Trist is the brainchild of Tristan, aka Benjamin König, member of the more well-known black metal band Lunar Aurora. This project is perhaps less popular as it is far less accessible in terms of listening; take for example the thirteen-minute opener ‘Bewusstsein’ and eight-minute closing track ‘Zweifel’, which consist almost entirely of the sound of waves and the sea. Whilst some may label this as pretentious, this is a fair reflection of the image that this album is trying to conjure up. Every so often, the other tracks will simply break down into a watery expanse, with ethereal sounds and whispering, or any other means to make you feel as desolate as possible.

    Tristan is responsible for all the sounds we hear on this opus, and like with other ambient / black metal projects, the product can be very narrow, yet beautiful. In this case, the tracks which do contain some tracings of metal do not deviate far from a single rhythm, whether it be gentle guitar chords and keyboards, or pummelling bass drums along with a distant series of angst-ridden cries such as in ‘Wandlung’.

    ‘Willenskraft’ is German for ‘willpower’, and if you can muster enough to make it through this album, which is quite tricky to listen to despite being so simple, the true art which runs through this album can be appreciated. Just remember to bring your armbands.

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