Stagnation is more often than not a fate equal to that of death when it comes to music. It comes from when there are no fresh ideas nor any talent that’s able to come around and keep things interesting in virtually any form, yet it’s a fate that somehow much of metal has been able to avoid. Through legions of talent new and old, each sound has tons of potential still decades after its inception even in the reaches where the old ways are still very much the norm. Black metal, in particular, continues to defy expectations despite what some might claim. No matter what brand of the sound you’re looking for, it’s only a matter of time before someone comes around and blows it out of the water. It’s no rare feat to see new bands evoke the old school, yet not many can do it in a way that’s invigorating and compelling from beginning to end. For everything brought forth in its second album, Ulvehyrde proves itself to be one of the few that can.

I think it’s safe to say that black metal has become quite bloated in recent times as there’s an innumerable number of bands out there that strive to accomplish one thing or another with maybe one in ten actually able to truly impress and catch listeners off-guard. It’s common enough to see new blood try their hands at delivering old school black metal, but it’s a sight we rarely get to see. Despite that, it’s with their new album of “Dødsdømt” that Ulvehyrde digs deep, finds treasure, and pulls everything off with surprising mastery and aptitude to make this record far more than what I expected when I first sat down tonight. Throughout all eight of these tracks, Ulvehyrde channels a darkness the likes of which can only be traced back to classic black metal of decades passed with all the fervor and power that one could demand from the sound! A straightforward creation that knows precisely what it hopes to replicate and thus perpetuate through great talent and clear vision to make the efforts in question as undeniable as they are potent, “Dødsdømt” has much to call its own from riffs that invoke the chill of winter to songwriting that captivates the very spirit of what black metal has been trying to resurrect for a long time.

Ulvehyrde has not done anything new here, but it’s in every confident step they took that this creation takes on a life of a sort that we’re rarely treated to even in the dense thicket of the underground. There are no frills, nor any unnecessary movements made here – efficient black metal at its coldest. Should “Dødsdømt” be just the beginning for what we can come to expect from Ulvehyrde, then I cannot help but feel as though this is a name the underground must keep an eye on lest black metal of a truly ancient order go past us unheralded for all that it delivers.

LISTEN to “Dødsdømt” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Ulvehyrde on Facebook here.

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