And here I thought that I was given my fill of melodic black metal for some time now after experiencing the new Moonlight Sorcery and Inherits the Void in just the past week alone, but the universe had one more offering (at least at this current time) for me to lose myself in before I am to depart from this particular vein of black metal for however long. The very name of Golgata is something that I’ve heard of before and seen multiple times but simply has never been something I’ve found myself in before for no particular reason. Now, though, after experiencing what was brought forth for Golgata’s third full-length album, it’s clear I have some catching up to do.

Leaning heavily into the melodic aspect of your sound is certainly a way to succeed but it doesn’t automatically make it so. You need finesse, balance, and more than a little intrigue in order to keep your listeners engaged as it takes more than just a few riffs to keep the attention of the listener with a little definitely going a long way. But, Golgata clearly doesn’t work in “little”. They did in “massive”! Pick any one of the eight tracks that are to be found with “Ur Eld Och Aska” and I can guarantee you that you will be met with a dazzling display of black metal that is no less than gripping not just because of how captivating the melodies are, but also by how undeniably mystical the record feels right from the get-go as Golgata immediately proves itself to be far more than an act with one simple trick done over and over again. It’s warranting of multiple listens so that you know for a fact that you experienced as much as you possibly can from this album with it never once failing to hit its mark as Golgata is able to bring forth a wide array of emotions from love and hate, glory and sorrow, and beauty and despair to the point that it all comes together magnificently to make “Ur Eld Och Aska” become a performance that’s multi-dimensional, dense, and engrossing in such a way that many bands wish they achieve. Hypnotic right from the onset, Golgata has crafted a work that I cannot find a flaw in no matter how much I try with it being indicative of true talent and mastery the likes of which cannot be denied with this surely being but one testament to that fact.

It’s easy to look at many bands scattered throughout the underground and feel as though the future is bright for them, but few actually manage to live up to those expectations and seize the moment to become all that they can be. Already, though, Golgata has made it clear that they’re not missing out on any of their opportunities with everything that went into “Ur Eld Och Aska” showing passion and excellence on a level that leaves me constantly picking my jaw off of the floor from experiencing, and I cannot help but feel this is but a taste of what Golgata is really able to bring to the table.

LISTEN to “Ur Eld Och Aska” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Golgata on Facebook here.