It’s not obvious that King Apathy is an ironic title to the new album from Germanys’ THRÄNENKIND. An impassioned delivery by all players betrays the wry introduction but does little to humour the vehemence it contains. The intention may not be to provoke the listener but by giving in to a rampage it breaches a path through the undying light and embraces the darkness like a deathly shroud. Coming to terms with abject nihilism in a comprehensive manner that’s developed within a beautiful serenade of both terrifyingly powerful and deeply moving songs.
Following their monumental debut King Apathy is an extension of the affective dissonance they established on The Elk. Expanding the sound and restating the strange melancholy that’s found by the tender warmth of the albums’ production, King Apathy spirals with its spirit like wisps from a dead candles’ wick, and as the scent remains strong from the memory of a fire long after the flame has dissipated into the ether it divulges comforts within perpetual darkness.
King Apathy is a magnificent continuation to 2013’s The Elk and THRÄNENKIND have studiously furthered their exploration of the themes they’ve presented on their releases. Forging what some may consider cliched chord arrangements into a coherent chorus of killer riffs and manifesting guile when moments of solace are performed with broken indifference. Preserved in its unique charm is semblance of being true to the self through music.
10/10
