Forming in the dark, fateful days of 1999, Membaris have long been a lingering force within Germany's oft-overlooked black metal underground. From the band's very first demo in 2002 onward, Membaris have kept their feet firmly rooted in black metal's foundational second wave, but always with an eye to expand upon that noble firmament. Reverence is key, as is passion, and the seamless, unselfconscious combination of both has become a hallmark of Membaris. Alas, it's been eight long years since the band's last album, 2012's Entartet, but Membaris arrive refreshed and with their strongest full-length to date in Misanthrosophie. With founding members Obscurus and Kraal still at the helm, the duo here unleash a torrent of Technicolor black metal majesty with Misanthrosophie. Each of these nine tracks wends and winds through a dazzling display of contours and constructs, encompassing blistering intensity and majestic melody alike, and often detouring into plaintive (and ever-poignant) acoustic territory with alarming ease, including some literally stunning solos courtesy of Stefan Hofmann. Across its vast 54 minutes do Membaris take the listener on a breathtaking journey into the soul's darkest recesses - as well as, it must be said, surprisingly grand heights - folding perceptions, origami-like, of what pure 'n' proud BLACK METAL can be. And that journey becomes an especially emotional one, as the duo's songwriting simply bleeds blood both black and red, human and inhuman(e), their spectrum of experience transcending the usually strictured norms of the artform. But, veterans that they are, Membaris equally understand black metal's original unorthodoxy, and hereby abide by that just as fully; the listener is thus richer for the duo's daring ways. Completing the totality, Misanthrosophie was engineered by TT and is graced with stark 'n' austere cover art courtesy of Karmazid. The past is alive, and it bleeds into the future with Membaris' Misanthrosophie.
