Hulder - Verses In Oath (2024)

After taking the scene by surprise with their crushing 2021 debut full-length “Godslastering: Hymns of a Forlorn Peasantry”, Hulder returns with a more refined and equally brutal release with “Verses In Oath”. With over 40 minutes of music, this release is packed with powerful atmospherics, crafty execution, and very engaging tempo changes that keep the songs fresh and sinister.

Blasting away with the piercing “Boughs Ablaze”, you immediately feel the band's firepower with pummeling drumming, fierce riffing, and subtle atmospheric keyboards. These elements create a very unique European Black Metal vibe, that merges Folky melodies with raw power. The production, while raw and direct, is clean and effective, keeping the band’s sound intense while being tidy, perfect examples of this are “Verses In Oath”, “Cast Into The Well Of Remembrance”.

Our favorite track comes early with the mesmerizing “Hearken The End” and its hypnotic keyboards paired with Marz clean vocals. This track creates a very Folky vibe, similar to Storm’s “Nordavind” days. Other tracks are powerful and to the point, as “Enchanted Steel” and “Veil Of Penitence”. It is quite interesting that even while USA based, Hulder has a European BM sound in contrast to most bands from the States that have a USBM side to their sound.

As a whole, “Verses In Oath” is a testament to Hulder’s musical evolution and improvement. On every single aspect this release tops their debut and leaves the field wide open for even more refinement in the future. Any fan of European BM with more melodic/atmospheric tendencies and a bit of a retro splash would love this release, so don’t miss out on it.

Label: 20 Buck Spin

Release: February 3rd, 2024

Genre: Black Metal

Country: USA