adg211288 Silhouettes of an Imprisoned Mind (2016) is the debut EP release from Dutch atmospheric black metal act Witte Wieven. The band is a two piece act consisting of Carmen (vocals, guitars, bass, samples) and Sarban (drums, samples). The EP has been released as a very limited (250 copies) CD run but has also been made available to download for free.

While musically a black metal release, Silhouettes of an Imprisoned Mind is actually completely devoid of any kind of growling vocals. In fact most of the work here is instrumental but when there are vocals they are sung cleanly. Whether that will change when Witte Wieven makes a more substantial release remains to be seen, but the clean vocals only approach does work for their breed of atmospheric black metal, which on the first track Ruin has a distinctly warmer feel to it than a more harsh sounding band would have. The experience comes across as rather ethereal, which is what makes Ruin really stand out.

In comparison the following title track seems designed to show that Witte Wieven isn't a one trick pony, displaying some much more aggressive guitar work along with some quite slow parts with long drawn out chord stabs that sound as if the band may have some hidden doom metal influence that they aren't quite unleashing here. No matter what though I am impressed with the band's melodies, which can sound quite haunting, especially in the softer sections of the EP, such as in the third and final track Faces of Unreality, where such music is combined with a whisper of a vocal from Carmen.

There isn't really enough material on offer with Silhouettes of an Imprisoned Mind to get a decent impression of what Witte Wieven will be capable of in the future, but it does do what a good first EP or demo should do and that is make me very intrigued to hear what this duo may be able to come up with in the space of a full-length. Hopefully such a thing isn't too far off down the line for Witte Wieven.