Omgeving – Wijde Wijdte (Honestly Impressionistic Metal)
Now here’s a guy who knows exactly what he’s about all…the…time. Honestly not sure I do, however. Look at that cover by Polish tatoo artist Kuba Kujawa. Seriously look at it. Do you know what’s going on there? You might think so at first. Now the band name, Omgeving, is Dutch for “surroundings” and this is the type of album that will certainly surround you in every way possible, but it doesn’t seem that way at first, to be honest. To be honester I honestly hated it when I first listened to it. I imagined this one-man impressionistic guitarist running with that description I just made up with a cocky smirk on his face as he played in front of a crowd of his mom. Dad? Nah, because it’s a case of “don’t know what happened to that boy…” That’s exactly what you’re going to think when Wijde Wijdte begins. Honestly you’re wrong, but I might be too.
Omgeving is just a single bearded man, Fran e Riet, who has a number of previous incarnations. And if you’re not familiar with the impressionistic side of Dutch post-metal, exit this review and stick to thrash. Wijde Wijdte is a clear culmination of all of his previous forms into one beast that looks deceptively meek. First off, totally without vocals, an experimental mistake that is often billed as “progressive”. Omgeving doesn’t need vocals, it’s all about the sound. Best described as impressionistic (I have an Art History BA NO JOKE), the album is a deceptively simple pastiche of musical artistry that ends up being less needlessly complex than this sentence. Much like the cover, it’s a somewhat erotic, finely-layered composition, running its fingers over your flesh until you pre. The parts are clear when focused upon, but together it becomes an otherworldly experiment I’m honestly not sure I entirely understand, just like the title, which is something like “Wide Width” in English. It’s either not fully formed, or above me. Probably not the latter, but I cannot in good faith say it is anything but finely-crafted.
Written by Stanley, Devourer of Souls
Omegving – Wijde Wijdte
Back from the Grave Tapes, Hypnotic Dirge Records
4 / 5
