Review by UnhinderedbyTalent for Hulder - Verses in Oath (2024)

All the necrotic, medieval lore of black metal has always been captured superbly in the music of Hulder for me. Marz, having established herself as an artist way back in 2016 with her blackened/heavy metal outfit, Bleeder, has continued to release consistent black metal offerings with Hulder. This consistency is maintained again on Verses in Oath I am pleased to report. Icy cold yet fat enough with tales of the occult that gives sufficient warmth to endure the forty-minute duration of the record, Verses in Oath applies little in the way of polish to proceedings yet does not undermine quality whilst doing so.

This is a well-written black metal album. Even taking to one side the clear Emperor-style synths, the grim yet majestical tropes of Satyricon and the cold fury of early Immortal, there is plenty of other elements to sink your ears into. Deploying choral arrangements, animal noises and an operatic interlude even, Verses in Oath haunts the listener instead of opting for the more constant, frenzied attack of so many other peers. This is an album that has thought behind it, a nefarious intention though it may be, I for one welcome it with open arms.

This is not to say that the record lacks punch. It is still a visceral sounding record, with scathing if not all that remarkable riffing, beastly if not all that audible drums and when coupled with that sort of guttural rasp that Marz has this can all come together with some real intensity. I think this is why the atmospheric elements work so well on the record as they temper the more aggressive elements brilliantly. Again though, the songs are paced well enough, allowing punctuation points for melody and rhythm to seep through.

The haunting interlude of Lamentation, placed at the centre of the album, sounds like it is being played through an old radio from a parallel universe almost. Its operatic vocals piercing the fabric of time itself, harking back to a more classic and less burdensome time perhaps. Immediately rolling into the soft choir work on An Offering gives the album a real palate cleanse at the midway point, before the track is cut off in its prime, as if hit by some black magic to ignite the icy cold start of Cast into the Well of Remembrance.

There are many, fog-dense morning walks I would like to take whilst being accompanied by this record. Just sat here gazing across the foggy field opposite my house, this album has proven to be a perfect early afternoon accompaniment and has already worked a high place on the list of best albums of 2024 also.