Band: Hulder
Album: Verses in Oath
Genre: Black Metal
Country: United States/Belgium
Label: 20 Buck Spin
Released: February 9, 2024
Introduction
Question time? Have you ever been to a concert of a band, and thought that sounds a lot better than I thought it would sound when performed live? For me, that answer recently got answered with a big Yes it does!
2 weeks ago, I saw Hulder as a support act for the Abbath performs Immortal tour. And even though Hulder was the first band of the evening, it was along with Kampfar also the best I heard that night. The sound was spectacular, and it was clear to everyone that Marz (Marliese) is a mesmerizing force on stage. Having seen her perform live made me appreciated her latest release even more and it made it apparent I needed to do a proper review of it.
Her previous album was released in 2021, so it took 3 years to summon this latest album from the black abyss. Let’s see if what has been summoned from those depths are worthy our time.
Verses in Oath
Track list:
- An Elegy (Instrumental)
- Boughs Ablaze
- Hearken the End
- Verses in Oath
- Lamentation (Instrumental)
- An Offering
- Cast into the Well of Remembrance
- Vessel of Suffering
- Enchanted Steel
- Veil of Penitence
Hulder has summoned a new album into existence. This album contains 10 new tracks, with track 1 and 5 being instrumentals. The run time of the album is a bit over 40 minutes. Which is a decent amount of time, I don’t really mind if an album is short, but those longer albums which tend to go over an hour are way too long for my attention span.
The first song, as said, is instrumental, but it sets a good atmospheric stage for what follows. The first feeling I got when listening to was how much it reminded me of the 90’s black metal era, and that feeling continues through the entire album. It has some more modern sections, such as the sixth track, An Offering. But that 90’s vibe has a strong presence throughout the entire album.
I must admit, I gave Hulders first album only 1 listening session and haven’t listened to it after that, but I’ll give that one a few more spins as well. On this, their second offering, 2 songs stand out for me. The first one being the title track, Verses in Oath. This has a very thick sound which is very much to my liking, also the drums, masterfully handled by hired gun Charles Koryn, are really good. The other track that stands out for me is the eighth track Vessel of Suffering.
This track is short, and it just goes, the drums and riffs keep firing. This song was also played at the live show I saw and, and as mentioned above, the band really slayed it out there. Anyway, this song also has that 90’s vibe going for it. It’s just a great song overall.
And that goes for the rest of the album as well, the production is good, the songs are good and it’s overall a good album. Is it the best album out there? No it’s not, but it’s a good and decent black metal album, and it doesn’t have to be more than that. Not every album out there has to be a 10 because, let’s be real, most aren’t. But Verses in Oath is a good black metal album, and it deserves your attention for at least one full album session.
Conclusion
So Verses in Oath is a good black metal album, and I rate it a 7 out of 10. Since this is the second full album, I am excited about what the future brings. If you ever get the chance to see this band live, don’t hesitate and just go watch it, you won’t be disappointed.
BMZ Score: 7 out of 10 – Good: A solid and enjoyable album overall. It boasts strong songwriting and performance quality, delivering a cohesive and satisfying listen.
Your thoughts on: Verses in Oath
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