Laster for Experimental/Post-Metal

Laster are a Dutch post-black metal trio from Utrecht, founded in 2012. The band consists of vocalist/multi-instrumentalists Nicky H (formerly of Northward), Wessel Reijman (of Freja and formerly White Oak) and Sylwin Cornielje (also ex-Northward), the latter of whom joined in the wake of Laster's first demo. Taking its nom de guerre from the Dutch word for "slander," Laster are known for their evolution from black metal into an avant-garde blackened art rock hybrid, synthesizing a number of influences across cinema, literature and music, the more prog-minded artists being Ved Buens Ende, Lugubrum, Alcest, Kayo Dot, Ulver and Manes. Performed entirely in Dutch, Laster's lyrics are fantastical reimaginings of the band members' experiences in "love, distress, confusion, sexuality, identity...", while aesthetically eschewing the genre's typical corpsepaint trappings for bizarre self-made humanoid masks. The trio also maintain the Kunstlicht microlabel, promoting Laster-related projects such as Nicky's Silver Knife and Cornielje's Grey Aura.

Initially signed to Dunkelheit Produktionen, Laster's earlier work - such as the 2012 Wijsgeer & Narreman demo and 2014's De verste verte is hier LP - showcased a more traditional atmospheric black metal inspired by Drudkh and Burzum. Their debut album's title track carried the seeds of post-punk and shoegaze that would blossom later in their discography, a new and more avant-garde style the band dubbed "obscure dance music." These hints continued onto the winding eighteen-minute track "Vederlicht verraad," released on a 2016 split with fellow Dutch black metal band Wederganger.

Laster completely embraced the nervous atonal legacy of Vicotnik and Czral with their 2017 sophomore, Ons vrije fatum, leading them to perform at Roadburn and sign with Prophecy Productions later that year. The trio's third full-length, Het wassen oog, arrived in 2019, with a deluxe edition containing a short story to accompany the album as well as an additional EP, Stadsluik. Laster once again performed at Roadburn for the 2019 edition, participating in the Maalstroom collaboration featuring members of other blackened Dutch bands like Terzij de Horde and Fluisteraars. Black metal was only one of many flavours by 2023's acclaimed Andermans mijne, seeing the band move even farther from their roots to more strange and ever-danceable frontiers. Laster subsequently joined Sigh as special guests on their 30th anniversary tour of Europe.

Laster's atypically accessible brand of weirdness will excite fans of Virus, Fleurety, Amesoeurs, Grey Aura, Ephel Duath and Farsot.

"Andermans Mijne" (2023)

"Het wassen oog" (2019)

"Ons vrije fatum" (2017)

"Vederlicht verraad" (2016)

Listened to Leaf Drop and Palm Tree, there are up on Apple Music. Sounds great, but quite light for post-metal in my opinion)