One Velvet Winter – Jesus in Dystopia

Wow, this is something special! I’m talking of this special CD-box sent to me by Stef Kohler, one of the members of the musical gathering called One Velvet Winter. Listening to this 5 CD-box for a 4,5 hours, while looking outside my window as the first snow of this winter has fallen down in Scandinavia, seems like a perfect setting.

Let’s first start with a presentation of a band for those who might be unfamiliar with their music. One Velvet Winter is an eight-piece formation from Heemskerk, The Netherlands. In the time of the recording of Jesus in Dystopia, the band consisted of following members; Simon Menting (vocals; ex-Defender), Marco Nicola (vocals/guitar; Bintangs/ex-Trembling Highburys), Hans Baaij (vocals; ex-The Emerald Tablet, Balloon), Michel Tuin (vocals/guitar; Gardin, ex-The Emerald Tablet), Tim Nijman (guitar; ex-Reload, Goldsleeve), Esteban Carbonero (drums/percussion), Jos Commandeur (guitar; ex-Balloon), and aforementioned mastermind behind the whole project, Stef Kohler (guitar/keyboards/vocals/sitar/bass; ex-Defender, The Emerald Tablet, November, Gardin).

Prior to the release of Jesus in Dystopia this Dutch octet released the first 5 disc boxset, The Leftovers of Hope (2020), an album containing over five hours of dark, experimental and beautiful music. Four years later, Jesus in Dystopia, the new concept-album boxset by Velvet Winter lands on my doorstep. It contains an eight panel digipack, 5 cd’s, 32-page full color booklet, over 4,5 hours of uncompromising and diverse music by composer, guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Stef Kohler aka One Velvet Winter.

In the end it’s all about the music, so let’s look a bit further into these five CD’s housed in this box:

CD I: God of Numbers
CD II: Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia
CD III: Church of Menticide
CD IV: When Jesus nearly drowned
CD V: The Kali Yuga

For you still unfamiliar with their sound, I can tell that their music is complex and easy, disturbing and relaxing, at the same time. To explain it more clearly it contains elements of following genres; progressive metal, classical guitar rock, atmospheric songs, doom, avantgarde, black metal and eastern music. I pretty much agree with project’s own presentation of their music as, ‘…dark and intense avant-garde metal soundtrack for the Age of Control’.

Musically, this trip takes a listener on an immense and exciting journey from classical guitar, psychedelic rock and fragile songs to abrasive avant-garde metal and doom, with dazzling guitar work. Furthermore, one can hear numerous aggressive electronic parts, throbbing beats, obscure samples, and distorted vocals… all these things fuse to create an extremely dark, versatile, varied and listenable album. In lyrical terms, Jesus in Dystopia is an absurdist and philosophical journey through the world of big data, manipulation, fear and the growing urge to control. With titles for some of the parts titled as “When Jesus nearly drowned (excerpt I-III)”, “Unwavering“, “Church of Menticide”, “God of Numbers” or “Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia”, I assume that most of our readers will understand where they find a lyrical inspiration for this complex recording.

Production and overall sound is just amazing; creating a perfect balance between all the instruments and the vocals. It feels as an intense and diverse journey through different landscapes of meditative interludes, lengthy, heavy and varied epics and alternative experiments.

Due to its complexity, Jesus in Dystopia is definitely not the easiest recordings to get through, actually it’s more like a time in an opera, due to its length and complex sound structures, rather than usual piece of heavy metal. I can only quote one of my writer colleagues who, in conjunction with the release of The Leftovers of Hope wrote; ‘…those who who take time to absorb it bit by bit, awaits an unique and exception musical experience’. I agree completely with him.

After pandemics and a mass hysteria, in the year 2021, after months of cries from down below, Jesus awakens from his slumber and travels back to earth just to observe the state of mankind in the twenty-first century. It’s perfectly, although ironically, depicted in my favourite song called, “The Kovid Kvlt Part VI: Fresh Test Dvmmies” where He screams and whispers, ‘Hail The Pfizer’. Equally, the cover-art complements the music of an album very well.

Before the very end of this review, I’ll send my special thanks to a very-productive man & mastermind behind One Velvet Winter, Mr. Stef Kohler, who provided me with this awesome release!

For more info on this new concept-album lengthy box-set, visit https://onevelvetwinter.bandcamp.com/album/jesus-in-dystopia