Ossaert – Offerdier [EP]

On to the final part of my Ossaert / Argento Records trilogy and a brand new EP that is due for release in early April this year. By now you’ll have spotted a theme in the three pieces of cover art that adorn all Ossaert releases. I love that symmetry and cohesiveness about the imagery behind Ossaert. Another layer to that symmetry is that all Ossaert releases have four tracks, and whilst this EP has shorter songs than the albums, the four track rule remains firmly in place.

It may seem odd to say about a tremolo picking Black metal project, but I think that ‘Offerdier’ has a slightly warmer sound to the guitars than on previous offerings. there is also a bouncier, more simplistic feel to some of the riff/drumming combinations that meshes with the usual intensive and bleak guitar melodies of Ossaert. As with the last album, there is a marked increase in the intensity behind both the vocal work and guitar rhythms. However the biggest change is the Punk style melodies that batter and weave through the album, as well as the absence of the cleaner vocals found on both previous albums. if anything, these lighter, more fun sounding passages draw out the grim misery and deep foreboding of the more intensive moments of aggression.

Another moment of grim satisfaction comes with ‘Ritueel I’ and ‘II’; two Dark Ambient tracks with a touch of lo-fi flavour that fill out the middle of the EP with sounds that could usher in some evil vampiric presence to life in a dark, Transylvanian dungeon. The EP closes with the slower, methodical tones of ‘Het Geschenk en het Bestaan’ which features an unbelievably satisfying amount of bass groove and dark, intensive riffs; all to the backdrop of precise drum tones. This is probably the most harrowing, focussed and sinister Ossaert has sounded to date!

I love the new directions that this EP has taken Ossaert. Truly this is a project that understands progression, and whilst the first and second albums were monsters to behold, this new EP sheds light on a bright/grim future for Ossaert.