I’ve been trying to figure out how to start this review for Slagmaur and their fourth full-length album Hulders Ritual. The main reason I picked this album is that Black Metal luminary Snorre Ruch (Thorns), one of then liminaries who helped invent the Norwegian Black Metal style and forged a legacy borne in the fires of Satan’s flames, produced this album

Yep, so I’m not going to talk about Snorre and guitarist/bassist General Gribbsphiiser recently making news after taking a stroll in the frozen wasteland of Norway and ‘getting lost’. Good publicity. That’s all.

Let’s talk about the music, that’s what you’re here for, right? Overall, it’s some stellar Black Metal in the vein of Dimmu Borgir, Emperor, and even some Thorns influences. Add to that guest spots by Hoest (Taake) and Silenoz (Dimmu Borgir), you know… lending star power to the proceedings.

Right away, there’s “Ritual Dogs” dumping an ice bucket over your head with some of the coldest riffs conceived in the icy cauldron of Norwegian Black Metal. It’s an unrelenting riptide that catches you and drags you out into the ocean of brutality. “Wildkatze” keeps it mid-paced but no less vicious in delivery. There’s so much reverb on General Gribbsphiiser’s vocals that he sounds like he’s singing in an ice crevasse, and it’s absolutely sublime. I love Black Metal, that is, this raw, immense creature that eclipses the sun, turning the world black.

“Huldergeist” grabs you by the throat with a prime Old Man’s Child/ Dimmu Borgir influences and some absolutely unnerving shrieking vocals. If you put yourself between The Pagan Prosperity and Stormblast, you’ll be in the right ballpark. The end has some killer female vocals to boot.

“Hexen Herjer” is a grimy, pitch-black heart beating with pure evil. The mid-paced track is one of my favorites from Hulder’s Ritual. At the 4:44 mark, the whole track dissolves into an evil white noise, the drums acting like a deranged clock ticking towards Doomsday.

“Warlok” is another mid-paced steamroller of a track. There’s a pervasive, serpentine riff that lives in the background. The female vocals show up briefly before being absorbed into the fray. This song doesn’t rush itself; it’s methodical and precise, pacing beats you senseless.

“Rathkings” blasts forth with Gorgoroth-level intensity. The vocals are like the death cry of a Dragur. The music sweeps you up in the arms of steel and palpable darkness. These guys are on fire here, and I’m already looking forward to album number five (no rush).

To say I’m enamored with Slagmaur is an understatement; I love this album. It kicks back to those halcyon days of early brutality and raw extremity. With a killer album cover with cute as fuck sheep on it and Snorre Ruch with his awe-inspiring production… it all goes towards this unholy release being unleashed. Considering that their last full-length came out in 2017, I guess the time was right for a new album.

At the end of the day, Slagmaur have returned after a nine-year hiatus from wherever they were to release a fiery Black Metal album: mission accomplished. If you love Old Man’s Child, Dimmu Borgir, and Emperor, then you already know I’m going to recommend this to you. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up.

[Visit the band's website]

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