AINZAMKEIT - Was des Lebens nicht wert DigiCD

The work of one Grymnir der Zornige, AINZAMKAIT's moniker is a linguistic twist on the German "Einsamkeit," which is loneliness in English. Fittingly, that's what you get with the band's was des Lebens nicht wert debut album. Riffs are hypnotically melancholic and yet also strangely triumphant, the spiritual victory lurking behind every bittersweet defeat. Grymnir der Zornige's full-throated rasp rallies only true believers with acidic aplomb, his native tongue truly giving the album's central six tracks a rough 'n' rowdy aspect that puts AINZAMKAIT safely beyond DSBM dross. With the pace largely residing at or near a marching mid-tempo, a certain hooliganism latent to the best German black metal arises, stacking well alongside such esteemed labelmates as MAVORIM, EISENKULT, or Austria's AUSSICHTSLOS. Nevertheless, as was des Lebens nicht wert plays on, a subtle slow-burning quality emerges, and when joined by the equally subtle usage of synth & organs, AINZAMKAIT plant a unique steel-toed boot on noble ground.