Bismut – Ausdauer

 

 

Bismut – Ausdauer
Lay Bare Recordings / Spinda Records – 2023
Instrumental, Rock, Stoner, Psych, Prog, Metal
Rated: ****

In the past we only jotted down some words about their first full-sized album Schwerpunkt. But their second record Retrocausality received as much spin time over as that first one and their newest, about to be released, on Lay Bare Recordings and Spinda Records will surely do that as well. And well, it might just double down on that amount, for Bismut have delivered one hell of a new album called Ausdauer. Shortest track on the album, only six minutes, is the second one and it has a Japanese name, but we guess that translates to Fuan. And after that opening guitar work, they dive into a wild, wonderful, purgatory, almost heathen kind of riff. Indeed, it will surely give you all kinds of Karma To Burn flashbacks, but then again, there are more hints towards that heavier, relentless and riff-circling massiveness that K2B used to produce throughout the new Ausdauer album. Making the prog and certainly the space elements they used to showcase their prowess before, take a bit more of a backseat. But they’re still there as well, as they should be, cause Ausdauer was once again partially improvised on the spot, which means the three will always produce albums with a jam-like affinity. In fact, opening track Mendalir might be the most jam, jazz, prog and spacey one on the album, perhaps served up as a transition from Retrocausality to Ausdauer. Perhaps not. But that powerful riff throughout Mendalir serves as a stepping stone to build and let glide their progressive and psychedelic metal composition. Often taking so much of the center stage attention, it is not hard to also fall in love with that bass work underneath or even when it is walking beside that soaring lead. And as they steam through that second part, with those extremely explosive drums leading up to what must surely be an explosive finish, you are surprised they do not go the way of the dynamite samurai, but they duck back towards a more doom blues approach of all instruments involved. But that’s as much doom as you will get; for the rest of the album follows more the swing and groove of Fuan interspersed with the jazz meandering we know from Bismut. It takes their already dynamic approach to new heights and sounds like much of what you hear was found throughout many nights jamming together and many concert experiences where they noticed what seemed to work best. Those experiences seem to be translated and extrapolated tenfold on Ausdauer, they’re punching their weight, persisting in their approach and showing endurance when locking into a certain groove. Bismut shows determination and the right kind of spirit, and I would have been okay with the ending of Euphoria lasting another ten minutes…

(Written by JK)

Homepage

Bandcamp

Facebook

Lay Bare Recordings

 

Spinda Records