Artist: Alvheim
Title: I Et Fjort Fortid
Type: E.P.
Label: Gardarika Musikk

Ah the one-man black metal band. Such a cliché, isn’t it? Given that I’d sooner disembowel myself than work with others on any capacity, I’d be the last person to criticise any of our bedroom Burzumites even if it is sometimes really tempting to have a giggle at such types (see Fatheon review). That said, some of them really are too dire to mention and it does seem to attract the egotistical but brain-dead, no-talent nut-jobs that anyone else would either murder or at the very least kick out of their band (again, see Fatheon review). Thankfully, Alvheim come at the other end of the scale, with this debut E.P. that is highly listenable (that’s assuming your definition of listenable extends to early black metal, of course).

Alvheim translates into English as ‘land of the elves’ and so I’m guessing that makes our man Alvar an elf? A glimpse into the future could see them doing a Summoning only rather than a song entirely in Orcish writing one in Elvish. I digress. This certainly has that fantasy element down, and in a similar fashion to aforementioned Summoning, sounds more subtle and atmospheric than overbearing. ‘Stormens Sang’ introduces us to things nicely as the gentle melancholic guitar pattern threads its way forward through grey and stormy skies as the rain can be heard in the near distance. There is much rising and falling as a harsh and unforgiving, Darkthrone-like waves comes crashing up against the swaying boat, before petering out returning to a calm, mellow state.

The heave-ho sends ‘Til Valhallah’ rippling through the water and the soothing and rather visual introduction stops as soon as a portentous foghorn sounds out sending us into a clamorous and frenzied assault. Things pick up into a pestiferous and rather deadly swagger that really gets fists pounding. The drums batter and clamour with ferocity while the downpicked guitars sound really harsh, while ‘Det Onde Riket’ sounds pretty damned filthy, with its vomit-spewing vocals. There is a rawness to this E.P. that won’t make it the most accessible listen, especially if you’re fond of high-class production techniques, and it is definitely “old school” in its approach. As a bonus, it finishes with a cover of Darkthrone’s ‘Graven Takeheimens Saler.’ It’s still early days for this Estonian project so I look forward to seeing what else is yet to come.

http://www.gardarikamusikk.com

Luci Herbert

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