HELRUNAR / NACHTMAHR - SPLIT / Lupus Lounge Records
Contributed by Joni Juutilainen
Friday, 14 October 2005
Imhotep Rating: 9/10
My scepticism rose to a very high level when I got this bland looking
release in my hands. Two songs of bad black metal from the deepest sewers of
the narrow-minded underground? A band called Helrunar? And a song called "Trollnacht" by Nachtmahr? And I thought that Iīve heard this all for a
million times before.
But when Helrunarīs offering started by a acoustic intro and turned into
a purest possible form of folkish and nicely melodic Norwegian black metal,
I was about to melt away. Helrunarīs music is actually almost like a time
machine back to the early nineties, when bands like Ulver and Borknagar took
their first shaky steps in their grey and tiny worlds without a single hint
of great black metal boom to come few years later. Somehow Helrunar has
found that same incredible "forest" atmosphere that has been lost by black
metal albums for over ten years now. By using some norwegian lyrics (only"Hauch wird sturm" chorus is sung in German), acoustic guitar parts and
astonishingly pompous almost-in-tune clean vocals, Helrunar have made
possibly greatest Nordic black metal Iīve ever heard. I am shocked.
Nachtmahr plays itīs dark metal pretty much the same way with Helrunar,
but with more artistic and professional touch. "Trollnacht" is quite a raw
song but same time even operetic and progressive. By first listening, this
band doesnīt sound very sensational or special, but the music of theirs is
very well composed and somehow it reminds me of Arcturus, although Nachtmahr
is musically much more primitive and more connected to black metal that
Arcturus have ever been. "Trollnacht" is majestic and interesting song from
a interesting band and this song fits to this awesome split like a clenched
fist in a glove.
The time of miracles isnīt over yet. If you wonīt believe me, go out and
lend an ear to this great release yourself. Itīs of course a hand numbered
press of 1000 copies, so I think that everyone who are interested of having
this split, will have it. There are only few bands to communicate this well
by a mumbling language of black metal, and itīs wonder that thereīs two of
those bands in a same release. Now weīll just have to wait for some longer
albums from these bands.
11:44 min.
