Ermit – bearer of many names

With their ‘Desert Of Ghouls’ music album, Osnabrück-based creative EREMIT caught a bull’s-eye last year and brought to my attention the grueling autobiography of the hermit that bears his name. After more than four decades of solitude at sea, I finally arrived on land, waiting for the protagonist “Bloody and merciless battles with cruel creatures” [Anm. d. Verf.: hoffentlich muss der Ärmste keine deutsche Steuererklärung ausfüllen…]. As we learned from the interview cited here, the plot of the final part of the EP falls within the story of the now available second studio album “Bearer Of Many Names,” which is supposed to bridge the gap and explain how the hermit actually came from the rain (“Weight Bearer”) Fell in the friezes (“Desert Ghouls”).

We don’t want to spoil the lyrical content further at this point, because after all, this review is primarily about the musical implementation of the whole. Which is one thing above all: escalation. “Bearer Of Many Names” remains true to the 2019 debut tradition and consists of three tracks that take up to thirty (!) minutes to book. Not much has changed in the characteristic sound of the treble, at most, the bass (which comes from non-existent speakers) pushes a good angle more violently. If you let this scene pop by tapping the right size, there is a risk of eardrum injury and bursting of bones and joints with early symptoms of osteoarthritis. It’s hard to believe there really shouldn’t be bass here.

“Enshrined In Indissoluble Chains And Enlightened Darkness” surprises when the six-minute introductory clip fades, with clear traces of Black Metal. It is pushed forward at an unprecedented speed and typical seismic storms create an overwhelming atmosphere. In the second half of the track, the already hinted bass starts to roar and the vocals sometimes turn into a deep roar (second surprise in this year’s mix of styles by EREMIT – contributed by Danielle Drost of Algosaibi). The “secret forces rooted in an ancient artifact” find their way back into the mystical twist of “Desert Of Ghouls” songs and later transform into an unofficial Doom Rock number. This is also the part of the record that can best relate to the excitatory and hypnotic effect of the EP tracks. “Unmapped Territories Of Clans Without Names” finally collects the traits of the previous tracks and awaits the grand finale with the lead guitar, already known for its deceptive effect. What does this tell us about the outcome of the quarrel between the hermit and the countrymen? Discover …

In general, the concept of coherent EREMIT has not lost any of its charm. The saga around the lone protagonist grows and grows and with it the musical background of the events. In terms of sound, the Osnabrück-based company has managed to climb to new extremes (and may have burned some hardware again), but in terms of the sticky effect and hallucinations, not all clips come close to the previous EP. However, this may be strongly influenced by subjective feelings, which should not be overestimated against this background. So, if you want to treat yourself to a proper ear canal cleaning or want to learn how to combine the stories of previous works with the current authorship, a study of the Bearer of Many Names and the second EREMIT handbook, released at the same time, is recommended.