Solid if somewhat generic black metal
Hailing from the grim forests of Germany, Helrunar have already achieved a solid foundation in the black metal scene with a demo, a split, and a full-length album. Their latest offering, Baldr ok Iss, continues in the black metal tradition and further cements their status in the scene.
Listeners will find Baldr ok Iss filled with memorable, if stereotypical, black metal riffs and reflective acoustic interludes. The production values are more than tolerable for black metal, but outsiders to the scene may find themselves hit with a seemingly undefined wall of sound. The vocals vary from a typical black metal scream to clean singing, but sometimes the latter seems poorly mixed. Thankfully, the screaming isn’t overly saturated or cheesy and nicely compliments the music.
Apart from the clean vocals sometimes sounding odd in the mix, there’s not much else to criticize. Helrunar embody everything that makes black metal what it is: Thick tremolo picked guitars, furious drumming, and contrasting acoustic sections. For anyone interested in black metal, Baldr ok Iss certainly makes a worthy addition, but it presents little to draw anyone else in.
| Reviewer: Josh Coppola Added: November 5th 2007 |
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