing and creating their great new record “Ethos,” their fourth. But they took advantage of the idea of examining where we can take advantage of our surroundings and what parts might be bringing us down. Their approach to that psychological territory is more abstract, but their thunderous and expansive black metal is anything but that. The band—vocalist/guitarist Phillip Thienger, guitarist C.S., bassist Oliver König, drummer David Kempf, violinist/piano player Klara Bachmair—dreams bigger this time around, and the playing as well as the increased ferocity and spaciousness make for a record that equally can draw blood and dreams.

“Hrenga” opens the record, and it features guest vocals from J.J. from Harakiri for the Sky and Karg, and guts immediately liquify, shrieks wrenching as melodies streak like blood. Cries rip as the playing pounds away, the guitars flexing muscles, strings swelling, and the final moments unload with power. “Zores” punishes, the vocals feeling like glass being washed down throats, the mangling, molten devastation spreading at will. The pace gets heavier as the vocals tighten their grip, unleashing vicious hell even as atmospheric waves wash over everything. “Contra Vermes” opens with riffs burning, savagery striking, and a sense of urgency making blood rush. Things get colder and moodier, though thunder is in the distance, and strings glaze with sugary goodness, paving the way for corrosive wails and a dizzying finish. “Arkanum” dawns in a synth glaze and animalistic growls, doomier clouds hanging overhead, smoking elegance crawling over cragged rock. The playing then erupts, guttural terror taking over, vicious howls stinging, chugging to the horizon.

“Wermut hoch am Firmament” features guest vocals from L.G. of Ellende, and guitars stir as the melodies ravage, shrieks drawing blood from bruised veins. The guitars drive, the riffs bubbling at the center, a total rampage devouring everything in its path. “Moloch” blasts hard, the shrieks leaving deep flesh burns, punishing with an evil gaze that works into a moody gloom. The playing trudges and even delves into progressive waters, ribs are cracked, and creaky speaking sends chills down the spine. “Ruakh” gives off a folkish vibe, churning open before the guitars fully come to life. There’s a glorious, forceful charge, roars punishing, the guitars feeling like they’re ramping up a new assault, the force peaking and then fading. “Komm herbei, schwarze Nacht” starts slower, burning with tenacity, strings dizzying and  washing into majestic waters. Things slowly pick up, and eventually everything feels huge, like it should be playing in a giant hall, shrieks ripping as the speed becomes a bigger factor. Mystical energies transform the aura, punching as the guitars conjure steam, the final notes bleeding away. Closer “Wenn sich mir einst alle Ringe schließen” is an instrumental, aching outro cut, keys swirling, emotional strings pulled deep into the darkest stretches of the cosmos.

It’s easy enough to get lost in the stars, confused about one’s own purpose in life, and “Ethos” is an ideal collection of songs to pull one back into the current times and get a hold of reality. Firtan’s dramatic, swirling black metal makes a perfect background for these thoughts, and they push the melodic envelope further than ever before on this album, which is as strong as anything in their catalog. This is a record that can flatten you emotionally and physically, yet the journey you take with it could be freshen your perspective and reinvigorate your purpose.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Firtanofficial/

To buy the album, go here: https://shop.aoprecords.de/gb/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.aoprecords.de/