We all know the tale of Romeo and Juliet, the two starcrossed lovers who were meant for each other and who were not. What if I told you that there was a similar story in Flemish folklore? If I then told you that there is truth to the tale? And what if I then told you that there are two Flemish bands who transferred that horrible story into music? Last but not least, we can also tell you that we are having a premiere today connected to the musical transpondence here on VoS!

Whoever said that history is boring is surely not following the True Crime trend that has been around for several years now and that seems to be ever-growing. However, the story of the DeVis family from the Flanders-speaking part of Belgium has been around for more than just a few decades. The story goes that the last generation of that family agreed on a pact (“Het Pact”!) to never marry and to never have children, so that their amassed wealth should only be theirs. They went to harsh measures to ensure that, because what happens when love steps in? Then, Houston we have a problem! The De Vis family faced exactly that problem and had to lock away a girl!

Kludde and A Thousand Sufferings, both Belgian bands, have paired up for their musical version of this family tale gone wrong, and of course the Black Metal element delivered by Kludde goes perfectly well with the Doom aspects provided by A Thousand Sufferings. Dark and gloomy, long and deep we find ourselves in the midst of the home of the De Vis family and the pain they inflicted upon themselves. “Pact gesloeten”, the track we are premiering today depicts the moment, when they decide on their own fate and that of all their living relatives. The lyric both bands allowed us to premiere shows pictures related to the De Vis and the lyrics are in their regional dialect to either make it more authentic or because it seems most appropriate to them (something they share with their fellow countrymen in Alkerdeel). And even though, one might not understand everything they say, the message and the story becomes clear!

You can preorder your copy of Het Pact through Consouling Sounds’ webstore and I am sure you will like it, whether you are a history buff or not!