Review: Misotheist - “De Pinte”
Terratur Possessions, one of the most important underground black metal record labels of the past 20 years, originally came to prominence as a bastion of black metal’s true spirit in an era plagued with fuckery and limp wristed copycat bands. Early on, great bands like Kaosritual, Mare, Svartidauði and Urfaust came to epitomize the label's sound and aesthetic. These bands released albums that defined the 2010s and solidified Terratur as a force within the underground. That was many years ago now, and a good portion of the label’s early notable acts have called it quits. Terratur Possessions has in no way slowed down though, releasing a constant stream of albums from emerging bands like Bythos, Syn, Issolei and, in my opinion, most importantly - Misotheist.
I feel that Misotheist, now on their 4th album “De Pinte”, are the new face of Terratur Possessions, perfectly representing everything the label has stood for since its origin. No ego. No Statements. Just unbridled black metal played at the absolute highest caliber with malefic intentions. While I do own the band's first 3 albums, I will not speak on them, for I believe “De Pinte” is on a completely different level. As the album began, I was immediately struck by how warm the production was, as if transporting the listener directly into the eye of a bone dry desert tornado. Though Misotheist are from Trondheim, Norway, there is absolutely nothing cold about this record, as one may expect from their northern origin. There is an infernal aspect to the production, yet it thankfully doesn't fall into the “cavernous” sound many bands get neutered by. In fact, I would say the production is quite vast, again lending itself to the previous desert climate analogy.
The only known member of Misotheist is B. Kråbøl, a second generation black metal musician, who I believe is playing most of, if not all, the instruments on this record. One man bands are nothing new for black metal, but Kråbøl’s songwriting and musicianship far surpasses almost any other one man project you can think of. The guitars, drums and vocals are unimpeachable for the style, at least in terms of performance. There are some obvious influences that peak through, such as Deathspell Omega or early Manes, but thankfully Misotheist never jumps the shark into mimicry or aesthetic pandering, as many bands of this genre seem to. One problem I often notice in black metal is the disparity between extremely gifted musicians and those who understand black metal at its deepest level. Oftentimes, the “black metal” bands that find success these days are side projects of music school types that understand instrumentation and songwriting on a somewhat academic level, yet have the most cartoonish understanding of what black metal actually means and represents. In my opinion, B. Kråbøl is an artist that has a masterful understanding of both the body and spirit of black metal, setting Misotheist far in front of the proverbial pack.
“De Pinte” consists of 4 tracks in total, with the final song being a 20 minute tour de force, perfectly summarizing and justifying the albums previous half. There are no lyrics included with the promo copy I received, which is a shame, as I feel I can not fully appreciate an album without that context. The aforementioned final track, titled “De Pinte”, is the most powerful offering on the album, brimming with intense heat and agony. The drumming on this song is particularly strong, with a ton of tasteful variation and dynamics. After my first listen to the album I heard a few comments about how this album rewarded multiple listens. At first, I was taken aback by this, as I normally see comments like that noted for more impenetrable / dissonant offering, but after a few more listens myself, I believe it to be true. What makes “De Pinte” such an incredible record is that fact that it is simultaneously engaging upon first listen and incredibly insightful upon every subsequent relisten. Its power and grandeur only grow with familiarity.
My only criticism of the album, apart from the absence of lyrics, is the abrupt ending, which I feel could have been much more potent. That artistic choice aside, I think this album is nearly perfect. It is an album I would honestly consider to be a modern masterwork. In my opinion Misotheist are the modern face of the Terraur Possessions roster and should be exalted just as the bands of the label’s past were in their time. If someone tells you black metal sucks in 2026, send them this album. Conversation over.
9.5/10
