Review by Sonny for Hulder - Godslastering: Hymns of a Forlorn Peasantry (2021)

After tempting us with a couple of terrific EPs Hulder finally unleashes her debut full-length - and it doesn't disappoint. Godslastering sounds fantastic - no longer the lo-fi, raw black metal of the early releases, this really packs a wallop. Straight out the gate with the riffs of the first couple of tracks, Upon Frigid Winds and Creature of Demonic Majesty, you realise that Hulder is gonna kick your ass - and leave you begging for more! The addition of keyboards has filled out the sound without distracting from the brutal black metal assault, in a similar way to early Emperor (in fact Lowland Famine has a section that sounds very much like I Am the Black Wizards). Hulder's vocals are impressively ragged and savage-sounding, yet also allow for the lyrics to be clearly heard. There's a little bit of a respite from the battering with the acoustic/dungeon synth of De Dijle and the gentle intro to the album's best track, A Forlorn Peasant's Hymn, but mainly this is full-on second-wave worship of particular quality.