#AlbumReview: Day Before Us & Antikatechon – EENE HELLE EN HEMELVAART

Artist: Day Before Us & Antikatechon
Title: Eene Helle- en Hemelvaart
Label: Gladivs Records
Release date: September 5th, 2026
Country: France & Italy
Format reviewed: High-quality digital recording

#AlbumReview: Day Before Us & Antikatechon – Eene Helle- en Hemelvaart via Gladivs Records by Pegah

Day Before Us have released “Eene Helle- en Hemelvaart” (A Journey Through Hell and Heaven) in collaboration with Antikatechon, bringing the two projects together once again. The album is based on the 1881 poetic cycle of the same name by Dutch poet Jacques Perk, whose ten-sonnet cycle follows the classical concept of katabasis—a descent into the underworld followed by an ascent toward the light. At its core, the album explores a journey of spiritual transformation, moving through darkness, suffering, and despair toward transcendence and renewal.

“Opening The Gates” starts with a drum-like sound that feels like an announcement, the beginning of a journey accompanied by the drone that creates the impression of a place somewhere beyond time and space, as if one is crossing the threshold into a different realm. The soundscape becomes calm and steady in “Wavering Through Empty Silence”. This track embodies a place within the void, where one hesitates in a silence that embraces the whole atmosphere. Perhaps it is an inner silence that makes one turn inward. Here, the voice of Mariel de Laforé plays a key role in creating a boundary between sound and silence.

The organ is the prominent element of “Een Spooknacht Uit Den Hemel is Gevloten”. It feels like a warning, as if something is about to happen. It announces the fall of darkness, but of course, not an ordinary night. This is a darkness that has come from heaven, descending upon the travelers. As the journey continues “In The Dreary Night Embrace”, the soundscape becomes more atmospheric, while the electric guitar adds a layer of harshness, embodying the difficulties and challenges along the path.

“When It Glistens at the Edge of the Hellish Sky” points to the light inside the darkness, as can also be seen in the cover art, featuring a painting by Ivan Aivazovsky, The Deluge. This track somehow has two distinct parts, as if one represents the light while the other reveals the darker side of the journey. The following track delivers sounds that embody the title, “The Mist”. It feels relieving, relaxing, and hopeful. The female vocals give the track a celestial weight. On the contrary, the second half of the track takes a darker turn, as if the sense of relief and hope gradually gives way to despair and regret.

“Walking Forevermore on the Floods of Regrets” is the next stage of the journey and nearly the final step. To me, it feels like a place where one confronts everything they have done and left undone, facing the regrets that have accumulated throughout life. Finally comes the last step, “Ascent to the Empyrean”. After all the hardships, it is time to leave, to meet the light and perhaps even become one with it. The soundscape conveys the abstraction of light, its weightlessness, and the feeling of nirvana. There is no longer a need to search or look back. After passing through darkness and confronting what lies within, the traveler finally reaches the light. Perhaps the ascent is not about escaping the darkness, but about understanding it well enough to move beyond it. 9/10

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9/10  Epic Storm
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