The German Winselmutter, which translates roughly to wailing mother, is based on a figure from German folklore. According to legend, her appearance brought nothing but doom – a harbinger that death and devastation were inevitably near. It’s a name that perfectly fits the music: ominous, dark, and charged with a sense of foreboding energy.
The band was formed in 2024 and released their first Rehearsal Demo that same year. In true old school fashion, it was captured raw and unfiltered on a tape deck in the rehearsal room – no polish, no compromises. Exactly the way it should be. This caught the attention of German label Fuckin Kill Records, who soon after decided to release an album on vinyl. And with success: the first pressing sold out in no time. A second pressing has since hit the shelves, underlining that Winselmutter is far from just another new name in the genre – they made a serious impact right from the start.
The relatively young label Sapivon also saw the potential and took care of the cassette release, closing the circle: back to the tape tradition where the band’s roots lie, now spread to a wider audience.
Musically, you get Old School Black Metal the way it was meant to be: dark, uncompromising, and intense. But there’s more: Winselmutter is carried by a vocalist who doesn’t hold back a shred of emotion in her wailing, raw delivery. From crushing doom passages to relentless blast beats, from dissonant riffs to icy tremolos – the record moves across all extremes, yet manages to remain a cohesive and destructive whole. The raw production only strengthens that feeling – unpolished, yet alive and dangerously sharp.
The vocal style of Eternal Chaos Witch ov Blackened Ritval Nights – as this frontwoman calls herself – is nothing short of spellbinding. Her voice sounds like a lament from another world, a cry that makes the hairs on your neck stand up straight. Drenched in despair, hysteria, and rage, yet at the same time carrying a sense of human vulnerability that makes the music even more intense. At times, even punk influences seep through, making her screams all the more direct and genuine – as if she’s spitting them right in your face, with no microphone, no barrier.
The result is one hell of a record. The spirit of the ’90s looms over everything – not as a cheap nostalgic trick, but like a full moon illuminating the path of this music. Blackened, cold, and treacherous, Winselmutter tears through your soul – and strangely enough, it feels like a refreshing shower after a night spent in the pits of hell.
Winselmutter is clearly a band that wastes no time on frills or trends: this is pure dedication to the art of Black Metal, delivered with the urgency and hunger of a group that has something to prove. And they prove it with conviction.
An absolute must-listen – and hopefully soon to be witnessed outside of Germany as well. Because if the record already feels this destructive, a live ritual can only be nothing short of devastating.
90/100
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