Resonance- Hulder – Verbolgen

Hulder – Verbolgen                   9/10

Pennsylvania’s Hulder have developed a formidable reputation for not only their uncompromising black metal, but their underground heritage and ability to surprise with every new release.  No longer a solo act, Hulder (Vocals /guitars /keys) has welcomed Necreon (Bass /vocals) into her inner circle as a creative partner. Verbolgen is the result of this partnership, their third full-length release (Separate from the collectable Eps and Singles) and their first for Season of Mist.

On first listen, this is still pure Hulder, the crushing riffs and sense of melancholy across sweeping epic soundscapes, an atmosphere steeped in nature and the ritual. It is a broader, more expansive style that now includes more traditional instruments such as a hurdy gurdy and flute that add to the experience. It’s an oppressive sound made of layers of frenetic riffing and a sense of forbidding intent, the scream that opens the title track evidence of their authenticity. ‘View from Nemeton’ with its immediacy and ferocity, is countered by the demanding call that is ‘In Blood and In Earth’. It is a tangible malignance and testimony to the power of the new partnership.  “… And We Shall Sing and “Thy Binding Oath” are further blessed with a grandiose darkness and melancholy that pervades every note, that remains true to the ideal, epic and imbued with a power that comes from within.

Verbolgen is proof of Hulders’ status as one of the premier black metal acts. It is an album of such drive and purpose that it is impossible to ignore. With lyricism in English, Flemish, and Proto-Germanic, it is an album that requires no explanation, just your full attention. Executed brilliantly, Verbolgen is essential.

https://www.season-of-mist.com/