Hailing from Heemskerk, Netherlands, One Velvet Winter is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist and composer Stef Kohler. With Jesus in Dystopia, a sprawling five-disc concept album, Kohler presents an ambitious and unapologetically avant-garde take on progressive metal. Across its staggering four and a half hours, the album oscillates between classical guitar, psychedelic rock, doom, and avant-garde metal, forming a richly layered and deeply philosophical exploration of modern dystopia.
A Five-Part Descent into Dystopia
Breaking Jesus in Dystopia into five distinct parts, Kohler brings forth a dense narrative that reflects his disillusionment with contemporary society, particularly in response to the global events of the early 2020s. The album’s chapters—God of Numbers, Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia, Church of Menticide, When Jesus Nearly Drowned, and The Kali Yuga—each serve as individual movements within a grander, nightmarish symphony.
From the outset, God of Numbers introduces Kohler’s signature compositional approach: complex classical guitar work forming the bedrock upon which heavier, more chaotic elements emerge. This piece serves as a prelude to the overwhelming intensity of “Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia” (the song), an over-20-minute odyssey that revels in sprawling, improvisational passages and doom-laden soundscapes.
By the time Church of Menticide unfolds, the listener is entrenched in the album’s darkest themes. Drawing from Orwellian paranoia and Huxleyan sedation, this third act presents an unrelenting barrage of dissonant guitar lines, haunting choirs, and spoken-word samples, many taken from mainstream media narratives during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kohler, alongside contributing guitarists Jos Commandeur and Tim Nijman, crafts a soundscape that is as unsettling as it is hypnotic.
When Jesus Nearly Drowned offers a moment of deceptive respite, blending melancholic acoustic interludes with bursts of heavier, doom-driven catharsis. The album is particularly notable for its incorporation of Rachmaninov- and Shostakovich-inspired motifs, creating an interplay between classical melancholy and metallic aggression. Finally, The Kali Yuga serves as a grand, apocalyptic climax—an all-consuming wave of progressive metal that mirrors the Hindu concept of the age of chaos and decline.
A Sound Beyond Borders
One of Kohler’s most impressive feats with Jesus in Dystopia is his seamless genre-blending. His past experience in power metal (Defender) and alternative music (The Emerald Tablet, November) manifests in his ability to transition between acoustic serenity and metallic ferocity with remarkable fluidity. The juxtaposition of delicate classical guitar sections against dense, experimental layering ensures that Jesus in Dystopia remains an ever-evolving and unpredictable listen.
Beyond its sheer musicality, the album is a deeply personal and politically charged work. Kohler channels his frustrations with modern society—mass surveillance, manipulation, and thought control—into an album that is not only a sonic experience but a statement. The use of Kovid Kvlt tracks, laced with media samples condemning dissenters, solidifies Jesus in Dystopia as a reflection of our era’s ideological divides.
Conclusion: A Monumental, Yet Demanding Listen
Much like an opera or an expansive classical composition, Jesus in Dystopia demands full immersion. It is not an album for casual background listening but rather one that requires patience and an open mind. Kohler himself suggests experiencing the album in segments, allowing its recurring themes and intricate details to fully resonate.
For fans of avant-garde and progressive metal willing to embark on a philosophical and musical odyssey, Jesus in Dystopia is a masterwork. It stands as both a scathing critique of modern society and a bold artistic statement, proving that One Velvet Winter exists beyond the constraints of genre or convention.
Order Jesus in Dystopia from Bandcamp here.
For fans of avant-garde and progressive metal willing to embark on a philosophical and musical odyssey, Jesus in Dystopia is a masterwork.
