Style: Black metal, dark metal, DSBM, twisted
Primary Emotions/Themes: Suffering, suicide, self loathing, death
Thoughts: Bethlehem have primarily been known as having unique and tortured vocals. Since their return to black/dark metal they have gone through several vocalists. Their current vocalist, Onielar, is among the best the band has had. Her vocals resemble the tortured screams of someone who has been involuntarily committed to a mental asylum.
Lebe dich leer also shows a large step up in musical quality from the more experimental period the band had in the mid 2000-20010's. The riffs echo the same disjointed stylings of Dark Metal. With that comes a chaos that matches the energy of the vocals perfectly.
At points the music scales itself back. Removes all distortion, pulls back the volume and lets Onielar's deranged vocals take full hold of the listener. During these points the atmosphere is genuinely frightening. Yet other times, black metal takes full hold. During these intense moments the full fury of the insanity that is Bethlehem is released.
This only scratches the surface of the full gamete of Lebe dich leer. It is a complex album, both musically and emotionally, and one that is not easily digested in a single listen. What may at first sound sloppy and disjointed, later becomes a reflection of the pain that the band is trying to convey through this record. Things that sound out of place, later make perfect sense as the band delves deeper into their own personal hell.
While not quite as crazy as any of the first three albums, Lebe dich leer's quality is undeniable. I've been frequenting this album quite a bit as of late. While the mid period rock/experimental albums have their place, I am thrilled that the band is revisiting their own take on the black metal genre. The last two albums have been fantastic.
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