The depth of philosophical education available to those curiously skimming the meat of vexation most often presents definitions, impractical abstract language to be cut apart and feebly sewn together in real time, which lands with a certain mathematical deafness upon the untrained mind ’til some manner of parable, dialogue with the masters presents prime rhetorical device. At this point the curtains pull back and the play between characters reveals itself akin to the joy of Attic tragedy, the preferred device of any philosopher intending to express lasting poignancy upon the polis does so by necessity of storied events and within the practicum of narrative. Characterization is where we find Netherlands-based progressive/dissonant black metal project Teitan connecting with his musing upon nihilistic and absurdist existentialist thought and in recognizing this the artist smartly binds strong personification with challenging, varietally rich avant-garde music for this exceptional second full-length album. ‘In Oculus Abyss‘ gives us a bug-eyed lens into the minds which impress, distort and lean into feelings of dread knowing that the outcome may appear foreboding, treacherous from a distance yet the experience at the fringes of existence always proves more valuable than the comfortable stupidity of the mundane.

Teitan formed as a duo of Rotterdam-area teenagers just getting their start beyond early solo projects back in 2008, soon releasing a still green but substantial enough self-released CD-r (‘Dark Ritual‘, 2009) which’d been heavily influenced by the more militant, chaotic aggression of Swedish black metal of that era alongside some hints of post-’94 Mayhem‘s avant-garde sensibilities, one of the scarce characteristics to provide continuity between then and now. Soon after it seems one half of the duo, Berith, lost interest in creating black metal at that point and likewise discontinued his own solo project. The other half of the duo, Devi Hisgen aka Marquis, would continue down a somewhat different (previously existing) path until 2015 with his own project Marquis before moving on to psychedelic/stoner progressive metal project Cthuluminati ’til releasing a full-length in 2019. Around that same time (2018) Hisgen would resurrect Teitan with encouragement from Berith for the sake of seeing where he might take it ten years later as a far more capable artist, the result seemed intent on retaining the chaotic mindset of the band but manifesting it in an entirely different way.

The resultant debut LP (‘Weight of the Void‘, 2019) manifested as a somewhat unpredictable, droning and dissonant black metal record (ah via certain Blut Aus Nord releases) which was of course largely unrelated to the original material of the project a decade earlier being much more accomplished and by a matured hand. That record found its voice in creeping and ominous existentialist black metal mannerism, a modern and violent mood. thought the artwork wasn’t inspired that debut LP set an appreciable tone and atmospheric reach which was hallucinatory in its statement, a buzzing and hellish descent which appeared more frustrated with each piece. It was interesting enough in hindsight, since most folks missed out on its 40 copy cassette run and the digital version didn’t arrive online until 2021 as far as I know. Even if that debut provided some uncanny provenance it wasn’t until the follow-up mLP (‘V​á​kuum‘, 2021) hit that Hisgen reached a level of personal voice with the project that had something to say, a sound that had obviously inspired the artist to push his own limits. As a result Teitan became something worth taking a second glance at, especially within the second half of that mLP which seems to have been the breakthrough which provides the spiritus which develops within the chaotic ambitions of ‘In Oculus Abyss‘.

Prior to 2021 it’d still have made sense to look to snippets of Deathspell Omega‘s broad range, Dødheimsgard‘s personal-intellectual hypnoses and perhaps ‘The Work Which Transforms God‘ to some degree when speaking of what’d likely inspired Teitan‘s style but these are now more distant basal features which create the topographic landscape of ‘In Oculus Abyss‘, an album which features a dynamic which initially bears sharper Ved Buens Ende inspired edges (see: “From Under the Floorboard”) that fans of Laster and Code and would appreciate despite the ruthless intensity achieved; We find the “psychotic” performances and unhinged voice of this project develop further, embracing varietal (or, unpredictable) tone as its theme intentionally portrays the artist’s short list of absurdist existentialist inspirations, some classic as possible and others obscure or contained within abstract dark fiction. It is one thing to present Camus and Kierkegaard or Diogenes and Socrates in the typical fashion which extreme metal debutantes tend to with a nod and a wink but in this case Teitan intend to make eye contact, to embrace their own interpretations and imagination inspired by these figures and their writings which tend to be framed into characterization rather than as a vessel for blunt enough ideas. There is a practical and provocative openness, or, a willingness to explain ones own exposition in detail herein which speaks to the intellect of the artist up front and in this sense this album will hum loudest to those willing to dig beyond their expectations of a philosophically charged black metal record and approach it as a well-considered work rather than a puzzled-over muss.

The general read of the album begins with the eyebrow twisting “Menstrual Blood and Pomegranate” introducing the listener to a fairly rich yet intimate sound set in a limited space, sparse guitars threading an implication of rhythmic melody which develops into phrase over the first few minutes. The first three songs develop a narrative which deals with crimes of passion, some extraordinary and others attempting to illustrate a character who is questioning from within the tunnel-vision of psychosis, this is most clearly stated on “From Under the Floorboard” a piece which is sleepily narrated in a lounging state until the rush to broken, dissonant aggression wracks in for the second half. Walking basslines, electro beat interruptus, and tireless vocal modulation find Hisgen toying with ever hammer in the shop, doing all manner of damage with each as “Murder Me” sums the first act with the first clear thread of thought between several songs on the album, the outsider and their choice of honesty with the ‘self’ (and in life) versus the lie one must perform on a regular basis to sync up with perceived societal norms. This is at once an impressive first peak, or, again first act of the album both musically and in exploration of its theme but I would stress that this is only just the introduction to what depth is available to ‘In Oculus Abyss‘.

Oontz-ootnz, torz torz. — Where the body transforms and the descent deepens into its mystifying thought process so does “Insectoid” arrive in reference to Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis, one of my personal all-time favorite pieces. To the literate and less-than-literal this is perhaps an obvious choice for this theme and, eh, I suppose a quite well-explored classic in every sense but again what impresses in terms of Teitan‘s thematic treatment here is twofold, lyrically building a minimal characterization and lending an unexpected arrangement to the piece to emphasize it in the greater spin of the album. A statement begins to brew within this interruption of creeping and distraught horror, complete with mutilated vocals and reeling synth, where the tentative drum pattern goes from its marching-speed thoughts to a thumping electro stomp to finish off this brief window into torment and isolation. In terms of theme the next couple of pieces make it a bit more concrete as “Public Masturbation” speaks to the virtues of Diogenes and standout song “The Die is Cast” frames the death of Socrates as a similar choice between living in a society which enforces their norms and dying with what gives one purpose in hand, their “truth” as they live it. It is, as I see it, a meditation upon what impact one can have on others when going their own way, a natural point of rhetorical purchase for black metal.

In terms of the musical evolution of the full listen we find more of the tormented art-black metal mutations (“The Die is Cast”, “Purple Void”) and their tormented tone sidled next to creeped and unsettled atmospheric movements (“Public Masturbation”) which again line up with the character and the situation they are embodying. I did admittedly lose the plot with “Gang Mahal” since I believe it refers to John Burnside who I am not familiar with and the song itself seemed quite a bit different than the rest of the album in tone. In terms of the full listen I suppose I would consider Teitan‘s second album a challenging experience if only because the points of pleasure it manages come with complexly woven pieces which line-up in surreal brushstrokes, side-stepping the often militant and hateful feeling of dissonant black metal entirely for the sake of a moodiness which is unpredictable, motioning from psychotic murder-mind to solitude enriched mind palace. Where we start is nowhere near where things end and though it isn’t an easy ride ‘In Oculus Abyss‘ undeniably says something, feels many things, and is well worth musing over per the avant-garde black metal fan. A high recommendation.

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