This is what I call epic and in more ways than one, for a start there are plenty of ideas crammed onto this album and it is a long one with nine songs hitting just over the hour mark. I have to admit I have never heard of this slightly hard to pronounce band and I reckon I should have done going by the press blurb which states they ‘have quickly become one of the most important black metal bands in the Netherlands.’ I can only take that with a pinch of salt as if that were the case they would surely be on a bit of a bigger label, although having said that, on the strength of this their fourth full-length album they could well be heading in such a direction. It should also be noted that this accolade is one that apparently the Dutch press have tagged the band with rather than any mere PR hype.
A nice chaotic but well executed barrage volleys us into ‘Tamers Of The Sea’ which has nothing particularly tame about it. It is instantly evident this is BM of the more melodic side as harmonies are quick and richly fluid. There is lots of variation in vocals too, two band members are listed as grunters, one of them also providing clean vocals which seem at the moment to have the upper hand and there is also another band member listed as a screamer. It should also be mentioned that this lot really look the part in photos and no doubt live, think Thyrfing mixed with Amon Amarth and a patch of Turisas perhaps and you get the Viking aspect of them which you will also notice as the song progresses with some clean croons taking in Eld era Enslaved. This does have that heathen cleave about it as we go into ‘Forsaken’ and I am sure it spills into lyrical narrative. The band’s name in case you were wondering translates to Peregrine Falcon and the group’s first album when it was a one man band was actually called Falconry. The clean vocals are excellent here as are the more guttural rasps and the musicianship is top notch too, there is plenty to like about this and despite the complexity and amount of ideas going on this is an album well worth persevering and getting to grips with.
This is pretty much in a realm of its own and not derivative at all, I would say that it has the sort of scope one would expect from say Moonsorrow but that is more due to the drawn out but well defined song-craft. When going at full pelt with an atmospheric wind blowing around it as on ‘Allegiance’ this takes no prisoners and should certainly have you banging your head in time to the onslaught. I bet this lot are quite impressive live on the battlefield but they have little in the way of forthcoming dates. With a push perhaps this lot would be a welcome addition on something like a Paganfest bill. ‘Bewailed’ is a highlight for me due to the thorny guitar sound and perhaps as it is actually a short and compact song for once, there is a lot of Dissection about it. Despite the fact that this never seems to end there are no evident tracks to take off, there is nothing in the way of filler here and ‘A Forlorn Throne’ is an album that will hopefully put Schlectvalk on the map. I really like the Immortalesque cover art too. Good all round.
http://www.myspace.com/slechtvalkofficialmyspace
http://www.whirlwind-records.com
