Fárbauti - Hulderdans (2021)

Hailing from Norway, today we have an interesting mixture of Ambient Black Metal with some Death Metal influences, creating a very disturbing and different release. Featuring four tracks and nearly 20 minutes of run time, this EP is the brainchild of Gjøran Sæther. For those that like cavernous atmospheres and sprinkles of old-school BM influences, this release makes for an interesting listen.

The release starts with the atmospheric “Nakne Føt På Råtten Lyng”, a track that starts quite conventionally and then it just gets weird. Odd tempo changes make this track trippy, but not in the best of ways. Experimentation is definitely one the central ideas of this one-man project, and as the slow and eerie atmosphere leads us to “Berget Må Åpna Seg”, a more somber and straightforward piece that could be benefitted by actual drums or better drum production at least.

Continuing into more hellish and decadent territories, “Slep Meg Til Hel” exploits harrowing vocals and a certain lo-fi old school vibe that makes the song even more effective. Closing the release we have the hypnotic “Hymeskvæde”, and its piercing riffs, paired with a doomy and tempo (for most of the song). While the style is not effective or captivating the whole time, this release has solid enough bones to be enjoyed. Hopefully Fárbauti’s sound continues to improve with time.

Label: Self-Released

Release: July 2nd, 2021

Genre: Ambient Black Metal

Country: Norway