There’s a lot of noise going on outside, plenty to disrupt your well-being, especially mentally. Even doing something as simple of checking your social media account or trying to decipher what’s being reported on the news can be too much, and I definitely understand how unhealthy that can be.

So, there’s little to quell our worries outside our doors, so perhaps turning inward to address that chaos and pain can begin to help a little bit. German black metal power Der Weg Einer Freiheit focus on those matters on their incredible new record “Innern,” which is German for “inward.” Here, the band—vocalist/guitarist Nikita Kamprad, guitarist Nicolas Rausch, bassist Alan Noruspur, drummer Tobias Schuler—turns their gears toward taking on what’s going on inside, trying to quiet the madness, and finding reflection and renewal. They do address the matters in our society that grind us to a pulp, but with a compassionate hand, tempering all of that with some of the most imaginative and immersive music of their entire careers.

Marter” is the 9:24-long opener and begins in a haze before ramping up, the drums bustling, howls tearing as a melodic fury engulfs everything. We then go from atmospheric right to the acidic belly of the beast, the pace shifting as guitars surge, the emotion calming for a brief respite as doom gusts into the picture. The playing hammers again, the energy rushes as growls gut, and the final moments slowly batter away. “Xibalba” is even longer at 10:07, a savage, daring attack overwhelming, growls marring as the storm grows blacker and hungrier. Even amid the chaos, there are fantastical elements that feel not of this world that join up with an increasingly boiling pace that eventually gives way to a synth sheen. Things feel equally trudging and dreamy as the guitars jar to a close. “Eos” is a real centerpiece gem, a song that starts off feeling progressive and wondrous, a hulking riff moving in and making the song its own, sticking in your brain. Vocals buzz as the playing mangles, beastly blistering leaving festering wounds, melodies swirling as clean singing arrives, increasing the drama and fading in calculated manner.

“Fragment” wooshes in and brings more delicate strains, cleaner singing swirling in the surrounding air, the fires eventually erupting and aiming to consume. Screams pierce and stretch as the playing journeys through the cosmos, destroying and dismantling worlds, bleeding right into instrumental cut “Finisterre III.” This is a continuation of a piece that was introduced two albums ago, the second installment of which appeared on their last record. This brings dripping piano and gathering mists, fog and elegance, and a gentle closing that sets the stage for closer “Forlorn.” Plucked guitars sting before eeriness spreads generously, clean singing bringing a pillowy nature, softer bass plodding as things feel oddly New Wave to a degree. Guitars then scuff as shrieks hammer, colorful playing heads into a pit of moodiness, and the calls of, “Please don’t let me go,” add to the introspection. The pressure builds and melts, warm synth floods, and alien swirl dissolves in air.

“Innern” offers a chance to escape with this music and take time for self-reflection and evaluation amid all of the upheaval surrounding us. We are not immune to that pressure, and Der Weg Einer Freiheit are fully aware, with their storminess and power continually exposing those truths and taking an inventory of oneself. While brutal and metallic, it also is a human record, one with compassion and awareness that flows through its every pore. 

For more on the band, go here: https://derwegeinerfreiheit.de/

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://shopusa.season-of-mist.com/list/der-weg-einer-freiheit-innern

Or here (international): https://shop.season-of-mist.com/list/der-weg-einer-freiheit-innern

For more on the label, go here: https://www.season-of-mist.com/