#folkblackmetal — Public Fediverse posts

Rauhnåcht – Zwischenwelten Review

By Grin Reaper

For the uninitiated, Rauhnåcht isn’t just a one-man, pagan black metal band—it’s the time between worlds as one year transitions to the next.1 This is a quiet, contemplative period drenched in folklore, when the veil between unseen, spiritual worlds and our own is thinnest, the Wild Hunt prowls the night skies, and furry, horned beasties trudge through snowcapped, picturesque villages trading offerings for luck and warding off evil. Rauhnåcht’s latest offering, Zwischenwelten, poetically translates to “the worlds between worlds,” and posits reality as a series of crossroads between antitheses, creating worlds unto themselves. Though much of reality is defined in black and white, we all exist in shades of gray. Do Zwischenwelten’s high-minded ruminations manifest in the music, or do they get lost in translation?

Rauhnåcht’s oeuvre consistently melds black metal with folk trappings. Man-behind-the-curtain Stefan Traunmüller employs a broad assortment of instruments in Zwischenwelten to charming effect, ensuring that while you’ve almost certainly heard distorted tremolos over blast beats before, there are twists here that keep the style fresh and unique. The sum total rubs elbows with Saor and Árstíðir Lífsins without imitating either. Zwischenwelten is Rauhnåcht’s fifth album overall and the first proper metal release since Grier reviewed Unterm Gipfelthron at the tail end of 2018.2 After listening to previous albums, it’s clear that Zwischenwelten is the darkest thus far. Shedding the most ebullient facets of Unterm Gipfelthron, Zwischenwelten cuts to the core and delivers an album unmistakably black metal forward. Despite that, the folk rudiments still exist; they’re just more inconspicuously assembled in this eclectic yet coherent package.

Each song on Zwischenwelten is punctuated with subtle and evocative moments. From the accordion’s airy hum in “Das Mark des Lebens” (The Marrow of Life) that conjures a fleeting, sleepy respite against freezing gusts, to the twinkle of a glockenspiel suggesting bright, piercing stars in a clear night sky (“Der Spalt zwischen den Welten” [The Gap between the Worlds]), Rauhnåcht vividly infuses traditional folk instruments into second wave fury. The vocals are a varied affair, with standard black metal screams and howls mixed with cleans that could have been pulled straight from Fear Factory’s Obsolete (“Eines Tages Seid Ihr Frei” [One Day You Will Be Free]). Throughout Zwischenwelten, choral chanting ebbs and flows (“Der Spalt zwischen den Welten,” “Das Mark des Lebens”), serving as a restrained musical theme that culminates in closer “Alleinsamkeit” (Solitude). Throughout the final track, blackened rasps trade lines with gang and choral chanting and singing, vaguely reminiscent of the interplay from “Duel of the Fates.” Through most of the song, there’s a back and forth, with tension building between half-step transitions and minor harmonies. Near the end, the two parts coalesce into a united refrain, playing in concert rather than at odds. It’s a beautiful resolution that took me several listens to pick up on, but once revealed, it was a delight to have discovered.

There’s much to unravel in the tangled knot that Rauhnåcht delivers. Zwischenwelten is protective of its secrets, but patient listeners are rewarded with a cohesive and introspective journey. Perhaps a victim of its own seamlessness, Zwischenwelten requires multiple listens to unfold, presenting a deceptively long time investment despite the reasonable forty-one-minute runtime. From the fuzzy synth pangs and flute accompaniment in “Naturgewalten” (Forces of Nature) to the black ‘n’ roll bop near the end of “Letzter Pfad” (Last Path), the variety and interweaving of disparate elements is ambitious and well-executed. Yet its understated nature makes it elusive without a focused, active listen, and could go unappreciated by more casual audiences. Another minor gripe is that occasionally the distinctive features (like the accordion in “Das Mark des Lebens”) appear in a pocket outside the black metal onslaught, but never integrate fully like the chanting in “Alleinsamkeit.” On its own, this is hardly worth a mention. Given the theme of Zwischenwelten and embracing the gray in worlds between black and white, we sometimes glimpse the extremes of sonic spectrums without a clear picture of the intersection, which feels like a missed opportunity.

Though Rauhnåcht has been absent from proper metal albums for nearly seven years, the intervening time was put to effective use. Rauhnåcht operates in a world between worlds, bound in a layered nexus of dichotomous spheres: meditative and aggressive, harsh and tender, universal and intimate. For anyone with a passing interest in black metal, and certainly anyone who enjoys folk with it, Zwischenwelten demands a listen. This is an album that requires attentiveness to appreciate it, but it is well worth the investment and a great demonstration of what a polished concept can sound like in black metal.

Rating: Very Good!
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s CBR MP3
Label: Antiq
Websites: Zwischenwelten Bandcamp | Rauhnåcht Bandcamp3 | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: August 25th, 2025

#2025 #35 #AntiqRecords #ArstidirLifsins #AtmosphericBlackMetal #Aug25 #AustrianMetal #BlackMetal #FolkBlackMetal #Rauhnåcht #Review #Saor #Sturmpercht #UntermGipfelthron #Zwischenwelten

SKYFORGER (Letònia) presenta nou àlbum: "Teikas" #Skyforger #Pagan #FolkBlackMetal #Maig2025 #Letònia #NouÀlbum #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

SKYFORGER (Letònia) presenta nou single: "Svētbirzs" #Skyforger #Pagan #FolkBlackMetal #Abril2025 #Letònia #NouSingle #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

SKYFORGER (Letònia) presenta nou single: "Dieva suns" #Skyforger #Pagan #FolkBlackMetal #Març2025 #Letònia #NouSingle #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

Seid – Hymns to the Norse Review

By Steel Druhm

Written By: Nameless_N00b_86

Norse mythology is becoming increasingly prevalent in modern popular culture. Figures such as Thor, Odin, and Loki are now household names thanks to the popularity of Marvel movies, but many metal groups have drawn deeply from these legendary stories for decades. To them, they transcend surface entertainment value, ingrained with cultural and even religious identity. Hailing from Sweden, Seid seeks to explore the spiritual side of ancient Norse traditions and beliefs through pagan black metal. Their earlier material adhered closely to the second wave but gradually added Scandinavian folk influence to shape a more distinct character in recent years. Does fifth full-length Hymns to the Norse grant listeners a glimpse into an atavistic way of life or blend in with the vast sea of black metal out there?

Though folk-inspired, it’s tough to classify Hymns as anything other than black metal. There is no traditional folk instrumentation save for a sejd drum1 which, though advertised heavily in the album’s promo materials, is seldom utilized. The second-wave emulation is waning, with a result closer to Kampfar than Darkthrone. Chants appear frequently, either standalone (“Allfaðir,” “My Kingdom Come”) or subtly woven alongside founder/vocalist Seiðr’s rasps (“The End of Days”), making Hymns sound more like, well, hymns. Where Seid excels is reverently evoking nature, from Pär Johansson’s thunderous drumming to the echoing vocal effects that give the impression of sound bouncing off canyon walls.

Hymns does much with simple tools to build the desired atmosphere. It’s amazing how much potency a few sejd drum hits contribute to the intro of “White Beast from Hel,” and it’s a shame that the instrument isn’t leveraged more elsewhere. Other songs summon the spirit of a Viking whitewater rafting trip. “The End of Days” starts with a fantastic buildup of tremolos and blast beats and maintains momentum over nine minutes as the river winds through chaotic rapids and tranquil stretches. There’s a distinct moment in “Nordmænnens raseri” when the guitars abruptly cut off with a buzz and resume with a muffled, distorted sound for a few seconds, creating the sensation of being briefly plunged underwater. The outros are the main speed bumps to Hymns’ pacing–at times they suddenly shift to slow, trailing guitar lines (“Hymns to the North,” “Light up the Sky”), and “The End of Days” ends confusingly with a spacey synth tone that feels anachronous. These minor songwriting stumbles break immersion a bit, but not enough to seriously impair the experience.

The production choices are both boon and bane to the overall ambience of Hymns. The quality skews towards lo-fi, but it’s still clean enough that most of the elements are recognizable with little difficulty. Although this production style is divisive, It can be the right call for this type of music that seeks to replicate the lawless beauty of the natural world. However, the drums are too loud in the mix, especially the snare, so the plentiful blast beats tend to distract from everything else and grow tiresome over the otherwise reasonable 39-minute runtime. Such a preventable misstep is disappointing, as Pär Johansson is quite versatile behind the kit and is a big part of the success of Hymns.

Hymns to the Norse proves that Seid is adept at crafting solid black metal but seems hesitant to fully commit to the ritualistic elements that connect past to present. The sejd drum in particular has the potential to become a powerful and unique part of Seid’s identity that should be embraced more thoroughly in future songwriting. I have mixed feelings about the production–in many ways, it complements what Hymns is trying to accomplish but it straddles the line between raw and clean, making it feel slightly more amateur than deliberate. Regardless, the members of Seid have made progress in their mission to convey their history in a format more familiar to modern audiences.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: De Tenebrarum Principio
Websites: Bandcamp | norseblackmetal.com | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: October 18th, 2024

#2024 #30 #BlackMetal #DeTenebrarumPrincipio #FolkBlackMetal #HymnsToTheNorse #Kampfar #Oct24 #Review #Reviews #Seid #SwedishMetal

Seid – Hymns to the Norse Review

By Steel Druhm

Written By: Nameless_N00b_86

Norse mythology is becoming increasingly prevalent in modern popular culture. Figures such as Thor, Odin, and Loki are now household names thanks to the popularity of Marvel movies, but many metal groups have drawn deeply from these legendary stories for decades. To them, they transcend surface entertainment value, ingrained with cultural and even religious identity. Hailing from Sweden, Seid seeks to explore the spiritual side of ancient Norse traditions and beliefs through pagan black metal. Their earlier material adhered closely to the second wave but gradually added Scandinavian folk influence to shape a more distinct character in recent years. Does fifth full-length Hymns to the Norse grant listeners a glimpse into an atavistic way of life or blend in with the vast sea of black metal out there?

Though folk-inspired, it’s tough to classify Hymns as anything other than black metal. There is no traditional folk instrumentation save for a sejd drum1 which, though advertised heavily in the album’s promo materials, is seldom utilized. The second-wave emulation is waning, with a result closer to Kampfar than Darkthrone. Chants appear frequently, either standalone (“Allfaðir,” “My Kingdom Come”) or subtly woven alongside founder/vocalist Seiðr’s rasps (“The End of Days”), making Hymns sound more like, well, hymns. Where Seid excels is reverently evoking nature, from Pär Johansson’s thunderous drumming to the echoing vocal effects that give the impression of sound bouncing off canyon walls.

Hymns does much with simple tools to build the desired atmosphere. It’s amazing how much potency a few sejd drum hits contribute to the intro of “White Beast from Hel,” and it’s a shame that the instrument isn’t leveraged more elsewhere. Other songs summon the spirit of a Viking whitewater rafting trip. “The End of Days” starts with a fantastic buildup of tremolos and blast beats and maintains momentum over nine minutes as the river winds through chaotic rapids and tranquil stretches. There’s a distinct moment in “Nordmænnens raseri” when the guitars abruptly cut off with a buzz and resume with a muffled, distorted sound for a few seconds, creating the sensation of being briefly plunged underwater. The outros are the main speed bumps to Hymns’ pacing–at times they suddenly shift to slow, trailing guitar lines (“Hymns to the North,” “Light up the Sky”), and “The End of Days” ends confusingly with a spacey synth tone that feels anachronous. These minor songwriting stumbles break immersion a bit, but not enough to seriously impair the experience.

The production choices are both boon and bane to the overall ambience of Hymns. The quality skews towards lo-fi, but it’s still clean enough that most of the elements are recognizable with little difficulty. Although this production style is divisive, It can be the right call for this type of music that seeks to replicate the lawless beauty of the natural world. However, the drums are too loud in the mix, especially the snare, so the plentiful blast beats tend to distract from everything else and grow tiresome over the otherwise reasonable 39-minute runtime. Such a preventable misstep is disappointing, as Pär Johansson is quite versatile behind the kit and is a big part of the success of Hymns.

Hymns to the Norse proves that Seid is adept at crafting solid black metal but seems hesitant to fully commit to the ritualistic elements that connect past to present. The sejd drum in particular has the potential to become a powerful and unique part of Seid’s identity that should be embraced more thoroughly in future songwriting. I have mixed feelings about the production–in many ways, it complements what Hymns is trying to accomplish but it straddles the line between raw and clean, making it feel slightly more amateur than deliberate. Regardless, the members of Seid have made progress in their mission to convey their history in a format more familiar to modern audiences.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: De Tenebrarum Principio
Websites: Bandcamp | norseblackmetal.com | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: October 18th, 2024

#2024 #30 #BlackMetal #DeTenebrarumPrincipio #FolkBlackMetal #HymnsToTheNorse #Kampfar #Oct24 #Review #Reviews #Seid #SwedishMetal

Seid – Hymns to the Norse Review

By Steel Druhm

Written By: Nameless_N00b_86

Norse mythology is becoming increasingly prevalent in modern popular culture. Figures such as Thor, Odin, and Loki are now household names thanks to the popularity of Marvel movies, but many metal groups have drawn deeply from these legendary stories for decades. To them, they transcend surface entertainment value, ingrained with cultural and even religious identity. Hailing from Sweden, Seid seeks to explore the spiritual side of ancient Norse traditions and beliefs through pagan black metal. Their earlier material adhered closely to the second wave but gradually added Scandinavian folk influence to shape a more distinct character in recent years. Does fifth full-length Hymns to the Norse grant listeners a glimpse into an atavistic way of life or blend in with the vast sea of black metal out there?

Though folk-inspired, it’s tough to classify Hymns as anything other than black metal. There is no traditional folk instrumentation save for a sejd drum1 which, though advertised heavily in the album’s promo materials, is seldom utilized. The second-wave emulation is waning, with a result closer to Kampfar than Darkthrone. Chants appear frequently, either standalone (“Allfaðir,” “My Kingdom Come”) or subtly woven alongside founder/vocalist Seiðr’s rasps (“The End of Days”), making Hymns sound more like, well, hymns. Where Seid excels is reverently evoking nature, from Pär Johansson’s thunderous drumming to the echoing vocal effects that give the impression of sound bouncing off canyon walls.

Hymns does much with simple tools to build the desired atmosphere. It’s amazing how much potency a few sejd drum hits contribute to the intro of “White Beast from Hel,” and it’s a shame that the instrument isn’t leveraged more elsewhere. Other songs summon the spirit of a Viking whitewater rafting trip. “The End of Days” starts with a fantastic buildup of tremolos and blast beats and maintains momentum over nine minutes as the river winds through chaotic rapids and tranquil stretches. There’s a distinct moment in “Nordmænnens raseri” when the guitars abruptly cut off with a buzz and resume with a muffled, distorted sound for a few seconds, creating the sensation of being briefly plunged underwater. The outros are the main speed bumps to Hymns’ pacing–at times they suddenly shift to slow, trailing guitar lines (“Hymns to the North,” “Light up the Sky”), and “The End of Days” ends confusingly with a spacey synth tone that feels anachronous. These minor songwriting stumbles break immersion a bit, but not enough to seriously impair the experience.

The production choices are both boon and bane to the overall ambience of Hymns. The quality skews towards lo-fi, but it’s still clean enough that most of the elements are recognizable with little difficulty. Although this production style is divisive, It can be the right call for this type of music that seeks to replicate the lawless beauty of the natural world. However, the drums are too loud in the mix, especially the snare, so the plentiful blast beats tend to distract from everything else and grow tiresome over the otherwise reasonable 39-minute runtime. Such a preventable misstep is disappointing, as Pär Johansson is quite versatile behind the kit and is a big part of the success of Hymns.

Hymns to the Norse proves that Seid is adept at crafting solid black metal but seems hesitant to fully commit to the ritualistic elements that connect past to present. The sejd drum in particular has the potential to become a powerful and unique part of Seid’s identity that should be embraced more thoroughly in future songwriting. I have mixed feelings about the production–in many ways, it complements what Hymns is trying to accomplish but it straddles the line between raw and clean, making it feel slightly more amateur than deliberate. Regardless, the members of Seid have made progress in their mission to convey their history in a format more familiar to modern audiences.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: De Tenebrarum Principio
Websites: Bandcamp | norseblackmetal.com | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: October 18th, 2024

#2024 #30 #BlackMetal #DeTenebrarumPrincipio #FolkBlackMetal #HymnsToTheNorse #Kampfar #Oct24 #Review #Reviews #Seid #SwedishMetal