Coldun are a solo-project by multi-instrumentalist Steffen ‘Coldun’ Thümmel, whom you might know from bands like Isenburg or Andras as well. With this solo-project, he released a first album in 2007, called Necessariis? Dubiis? Caritas?. That one stood for firm and powerful Doom-laden Melodic Metal. Now, after seven years of waiting, Coldun returns with his second solo-recording, which goes further than the self-released debut.
The six tracks (which last in between five and eight minutes each, by the way) still bring a rather progressive form of Doom-oriented Rock / Metal, but it certainly has nothing to do (at all) with Black Metal whatsoever (the label at the one hand, and Steffen’s former bands at the other, might insinuate the contrast…). It is rather a Pink Floyd-injected interpretation of Neo-Folk oriented Rock / Metal (what a description???), but done with such persuasion; it makes me forgive this guy for his sometimes silly song structures. Besides, the borders with Cold Wave, Gothic Rock, and Folk-stuff à la Vintersorg might occur…?!... The vocal qualities of this guy aren’t that impressive either (it is not a necessity; Quorthon, for example, was one of the worst singers ever, I think, but he was able to create some of the best albums ever), and that does bother me in this case.
This material is far from heaviness, but it is not of the soft kind either. Let’s call it emotional, or mellow if you want to, with a certain warmth to characterise the whole. I for myself have a problem with semi-ballads like What Stays? or proggy Post-Rock excerpts like the intro on Relight The Temple Within, but that isn’t but my personal opinion, of course. I am sure there will be a huge audience that will adore this material; I am just not sure it will be the one that is trusted with this guy’s former efforts, or the label’s core…