From the beginning of the summer, when the band announced the release of its new album, I had a particular sense of anticipation and anxiety about whether their new work would be good or disappoint me. Fortunately, everything turned out well. The wait was more than worth it. Hulder have now proven themselves to be a band whose musical worth you can trust.
For those who are unfamiliar with the band, Hulder (forest spirits in Scandinavian mythology, taking the form of half-woman, half-animal creatures) is the solo project, a one-woman band, of American musician Marliese, who has Belgian roots. She started in 2018 with a few demos and later released some equally good EPs. Since then, she has maintained a steady and constantly rising trajectory in the black metal scene, continuously attracting a larger audience.
Here we have her third full-length album, entitled Verbolgen (anger, angry) in Flemish. Her new album comes to seal her already very impressive discography in the best possible way. It follows her first, very good album, Godslastering, and the outstanding Versus In Oath, which propelled her into the ranks of the global black metal underground and beyond.
Verbolgen is a musical continuation of her previous albums and moves within the realm of traditional Scandinavian-style raw black metal. This time, however, it is enriched with new and interesting elements that allow her to take another step forward, without ever losing the personal musical style she has maintained since the beginning. Although her sound belongs to the northern school, there is not a trace of imitation. Her individual musical, lyrical and compositional qualities stand out clearly throughout the almost 43 minutes of pure black metal she offers us on this new record.
For those who have listened to her previous works, Verbolgen will undoubtedly leave them completely satisfied. The same satisfaction will await those discovering her for the first time. If Versus In Oath was wild and aggressive, Verbolgen is dark and mysterious, introducing some new elements: slightly more keyboards, more guitar solos and the flute. As we know, Hulder did not make extensive use of these elements on her previous albums, remaining faithful to classic, traditional raw black metal. However, these new additions by no means take centre stage on the new album; they play a complementary role and demonstrate her compositional evolution in a very beautiful and carefully considered way.
The production is good to very good by black metal standards. It is neither too clean nor too dirty; it is exactly as it should be. There is absolutely no reason to worry, though, as all the instruments can be heard crystal clear.
There are also some changes on this record, with the band’s new logo replacing the previous one. The corpse paint has been abandoned and will probably be used only for live performances from now on, leaving only her beautiful, long hair against the backdrop of lush green forests.
There have also been changes to the band’s lineup, which appear to be permanent, transforming the project from a one-woman band into a four-piece. Necreon (bass/backing vocals), previously a session musician, has become an official member of the band, while Klerk (guitar/keyboards), along with Vapula and Vrolok on drums, have also been established as permanent members, both on recordings and live. As we know, however, Marliese remains the principal musical and lyrical force behind the band. Nevertheless, it seems that the musicians, now officially part of the group, have brought their own styles and ideas to the table, making the new album even more interesting.
Since I am one of those who believe that an album begins with its cover and continues inside the CD, I feel exactly as the beautiful artwork suggests: as if I am about to enter a forest in the late afternoon, just as night begins to fall. That was the first feeling it gave me, and that feeling continues throughout the album.
But now it is time to press play…
A calm introduction of approximately two minutes, featuring a few acoustic notes, some keyboards and the faintest hint of flute, begins to set the mood for the album. The introduction ends as peacefully as it began, and the first riffs burst into my ears alongside the imposing, heavy and rock-solid drums. The Crowning has already begun, moving through changes from mid-tempo to faster passages and back again, all beneath the excellent vocals, which are exceptionally good for black metal. Their distinctive female tone makes them even more interesting.
Her vocals are not merely good; they are exceptionally good. They are dark and heavy, just as they should be, without the complete distortion added at the mixing desk that characterises so many other bands. This is one of the major differences between Hulder and other black metal acts. She does not simply growl or shriek; Hulder sings with her dark voice and unleashes screams that sound as though they have emerged directly from the depths of the forests and from the spirits that inhabit them, exactly as her name suggests. A few keyboards and some subtle melodic vocal passages complete the track, already leading us among the first trees of the musical forest that lies ahead.
As we enter the album’s third track, The Binding Oath, which appears lyrically to have some continuity with the previous record, I expected the pace to pick up. Surprisingly, however, the tempo remains at a mid-paced level, while the first melancholic and atmospheric elements make their presence strongly felt, accompanied by the first prominent keyboards and her particularly impressive, ferocious vocals.
The mid-tempo riffing is also excellent, ensuring that the track loses none of its intensity or darkness. At the same time, the first pronounced folk elements add a distinctive atmosphere, while Ianuaria’s flute takes you on a journey. All these elements clearly make this the most atmospheric track on the album. The song closes at almost the same tempo at which it began. It was the dark calm before the approaching storm…
The title track, Verbolgen, has already begun, and the riffs erupt with ferocity and massive weight, like a storm, while the fury in her voice becomes noticeably more intense, exactly as suggested by the title of both the album and the song: “anger.”
The black metal assault has begun. Wild, aggressive and dark, the riffs race at full speed, and the tremolo picking pierces your ears, followed by the bass, while the blast beats on the drums pound you mercilessly. Everything has intensified, and the track moves towards its conclusion at an extremely fast tempo, already making you realise that this album is worth your time. And this is precisely where Hulder excels: genuine, authentic black metal… We are now approximately halfway through the album.
And the assault continues…
The fifth track has already started, and Marliese’s frenzied riffs begin flattening everything from the very first second. We are now listening to …And We Shall Sing, a track featuring an incredible wall of guitar sound and high speeds, accompanied by subtle keyboards and some guitar solos. The astonishing changes between high, mid, high and mid tempos feel like a furious wind blowing through the trees of the forest we entered at the very beginning of the album.
These impressive changes also reveal Hulder’s considerable musical abilities. Without lengthy and often exhausting “bridges” between measures, as other bands tend to use, she manages to raise and lower the tempo without losing the track’s fundamental rhythm. This is precisely where an attentive listener will recognise the musical skill of both Hulder herself and the band’s musicians.
We have now entered the sixth track, In Blood And In Earth, through a beautiful acoustic introduction, as we listen to Hulder’s oaths to blood and earth. The pace slows down, the riffs relax and open up, becoming more melodic and mysterious without losing any of their darkness, like a musical initiation ceremony between humanity and the earth.
Night has already fallen, and it is time for “the song of the night” (Den Nacght Zijn Lied in Flemish). New, furious riffs and continuous tempo changes create an incredible, crystal-clear wall of sound. Together with the keyboards and the outstanding solo by the second guitarist, they produce a captivating nocturnal atmosphere, exactly as the song’s title suggests. In my opinion, these elements are more than enough to make this one of the album’s best tracks.
The darkest and most enchanting moment on the album follows, leaving you with the feeling of a misty night approaching, with a view of Nemeton, the sacred forest of the Celts. The track has already begun, with the tremolo-picked riffs of Marliese and Klerk breaking down your final resistance to starting to headbang right where you are sitting and listening to the album.
The libations to the ancient gods have begun, the forest spirits have grown furious and are screaming. Everything is moving at high speed: guitars, bass and drums are all racing forward. Hulder’s black metal onslaught continues to attack us, accompanied by her vocals, which alternate between ferocious and melodic. Necreon’s clearly audible backing vocals on this track also help create one of the album’s best moments. It is accompanied by a very good, albeit amateurish, music video, which you should not miss on YouTube.
The sun has already set, and night has begun to cover the forest, exactly as depicted on the album’s back cover. Gradually, we approach the end of the musical magic that has preceded this moment with The Glow Of The Dawn, which, as its title suggests, means “the glow of dawn.” Yet dawn will never arrive here, on this album, because all that exists here is the approaching night.
The forest spirits have fallen silent, and the ritual is coming to an end. For this reason, Hulder brilliantly brings the album to a close with nothing but an instrumental passage evoking the dawn, without lyrics, leaving you to imagine what comes next. The final notes of the album have already led you towards the dark paths of her musical forest.
This is the most beautiful ending of all the albums she has released so far.
The album is over. The night has begun…
Just a few more useful details for those interested in the finer points. The album’s lyrics are written in English, Old and Medieval German, and Flemish, Marliese’s native language due to her roots in Flanders, Belgium. This trilingual approach to the lyrics adds another layer of mystery and intrigue and will probably make you turn to Google Translate to understand them better. The mixing was carried out at the Tico-Tico Studio in Finland by Ahti Koperlainen, just as it was on the previous album.
The flute on the record is performed by Ianuaria, who participated in the project solely as a session musician. The outstanding front and back cover artwork was created by Morrigan, known for her work with Aeternus. The album is being released through a collaboration between 20 Buck Spin in the United States and the French label Season Of Mist in Europe.
To conclude… An absolute must-have in your collection for black metal fans. For everyone else, it depends on your tastes.
Stathis T.
9/10
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!