Style: Post-black metal (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: The Great Old Ones, Oranssi Pazuzu, Blut Aus Nord
Country: France
Release date: 14 February 2025
Sometimes, an album is undeniably massive. Whether in compositional scope, sound, conceptual ambition, or a combination of all three, a release will occasionally emerge that leaves you in a daze. Finishing the album feels like walking out of a dark movie theater on a bright day after watching an engrossing film—you’re suddenly transported back to reality before your brain can catch up. Wandering the shopping mall parking lot with a sense somewhere between wonder and disorientation, you drift toward your car and—oh, shit! It’s Valentine’s Day, and I forgot to grab my wife a card and some chocolates. I better head back…
Wilhelm, the February 14th release by post-black metal band Decline of the I, is one of those reality-warping albums. Admittedly, the effects of this dark, immersive work are especially stark as I write this review from sunny Southern California, genuinely surrounded by a view of palm trees and blue skies. But the point remains: Wilhelm is a vast, hefty record. For forty-five minutes, Decline of the I journeys through an expanse of bleak, blackened soundscapes and shifting dynamics, layering in bites of spoken philosophy and elements from an array of musical dimensions. To say Wilhelm is ambitious is to put it lightly, but ambition doesn’t count for much without execution. For the most part, the band reins in the album’s disparate pieces to deliver a dense, atmospheric experience that etches an early mark as one of 2025’s best.
Wilhelm holds no shortage of blast beats, tremolo riffing, or shrieks and howls; and it’s full of the patient builds and oscillations from calm to heavy that characterize post-metal. Opener “L’ Alliance Des Rats” rolls through all these conventions and gives an upfront taste of the album’s general sound, while also offering some of the distinctive ingredients used heavily later on—electronic percussion, monastic chants, ethereal choirs, bowed strings, and spoken word. The album’s quality is obvious from the first of its five tracks: the traditional black metal portions are straight infernal, and the slower, post-inspired sections are incredibly detailed and often lead to colossal payoffs. Meanwhile, the more eclectic features meaningfully enhance the atmosphere instead of sounding frivolous or gimmicky.
Sonic explorations abound, Decline of the I incorporates extended forays into dark trip-hop (most prominently in “Entwined Conundrum” and “Diapsalmata”) and bridges centered around layered choral singing (“L’ Alliance Des Rats”). Wilhelm’s tracks are further embellished by consistent violin and cello, ubiquitous choral harmonies and chants, and a few dissonant guitar leads—my favorite being the air-raid-siren tremolo that soars over the outro of “Éros N.” Even the spoken word passages and soundbites peppered throughout, which always run the risk of being trite, contribute to the album’s distinctive feel rather than cheapen it. Especially impressive is how the vocals, utilizing lower-register harshes and banshee-like screams, integrate amidst this all, knowing when to take the lead and when to provide backing texture.
My initial focus on the record’s distinctive and experimental aspects shouldn’t be misinterpreted: the core band is also excellent. Decline of the I puts forward some of the more memorable guitar work I’ve heard in the genre lately, particularly the riff-fest that bursts out in the middle of ”Entwined Conundrum” and the melodic tremolos forming the base of “Éros N.” The slick drum performance is similarly outstanding, managing to form a backbone across wandering, unconventional compositions while supplying plenty of interesting rhythmic change-ups. These two instruments’ strong, steady presence helps support the album’s labyrinthine structure and bind together its many pieces. Being picky, I’d like a more audible and active bass, but despite its lack of stand-out moments, it provides just enough body to keep the album’s rich mix from sounding thin.
Zooming out, Wilhelm’s grandiose compositions largely flow well. The slower, atmospheric movements are uniformly strong and meticulously crafted, and the band generally enters and exits them gracefully. But there are a few instances that feel as if Decline of the I wrote something worthy of including but couldn’t quite decide how to incorporate it: the trip-hop sections toward the beginning of “Entwined Conundrum” and “Diapsalmata,” for example, sound like standalone interludes; and the epic closing song, “The Renouncer,” feels like two or three separate tracks fused together. On the whole, though, Decline of the I executes its ambitious vision for Wilhelm with impressive cohesion, and the album plays as a captivating, complete work.
Ultimately, Decline of the I delivers a record that compromises on neither the fierce blackened passages nor the detailed post-metal explorations, excelling handily at both. And the album’s several distinctive elements push it up a level—the listening experience is grand, dynamic, and plainly a lot of fun, sitting at just the right amount of excess. Although not a customary Valentine’s Day gift, Wilhelm swept me off my feet and carried me right into the bleak beyond ♥️
Recommended tracks: L’ Alliance Des Rats, Éros N
You may also like: The Ruins of Beverast, Panzerfaust, Inferno
Final verdict: 8/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page
Label: Agonia Records – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website
Decline of the I is:
– A.K. (vocals, guitars, keyboards, programming)
– AD (bass, additional vocals)
– SK (drums)
– SI (vocals)
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