The German one-man project of Georg Börner, ColdWorld at first listen lacks the modernity that the ‘squared’ sign in the album title suggests. After all, it opens with ambient keyboard notes, turning suddenly into a hateful blast of malice, aural influences including early Emperor, Ulver and Darkthrone. The more upbeat tempo and violin of the second track will soon put you right, however, as you start to listen to one of the best debut Black Metal albums that this reviewer had heard in a long time. The use of keyboards is so well-judged and tasteful that they never intrude despite being the loudest instrument on show. There’s even a Burzumic four minute long purely ambient piece (Wintereisse) that’s simple but very compelling, stepping into Vinterriket territory but without the single-minded dullness.

In many ways it’s generally hard to tell what is actually ‘good’ in Black Metal – a genre that, let me remind you, consists of grown men (well, mostly) screaming and trying to convince you of how evil and/or miserable they are. With so many similar bands using the same tricks to convince the listener of their prowess, it’s easy to get disillusioned with the style, but one listen to Melancholie² and you’ll find yourself pulled in. Somehow, GB (as he prefers to be known) has written an album of music that will drag you back to the first time you heard atmospheric Black Metal and fell in love, that moment of awakening when minimalism proved its virtues. And with songs later on the album that step into Leviathan territory (the wonderfully depressing Red Snow) and even into Electronica (with album closer Escape) this will keep progressively-minded fans as enthralled as purists.

It’s not often that you come across something that affects you emotionally, and whilst we Metalheads are lucky enough to get more truly heartfelt music than most mainstreamniks, the amount of soulless tat in the musical underground is still disheartening. Thank goodness (or more appropriately, darkness) for ColdWorld, formed just three years ago yet sounding classic from the first listen, beating many a well-established band at its game. Anyone that counts themselves a Black Metaller will enjoy this; really, it can’t be praised enough. Stop reading my feeble waffling and check the samples out!