Artist: Krampusnacht
Album: Krampusferatu
Label: Goblin Terror
Release Date: 03/12/2021
Country: Greenland
For anyone who doesn’t know Krampus, he is a horned anthropomorphic beast in Central and Eastern Alpine folklore and is believed by some to have origins that may actually pre-date Christianity. He accompanies Santa on his mission and punishes badly behaved children with birch rods. Traditionally he was used by many parents to inspire good behaviour through the fear of having to face Crampus at Christmas time.
According to the artist, Krampusnacht is a traditional dungeon synth project, who’s taken back the original melodies of old European folk tunes that were turned into Christmas Carols by various composers throughout the ages. I fully aggree with this description as you can definitely feel a sense of tradition woven into every track on the album. Despite being primarily a dungeon synth album you can clearly pick up on the foundations that the music is based upon.
Musically the album also weaves in elements of black metal, neo-classicsl and dark ambient, giving it a truly haunting essence in many parts. The album draws upon those irrational fears from childhood that may now seem silly but at the time seemed completely rational and very real. The artist manages to tap into that subdued emotion thay you may not even realise exists within you, a dark type of repressed nostalgia.
That isn’t to say that the entire album is dark and haunting, a lot of the release has a very festive feeling to it. You’ll recognise plenty of traditional Christmas melodies throughout the album but presented in a uniquely dark and unsettling manor. Some of that can be traced to the black metal influence present in the music. There are some melodies that are very clearly inspired by the genre. However the dark ambient elements incorporated into the music are the truly haunting element on the release and when paired with the unsettling sound clips present on several tracks on the album it really takes things to a whole new level.
Theme wise the album focuses on traditional European Christmas concepts, alien invasions, goblins and death. On the whole its a truly outeageous album as far as concepts go but thst just makes the whole things that much more enjoyable. Don’t question it, just embrace it wnd enjoy the wild ride that ensues.
Overall this is a perfect album for the Christmas season and one that I highly recommend everyone listen to. If you already listened to Grandma’s Cottage from my previous holiday special article then this will balance things out nicely By adding a darker edge to your Christmas mix.
Listen to and order the album:
