Black Metal History- Ereb Altor : " Hälsingemörker

This Swedish band has more of a black metal history, than what they do at present. Their last album was great so let's see if they can maintain their creative momentum. They played a blackened pagan metal previously and things are being refined down to a sound that holds more in common with traditional metal on the opening track this time. There are touches of darker aggression. The second song is a more anthemic Viking drinking song, though, to the band's credit where most bands doing this sort of thing, there is too much of a rousing frolic, where they guys keep a darker tension chugging under them. 

"Attestupan" chugs along a middle ground without really breaking into any new sounds for them. It's melodic and works, but does not wow me. More black metal possesses their sound with more overt aggression driving "Vi Ar Morkret" Though it blasts by and even with the cleanly sung vocals being the main narrative of the song it does not really stick to my ears, but seems effective enough. The snarled vocals and more deliberate groove of the drumming really help out "Traldom". "The Wand the Sky, the Pyre" finds the bass taking the reins and giving the song a darker, heavier throb the rest of the band falls behind until building things up intense sonic swell. 

"The Last Step" closes the album with its triumphant gallop. Scowled vocals do come in, and they pass in and out of the album, though the singing is typically the main vocal. When they are locked into this kind of epic gallop it gives things more of a Tyr sound. I'll give this album an 8.5, for my tastes it's not that dark, and bent on being big and epic, but it's well done, and power metal fans who want to pretend they are into black metal might enjoy this. Fans of Pagan metal are the big winners here as that is what they are delivering in full. 

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