DEATH. VOID. TERROR – To the Great Monolith III: Rifts
Release Date: 25th September 2026
Label: Sentient Ruin
Bandcamp
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal, Doom Metal.
FFO: Dakhma, Arkhaaik, Ungfell, Almyrkvi.
Review By: Aeons Burning
The mysterious Swiss collective known as Jünger Tumilon produces some of the most interesting and mesmerizing black metal to date. Death Void Terror is this collective’s most atmospheric venture, excelling at creating hypnotic soundscapes and intensely layered songs rather than the barbaric brutality of Arkhaaik, the ritualism and Zoroastrian soundscapes of Dakhma, or the deranged drunken folk-infused melodies of Ungfell. It should also come as no surprise that Death Void Terror is one of my favorite groups here, and having already released their EP To the Great Monolith 2.5 as a preview for Rifts, I already had an idea that this would be their most ritualistic sounding album under the Death Void Terror moniker yet. What I was not expecting was one of the most stunning releases the Jünger Tumilon folks have released in an already ridiculous catalogue, because Rifts is one of the best black metal albums I’ve listened to this year.
As opener Gözdyrey proves, Rifts is an album that is built to slowly guide you on this journey, and the suffocating terror of the past two records is replaced by a more stripped-back approach with perhaps some of the most minimalist style riffs I’ve heard in a very long time, with a LOT of attention dealt to the various vocal styles at play: chanting, some death metal growls, but it’s mostly the two band members (anonymous but more than likely the two main collaborators for all other Jünger Tumilon projects) being totally unafraid to add some very unconventional vocal techniques. Ids Elrekis Frakhetir adds in a stompy riff that evokes last year’s Arkhaaik, and there’s a surprising amount of Icelandic sound not unlike Almyrkvi permeating Rifts as a whole, as the industrial elements Death Void Terror bring evoke those seen on Almyrkvi’s Umbra. The synth use as well as the general tone of Rifts also brings a slightly triumphant sound to this normally extremely oppressive-sounding act, and the heavy layering as well as the atmosphere provided are more than enough for me to continue to revisit this.
Rifts is much different from To the Great Monolith I and II, but Death Void Terror made this bold experimentation work. I suspect this less oppressive style may turn some folks off, but I encourage any potential listeners to go into Rifts with an open mind, because compositionally this is one of the best atmospheric black metal albums I’ve heard this year, and this level of unapologetically honest songwriting with so many different vocal styles present throughout, as well as the dazzling use of layers, textures, and synths make Rifts a monumental release and another gem in the many-faceted crown of Jünger Tumilon.
(4 / 5)
