Yerûšelem – this name might awaken memories in those among our readership who follow our premieres closely, as we had the immense privilege of being entrusted with the premiere of the band’s latest single “Reverso” (more on that here) exactly twenty days ago. The song’s atmospheric yet angular, dystopian yet thoroughly enchanting aesthetic surely didn’t fail to establish a certain pulling effect on many of you, so I’m glad to announce that your whetted appetite will not go unsatisfied another day. That’s right, today we are proud to bring you the exclusive full album stream of The Sublime ahead of its release on February 8 via Debemur Morti Productions!
Before we get to that, though, let me (re-)familiarize you with this unique project. Founded by two members of the notoriously forward-thinking French black metal outfit Blut Aus Nord, namely Vindsval (guitars, bass, voices, synths) and W.D. Feld (industrial pulses, synths), Yerûšelem presents a more spiritual and hypnotic take on the mechanical sounds of industrial metal. Indeed, in drawing from influences like Godflesh, Thorns, Autechre, and ‘all forms of repetitive and hypnotic music‘, they create an unholy musical matrimony of the natural world and artificial urbanism, an intersection of spiritual yearning and the cold, unfeeling embrace of concrete and steel. The Sublime echoes the achievements of Blut Aus Nord‘s towering 777 trilogy, but infuses them with fresh ideas and influences to become infinitely more than a mere regurgitation of old concepts.
Listen to The Sublime below!
In the premiere article for “Reverso” I alluded to earlier, I called The Sublime an early-year highlight through and through; by now, you should have witnessed the record making good on my lofty promise. Picking any particular favorites among its nine songs would be a near-impossible task, as they all help shape The Sublime into one of the most innovative and intriguing releases in recent memory in one way or another. Even in the moments where it most evidently carries its influences on its sleeve, Yerûšelem‘s music can stand tall and proud on its own, without the need for any references to grandiose philosophies or musical breakthroughs of the past. Which was likely the intention of its creators, as they specifically stress the fact that there is no thematic foundation to this new outlet of theirs:
‘Yerûšelem is purely musical, there is no message. Yerûšelem is absolutely not a conceptual project. The album is just about feeling and sensations. A few words can guide the listener but the essence of Yerûšelem is the depth of emotions. Music is only a matter of emotions.‘
I would suggest you go and leave Yerûšelem a like on their Facebook page if you liked what you heard above. The Sublime is only the beginning – after the completion of the upcoming Blut Aus Nord record, Vindsval and Feld will begin working on new Yerûšelem material – so you should keep a close watch on this amazing project of theirs.
