Alkaloid – Bach Out of Bounds
Release Date: 23rd January 2026
Label: Season of Mist
Bandcamp
Genre: Progressive Death Metal, Classical.
FFO: Rivers of Nihil, The Black Dahlia Murder, Apogean, Whitechapel, Hideous Divinity.
Review By: Eric Wilt
I always love when classical music is given the metal treatment, so I was very excited when I saw Alkaloid was releasing an album called Bach Out of Bounds. Classical music just naturally sounds good when played on distorted guitars and heavy drums, after all, the classical composers were the rockstars of their times. Add to this the fact that few bands are as talented and/or technically proficient as Alkaloid, and you have a recipe for an amazing musical experience.
The album, which releases 23 January, is a live recording of three shows and features Alkaloid giving three of Bach’s songs the Alkaloid treatment, while they give five original songs the Bach treatment. In addition to the band, which includes Morean on vocals and guitar, Hannes Grossmann on drums, Linus Klausenitzer on bass, and Justin Hombach and Max Blok also on guitar, Alkaloid enlisted the help of two sopranos, three strings players, and an accordionist to bring the music to life. The three Bach songs they played are Allegro (BWV 1052-I), Adagio-All Is Vanity (BWV 1052-II), and Angus Dei (BWV 232), the first two of which will likely sound familiar even to those who don’t listen to classical music. The five original songs included on the album are the new tracks Beneath the Sea and Haunter of the Void as well as reimagined versions of Cthulhu, A Fool’s Desire, and The Fungi from Yuggoth.
When I think of Bach, I think of his instrumental music because I’m not really a fan of the singing that accompanies the cantatas. The opening track is Allegro (BWV -I) and it is everything I was hoping for. It’s heavy, the guitars shred, the drumming is equally heavy, and it is so well done. As for tracks two (Adagio-All Is Vanity (BWV 1052-II)), and seven (Angus Dei (BWV 232)), they include the operatic singing that accompanies Bach’s cantatas. This type of singing is an acquired taste I never acquired, so while the sopranos both have beautiful voices, neither song is as good, in my opinion, as they would’ve been as instrumentals.
The first new song on the album, Beneath the Sea, features the soprano singers. Musically, it really is what Bach would’ve written as a member of a technical death metal band. The other new song is called Haunter of the Void and was commissioned by the Dutch Performing Arts Fund (FPK). Haunter of the Void is the epic of the album, clocking in at over ten minutes, and sees the band make use of all of the musicians and singers. Cthulhu from The Malkuth Grimoire sticks pretty closely to its original form, as does A Fool’s Desire from Numen. The Fungi from Yuggoth also from Numen features the violins and cello filling the instrumental section towards the end of the song that was originally predominately played on guitar.
Overall, Bach Out of Bounds is as good as you would expect it to be. Alkaloid is a phenomenal band, and the music of Bach fits very nicely alongside the music they already make. I would’ve preferred the three Bach songs to have all been instrumentals, but the singing is well done if a little distracting, but this should not stop anyone from giving the album a listen because it really is enjoyable.
(3.5 / 5)
