ALBUM REVIEW: Ulvdalir – …Of Death Eternal

Here I review a new release from Iron Bonehead Productions, the fourth Ulvdalir album.  Some promisingly harsh Russian Black Metal, let’s go!

1. Intro begins in with eerie ambience that is unsettling yet simplistic. The dark mood and haunting singing creates a formidable horror that is perfectly put together to open a macabre Black Metal album. A really great, minimalist way to start the album.
2. Awakening fires into waves of huge atmospherics with monolithically intense drums and guitars that ravage you with blast beats and cold icy tones. The immediately gorgeous production allows the sweep of deathly darkness to captivate the listener from the onset. Vocally the track is just as high in quality with hideously harsh screams and growls that have a slightly Death Metal touch to them, overlaying the grisly instrumentals gorgeously. Old school bleak sections have stunningly chilling atmospheres that captivate the true flame of Black Metal with beauty and gloriously spectral musicianship. This piece was absolutely fantastic!
3. Black Flame Of Will grinds out more churning riffs and drums filled with intense aggression, a bitter melancholy and truly impacting force. The blinding assault of instruments and vocals is, once again, perfectly reminiscent of the famous 2nd wave Black Metal bands but with the added dissonance of bands like Svartidaudi. The convulsive rhythms of the track create a wonderfully uncomfortable and discordant piece that is filled with foreboding and horror. The bass solo was a unique and really enjoyable element that was unpredicted and something not many Black Metal bands use at all, that worked damn well! Excellent stuff!
4. Swords Of Belial blasts into slower tempos but with equally formidable force. The sweepingly gruesome vocals over bleak guitar and drums that have a certain mystique to the sound is just incredible to listen to. There is a bitterness to Eastern European Black Metal that is certainly present here, something I really enjoy from that particular scene that I consider a key elements to its sound. The blasting stampede that follows the earlier sections is just as atmospheric and beautiful as it is filled with ferocity and disdain. The guitar solo added some lovely melody coupled with the haunting chanted vocals. This track was impressively smooth flowing and varied, a glorious piece of truly phenomenal Black Metal.
5. Birth Of The Beast drops right into full tempo assaults, bringing brutality back with full throttle. The mystic howls of the vocalist over tormenting softer atmospherics and blast beats creates a a really gorgeous yet intimidating vibe that is just so perfectly executed with the band throwing out aggression and beauty in perfect harmony. The melodic and gloriously catchy, almost folky, lead riffs add a true level of beauty to the song, elevating the album into new territories while staying true to formula and not damaging the momentum (which is fantastic). This track was one of those so dark, it will stay with you. Astounding work!
6. Music Of Cold Spheres has upbeat drums that really throw the song head first at you right away. The blistering guitar assaults and blast beats, once again, consistently decimate us with punishingly heavy music that is just so gloriously formed and with production, as aforementioned, that allows the atmosphere and mood to be captured perfectly. There is a hideously harsh morbidity to the music but there is also elements of respite and tranquility within it too. Another guitar solo makes an appearance which was really well played and a great touch, especially due to the band not overusing them. The storming rhythm of the song is one of those that you find it almost impossible to resist headbanging too, coupled with the furious blasting sections we are given some pretty damn menacing Black Metal. Another absolutely brilliant track!
7. Eternal Angel Of Death Eternal jumps right back into full speed attack. The Sargeist styled riffs creating a glacially cold atmosphere that is just impenetrable. The progressions within the song work to add a sombre, depressive touch to the music, working beautifully with the more aggressive side in contrast but also harmony. This is one of those tracks, that from early on, hypnotise you and just draw you into the truly cathartic nature of the music. Now all of this album has been captivating and of the highest quality, but this despairingly dark closing track takes it all one step further to show the band will give their fans one last totally enticing final piece. Chilling and ferocious, this track is just a perfectly suitable statement to how Black Metal is not dead, rather growing stronger by the day. Glorious!
8. Outro will close the album, after a totally complete feeling package, there must be closure. With folk style ambience and a truly epic feeling, this album is gracefully bowing out and in a way that I found really unique. The well rounded feeling of finality really did finish things off gloriously. An excellent ending to this journey. Wonderful!

This album was a complete package of forcefully intense and spectrally dissonant Black Metal with atmospheric flourishes. Some truly fantastic and crushing material from the Russian band that truly must not be missed. -9/10