Review: Pestnebel – Verfall

“Verfall”, the seventh full-length from Pestnebel, arrives like an old metal relic, faithful to its foundations but hamstrung by predictability. The album serves as a staunch reaffirmation of raw second-wave black metal, its riffs and rasped vocals steeped in a stubborn reverence for a bygone era. At first, there’s some appeal in this unflinching purity. The production feels organic, unvarnished and resolutely unmodern. It allows the riffs to stand rough-hewn in their delivery, and there’s a fleeting, grim satisfaction in that.

But for all its rough charm, “Verfall” lacks momentum and identity. Too much of the album operates under the heavy yoke of mid-tempo chug, with few moments of variation, contrast or progression. The tracks coalesce into a blur—performance-focused, yes, but at the cost of identity. Pestnebel never tried to reinvent themselves, and that remains true here. Yet that conservatism sits uneasily when the album fails to offer depth beyond tradition.

The band clearly knows their craft. Their music feels like a reunion of familiar formulas rather than a reinvention. The riffs are executed with solidity and competence, and the overall soundscape is just adequate. At times, it holds a bleak charisma, tapping into the austere atmospherics that early black metal trafficked in. There’s fervor here, but it is just a spark in a larger canvas that remains largely inert.

The problem is that authenticity can only carry you so far. “Verfall” feels like watching history on repeat – and not history worth revisiting, but a refrain stuck in a loop. In execution, the riffs are sturdy, the atmosphere stern, yet there’s an emotional toll missing. You get the sense that Pestnebel are content operating within their own wheelhouse, which for long-term fans might satisfy. For anyone seeking some daring dawn or a spark of new dark, there’s little here to bite into.

Ultimately, “Verfall” settles into a middling realm. It isn’t terrible—there’s integrity in the sound, and it delivers a solid performance for those inured to this brand of raw metal. Still, it’s not compelling. The riffs are neat in craftsmanship but uninspired in direction. It’s a record content to dwell in the shadows of its own vault, offering consistency without urgency. 

And for all adherence to the past: no vinyl version, not even a tape version is available.