Dorn

Dorn sounds like the transition between a freezing winter night and a grey, foggy morning. It carries the DNA of melodic black metal but replaces the typical pagan or satanic tropes with a heavy dose of gothic romanticism and existential dread. The music is defined by its rich, prominent keyboard arrangements that provide a melodic backbone to the distorted guitars and raspy vocals.

What makes Dorn distinctive is the background of its founder, Roberto Liebig, as a keyboardist. Unlike many black metal bands where synths are an afterthought or mere atmosphere, here they are the lead architect of the song. The later addition of female vocals creates a 'beauty and the beast' dynamic that leans into the gothic metal spectrum without losing the bite of its black metal roots.

Start with 'Suriel' if you want to hear the band at their most collaborative and balanced. If you prefer the raw, singular vision of a solo project, 'Falschheit' offers a more concentrated dose of Liebig's original melodic metal blueprint.