LEVENDLEED Algehele Malaise CD

The 2020 album Algehele Malaise by the Dutch project Levendleed, released as a professional CD digipak by the Portuguese label War Productions, is a haunting and deeply personal exploration of Depressive and Melancholic Black Metal. Levendleed, which translates from Dutch as Living Sorrow, is primarily the creative vessel of the musician Thomas Philip Acid, who is responsible for the songwriting and the majority of the performances. The project focuses on themes of abandonment, the repetitive nature of human suffering, and a profound longing for the end, all expressed through raw yet atmospheric compositions delivered entirely in the Dutch language. The album is structured into six tracks that together create a cohesive narrative of emotional decay and hopelessness. The record opens with the seven-minute piece Verstrooid (Scattered), followed by the biting melancholy of Daargelaten and Niemandsland (No Man's Land), the latter of which is noted for its experimental use of murmuring vocals and eerie acoustic transitions. The second half of the record features Onrecht (Injustice) and Routine, leading into the nearly ten-minute final descent titled Uitgeteld (Tally Out or Spent). Produced and recorded by Joe Sinner and featuring drums by Tom Rutgers, the album balances the sharp, desperate energy of black metal with slower, hypnotic passages that emphasize the malaise promised in its title. Released in a limited edition of 200 copies, this digipak has solidified Levendleed’s reputation as one of the most honest and evocative voices in the modern Dutch underground scene.