Darkspace – Dark Space -II Review

Few acts have been as influential as Darkspace and its storied lexicon, from its cosmic take on atmospheric black metal to Swiss extreme music in general.¹ While unwavering in the kvlt standard, spacious and cold ambiance collide with an unshakeable and vicious groove like the impact of planetary collisions. Their veritable chaos galaxies of Roman numeral monikers are grounded by this lethal sonic balance, each album offering yet another formidable perspective on the unfathomable cosmos. Darkspace’s last album, Dark Space III I, earned a much-deserved 4.0 a decade ago from the beloved gone-but-unforgotten space cat Grymm, who praised its intensely cold interpretation of space-faring black metal while wary of its warbling production. A whole decade later, we are faced with Dark Space -II.

As the name perhaps suggests, Dark Space -II is less a follow-up to III I as it is a spiritual successor of 2012’s Dark Space -I, itself a rerecording of the trio’s first-ever 2002 demo. In this way, Darkspace sidewinds expectations in a mysterious pulsar rather than a tangible planet. Dark Space -II, consisting of a single forty-seven minute track “Dark -2.-2,” saturates the sound with ambiance and pulsing industrial beats in a far more streamlined attempt than -I. Dark Space III I had its moments of industrial influence, but in its newest incarnation Darkspace utilizes them for full effect. It’s a gutsy move to provide a follow-up to a band’s most controversial offering after a decade of silence, but mercifully Dark Space -II takes the challenge in strides for the evocation and inimitable atmosphere they are renowned for, even if it will not be for everyone.

Dark Space -II crowds the negative spaces of the act’s trademark expansive cosmicity as if emerging from a gigantic black hole. The trio’s repertoire has long been colossal expanses of opaque atmosphere contrasting with passages of riffy black metal, with fluid dynamic songwriting moving between the two galactic fringes seamlessly. Darkspace opts for a claustrophobic density that settles neatly on the event horizon, eerie transmissions from alien sources settling patiently in the darkness. Increasingly chuggy riffs are balanced by pulsing electronic beats, while synth lies front-and-center in the ethereal and pitch-black sound we know and love from this Swiss trio. The combined vocals and strings of Wroth (Tobias Möckl – also known as Wintherr from Paysage d’Hiver), Zhaaral (of Sun of the Blind), and newcomer Yhs (replacing longtime member Zorgh following her departure in 2019) show off atmospheric prowess in sprawling pendulum swings between grim chord progressions and droning guitar chugs, alongside patient explorations of ambient proceedings. The songwriting remains fluid and intriguing as expected — swelling synth and guitar guided by dark beats – with little variation aside from some rhythmic variations, sparse placid passages, indistinguishable vocals, and subtly riffy guitars that all emerge and collapse into the singularity at its center.

This is the grimmest and most intriguing element about Dark Space -II: if you’re looking for the riffs that brought weight and density to the trio’s classic albums, you won’t find them here. Dark Space -I was already controversial in its electronic artifice, putting riff and punishment on the back burner for an album focused entirely on evocation. In some ways, -II paints Darkspace as solid blackened EDM, among the likes of Aborym or Psyclon Nine, which may not be a selling point – particularly to the second-wave worshipers that have often populated this fanbase. Dark Space -II is a natural progression for an act devoted to sonic blackness in attempts to conjure the mystery and horror of sinking into gravitational anomalies, which contrasts neatly with the exploratory expansion of its catalog. As its negative value moniker suggests, Dark Space -II is a sonic portrayal of a black hole, crushing emptiness, rather than the frigid isolation of space exploration constituting its creators’ traditional methods.

Dark Space -II has tormented and perplexed me, offering something this evasive and opaque after a decade of silence. While more is perhaps coming from Darkspace in the near future, this is both a detriment and an asset to –II, as its mysterious and opaque nature offers barely noticed horizons for the trio to explore while potentially alienating its fanbase with industrial beats and a black canvas saturated with indistinguishable performances. The point of Dark Space -II is to be evasive, evocative, and eerie, and it massively succeeds in doing so – even if it doesn’t quite reach the heights of its classic sound.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3

Label: Season of Mist
Website: darkspace.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: February 16th, 2024