When I ran into one of the lads from Dark Essence Records a few months ago and he told me about the upcoming Blodhemn record (that would be the fourth full-length for those of you who are unfamiliar with the outfit’s discography), I must admit that I felt a tinge of excitement and anticipation. The band’s earlier outputs were solid offerings that consisted of several excellent and worthwhile ideas that were well-executed, but Sverger Hemn blows all of that out of the water and delivers an epic punch in the gut.
Simply put, this is a scorching slab of pitch-black grandeur that is majestic in scope.
Sverger Hemn evokes the caustic furore of early black metal while simultaneously sounding fresh and current, which is no easy feat. It sounds like Scandinavian black metal thanks to its inherent melancholy and brooding aura. Still, it is by no means a one-dimensional slab of Norse grimness or some derivative output that we are dealing with here. Blodhemn has truly sharpened its claws this time, and it immediately becomes clear that the intriguing musical entity has worked very hard on the song arrangements and melodies. The compositions warrant repeated listens and contain plenty of interesting nuances and atmospheric textures, and all the tunes display vigour, depth, charisma, and determination.
As to highlights, the two that really left a mark on yours truly are the stunning and utterly moving ‘Farvel Feioey’ and closing track ‘Tid’ with the latter ensuring that it all ends in a blaze of black metal pyrotechnics. Did I mention that the production is excellent and strikes a near-perfect balance between sufficient clarity, relentless aggression, and raw power?
In a perfect world, this LP will put Blodhemn firmly on the map and turn up on every black metal fan’s radar out there, which is merely another way of stating that the 7-track disc belongs in the big league and is a creative and highly varied effort that slays from beginning to end. There is a sense of purpose to Sverger Hemn and fans of Taake and Orkan in particular need to check it out.
Sverger Hemn will be released by Dark Essence Records in early October this year.
