ADRESTIA – Requiem

adrestia requiem

The current season is one of those where you either embrace the darkness, the fog-filled days, and listen to something that fits the mood, or you wait for spring and sunny days, wrapped in a blanket and stepping outside only when absolutely necessary.

While flipping through records, I stumbled upon just the kind of album that suits the former – and one that I hadn’t spun nearly enough. The grim cover of ADRESTIA’s “Requiem” actually made me quite happy, to be honest.

How many bands today can truly claim to have left a mark in the fusion of crust punk and death metal? Not many, and even fewer have done it in a way that ADRESTIA has. Their fifth and final album, “Requiem”, arrives as a farewell letter – a collection of songs reflecting political frustration, existential weight, and relentless sonic fury. Although the band wasn’t in my regular rotation before, albums like this exist to correct such oversights – and I must admit, better late than never.

ADRESTIA has always walked a fine line between the distorted anarchist outcry of crust punk and the melodic aggression of Swedish death metal, and “Requiem” might be their deepest and most mature step in that direction, incorporating strong atmospheric and doom elements. There is no raw, directionless chaos here – every song feels like a meticulously planned attack. Atmospheric melodies cut through the harsh distortion, giving the tracks a necessary dimension.

The album opens with “Thylacine Blues”, a track that immediately sets the tone for “Requiem”. The melancholic yet aggressive energy is a perfect representation of what’s to come. Lyrically, it delves into the extinction of the Tasmanian tiger (or wolf), using it as a symbol of human arrogance, colonial destruction, and the consequences of our greed. The sorrowful yet forceful delivery makes it clear that ADRESTIA isn’t just making noise – they are telling stories that need to be heard.

“My Enemy’s Enemy Is Still My Enemy” follows, bringing a shift in intensity. Clocking in at just over two minutes, this track is a furious, relentless burst of energy, tackling both the far-right and religious extremism. There’s no black-and-white thinking here – ADRESTIA makes it clear that human rights struggles are complex and that aligning with one oppressive ideology to fight another is never the answer.

The third track, “Each Day I Die”, is the shortest on the album, but it doesn’t need more time to make an impact. This song carries a sense of urgency, a rawness that channels the most intense aspects of crust punk. It’s a track that leaves no room for breathing, a sonic embodiment of frustration and existential dread.

Then comes “Where Gods Die”, one of the standout tracks on the album. It’s longer, darker, and sonically more expansive. The band plays with doom-laden atmospheres, stretching out the song’s tension and letting the melodies seep through the chaos. There’s something deeply unsettling about the way this song unfolds, like a slow descent into the abyss.

The tension continues with “Smear Campaign”, a song that exemplifies ADRESTIA’s ability to balance melody and aggression. The riffs are sharp, the drumming relentless, and the shifts in tempo keep things unpredictable. It’s one of the tracks that truly showcases the band’s creativity, blending crust punk’s raw energy with death metal’s structured brutality.

At the midpoint, “The End Is Forever” serves as a two-minute interlude of sorts, stripping things down to an acoustic arrangement. It’s a moment of reflection, a breather before the second half of the album unfolds. Yet, even in this softer approach, there’s a weight, an emotional depth that lingers. It’s not just a break – it’s a reminder that endings, no matter how quiet, are still final.

The album resumes with “Ein Brief Ad Mein Jüngeres Ich”, which translates to “A Letter to My Younger Self”. This track feels deeply personal, channeling themes of regret, self-doubt, and lessons learned through struggle. The German lyrics add a different dimension, making the song stand out even further.

Next, “The More I See The Less I Believe” brings us back to ADRESTIA’s politically charged lyricism. This song carries a sense of disillusionment, a realization that the more we learn about the world, the more we see its flaws. The music mirrors this sentiment with a dynamic range that shifts between introspection and outright fury.

“The Likes Of You And I” slows things down just enough to let the atmosphere sink in before leading into the album’s closing track. There’s a lingering sense of finality here, a farewell that is felt both musically and thematically.

Finally, “Grindadrap” delivers a devastating six-minute finale. Musically, it’s the most doom-infused track on the album, dragging you through its weighty riffs and suffocating atmosphere. Lyrically, it tackles the brutal tradition of grind whale (dolphin) hunting in the Faroe Islands, bringing attention to one of the most senseless acts of violence still practiced today. This isn’t just a song – it’s an indictment, a call to action, a refusal to let these atrocities be forgotten. You can run from reality, but you can’t hide from it.

While the album has a few moments where the pace slightly slows down, it’s barely noticeable, and “Requiem” remains impressive for its consistency and ability to maintain intensity from start to finish. These songs aren’t just bursts of rage like you’d find in so-called classic crust and death metal bands – they have structure, dynamics, and atmosphere that set them apart from the more generic releases of those genres.

In the end, the greatest irony of “Requiem” is that it marks the band’s farewell. ADRESTIA has created a unique sound that can’t be easily compared to any other band – and just when they seem to be at their strongest, they’ve decided to call it a day. If this is truly their end, then they are going out in style.

Listen to ADRESTIA – “Requiem” below:

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