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Below the Trees

by Gestrüpp

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bmurator For me, this a very unusual & unique form of black metal / post black metal. The songs and melodies fit together very well too and Andreas has a great voice. Recommended! Favorite track: The Change of Seasons.
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1.
The opener of “Below the Trees” is my statement against all the people, who think that they belong to the majority and who think that the louder they scream, the more they are right. This song is a big fuck you to all the religious extremists, ideoligic fanatics and all the sheep that follow political, social and cultural trends. "All is Full of Hate" has the most aggressive vibe of all songs of the album. Melodic riffs, chucks, palm muting, a full-on face chorus and the short guitar solo in the middle of the track form a song where the message goes along with the music. ALL IS FULL OF HATE Your religion is no better than any other. It is just a cult of lies, made to make all suffer. In the name of faith you fight, against all reason. Doctrines have controlled your mind, your only meaning. You rage has just one direction. Into the abyss. You burn all to ashes. Your politics are no better than any other. It is organized by lies, made to make all suffer. In the name of might you fight, against all reason. Rules have controlled your mind, your only meaning. You rage has just one direction. Into the abyss. You burn all to ashes. All is full of hate. Your ideology is no better than any other. Totalitarianism of lies, made to make all suffer. In the name of ideals you fight, against all reason. Dogmas have controlled your mind, your only meaning. You rage has just one direction. Into the abyss. You burn all to ashes. All is full of hate. Your culture is no better than any other. It is formed by lies, made to make all suffer. In the name of norms you fight, against all reason. Conformity has controlled your mind, your only meaning. You rage has just one direction. Into the abyss. You burn all to ashes. You are full of hate. All you know is hate. You are ruled by hate. All is full of hate.
2.
At the Field 09:39
The inspiration for "At the Field" came during a walk along a large field at the edge of a forest. Despite all the size and vastness of the field, I was aware that the field would pass away one day, but would rise again the next year. The song deals with this cycle of life and death. Stylistically, the song is oriented towards Post Black Metal, for which Fen or Agalloch can be used as examples. The song is introduced by a rather calm intro. The basic rhythm runs through the whole song and is varied in bridges and interludes. With no real chorus, the instrumental sections of the song are a highlight of the piece. Partly Progressive Rock transitions tie all the song components together. The groovy ending rounds out the song. AT THE FIELD Golden and bright, rooted in the ground, it watches clouds go by. Whispering in the wind, no storm can bring it down. Once it becomes grain, it will die. Vast and heavy, standing in the sun, it reaches for the sky. Calm like an ocean, no sorrow about the fate of man. Once it becomes grain, it passes by. After the harvest, fate is met, crows have found new home. Stalking trough remnants, crows proclaim a new beginning It has become grain, the field is gone.
3.
"The Change of Seasons" also deals with becoming and passing away, almost like the previous song, but this time on an interpersonal level. Many things follow the change of seasons, but some becoming and passing does not correspond with spring and winter. The song has a strong influence by music from the genre of Neofolk. Acoustic guitar, strings and piano accompany the listener throughout the piece. However, the distorted guitars and vocals leave no doubt that this is still Black Metal. "The Change of Seasons" is a melancholic song, which gets its special mood from the combination of minor and major keys and the addition of thirds and fourths. THE CHANGE OF SEASONS When summer is gone and trees get colorful I think about the time we found together again. When summer is gone... When autumn is gone and snow starts to fall I think about the time we started to be afraid. When autumn is gone... When winter is gone and flowers start to bloom I think about the time we thought we have to leave. When winter is gone... When spring is gone and skies are blue I think about the time we lost each other again. When spring is gone... ...our time passed by.
4.
Reflections 07:02
The fourth track, "Reflections", is about the darker hours that every thoughtful individual experiences. Hours that remain dark, despite the increasing light of the morning. "Reflections" has a depressed mood and resorts to elements of the genre DSBM. Desperate screams, atmospheric riffing and sad tremolos don't give any hope. Bands like Lifelover can certainly be used as a model, but there are also hints of Armagedda or Verdunkeln. REFLECTIONS Distorted light breaks Casts back from the surface Diffuse and faint reflection It changes its image Reflections at dawn A new dawn An ocean of thoughts Mirrored by perception Outer objects, inner self Reason and identity Reflections at dawn The last dawn
5.
Lyrically, "Hole in the Sky" draws on occult similes and metaphors. The lyrics are about the negation of personal mirages and the search for oneself. The song bears witness to my musical roots. The chilling coldness of Black Metal coupled with the dragging darkness of Funeral Doom creates a special impression, which is only strengthened by the unusually earworm-like chorus. Despite its stylistic proximity to Blackened Funeral Doom, the piece fits seamlessly into the album due to its atmosphere. HOLE IN THE SKY Turn upside down Reverse the time Follow the left-hand path Descend into the void. There is a hole in the sky Where once was the sun The black star rises All light is gone There is a hole in the sky Invert all meanings Make the darkness bright Deny yourself Merge into the universe. There is a hole in the sky Where once was the sun The black star rises All light is gone There is a hole in the sky
6.
More than 14 minutes long, "As the Birds Have Stopped to Sing" deals with the death of a close person. It deals with the moments right after the person has passed away, when it seems as if the world has stopped for a short moment. The very melancholic song is musically the most progressive piece on the album and, like "At the Field'', has a closeness to Post Black Metal. "As the Birds Have Stopped to Sing", however, is more strongly influenced by Atmospheric Black Metal and may at some parts remind you of genre greats like Wolves in the Throne Room. Through the progressive interludes and instrumentals, the song maintains its own flavor. The finale of the song resembles a review of the entire album. AS THE BIRDS HAVE STOPPED TO SING The light is frozen, not a single sound. The air stands still, and so does the ground. The eyes are closed, as they would have never seen. The mouth is locked, no word will ever leave again. It is hard to believe, that your world is gone and ceased to be. So much has been, so much will never come back. All that remains, are thoughts about what we've had. It is hard to believe, that your world is gone and ceased to be. The light is frozen, not a single sound. The air stands still, and so does the ground. The eyes are closed, as they would have never seen. The mouth is locked, no word will ever leave again. All that's left are memories... ...memories are all that's left.
7.
The instrumental piece "The Wind and the Trees" is closing the album. The riffs were created during a hike in the summer forest. The field recording behind the song was made in a clearing. With its theme and acoustic guitar, the track is a reference to the closeness to nature and folkloric influences that I am associating with Black Metal. THE WIND AND THE TREES (Instrumental)
8.
With the acoustic version of "The Change of Seasons'' the album gets completed with a bonus track. The track waives drums, electric guitars and guttural vocals. Thus, the core of the song, leaning on the genre of Neofolk, reveals itself even more. The song now gets a different melancholic note than the original version. THE CHANGE OF SEASONS - (BONUS ACOUSTIC VERSION) When summer is gone and trees get colorful I think about the time we found together again. When summer is gone... When autumn is gone and snow starts to fall I think about the time we started to be afraid. When autumn is gone... When winter is gone and flowers start to bloom I think about the time we thought we have to leave. When winter is gone... When spring is gone and skies are blue I think about the time we lost each other again. When spring is gone... ...our time passed by.

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= REVIEWS =

8 / 10 points - AMMO supports the Underground
www.ammo-underground.at/reviews/gestruepp-below-the-trees/

4,5 / 5 points - Stormbringer
www.stormbringer-metal.de/reviews/16900/gestruepp-below-the-trees.html

"Gestrüpp does no less than exceed at every possible turn. That slowly allows this album to climb up above so much of the other competitors." - Headbanger Reviews
headbangerreviews.wordpress.com/2021/02/02/gestrupp-below-the-trees/

7,5 / 10 points - PowerMetal.de
powermetal.de/review/review-Gestruepp/Below_the_Trees,37657,37575.html

89% - metal-archives.com (user review)
www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Gestr%C3%BCpp/Below_the_Trees/915173/



= ABOUT =

The album "Below the Trees" is inspired by DSBM, Atmospheric Black Metal and Post Black Metal. From my personal point of view, the songs are diverse and dynamic while still staying coherent as an album.

The album is 100% DIY and was semi-professionally recorded, mixed and mastered. The production may have some rough edges, but that only makes the work more authentic.

The album was released at the 7th of January 2021 on Bandcamp and is free to download (name your price). If there is enough interest, maybe a CD version will come, too.

The band name "Gestrüpp" (German, for undergrowth) was chosen because of the nature reference of my music.

credits

released January 7, 2021

A.A.S. - everything

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Gestrüpp Darmstadt, Germany

Gestrüpp is a Black Metal solo project of A.A.S. from Darmstadt, Germany, who has already released five international acclaimed records with his Funeral Doom project The Cold View

thecoldview.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/Gestruepp
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