Album Review: Hulder – Verbolgen (Season of Mist & 20 Buck Spin)

Verbolgen, the third full-length album from American black metal force Hulder, is due for release on 7th August via Season of Mist and 20 Buck Spin.

Emerging from the Pacific Northwest, Hulder has spent the last several years building a reputation within the black metal underground through a sound steeped in pagan mysticism, medieval atmosphere, and unwavering devotion to the genre’s traditional roots. While initially conceived as the solo vision of Marliese Osborne, Verbolgen marks a significant new chapter as long-time collaborator Necreon officially joins as a full creative partner. The result is the project’s most ambitious work to date, broadening it’s horizons with the addition of hurdy-gurdy, acoustic instrumentation, and lyrics performed across English, Flemish, and Proto-Germanic, while remaining fiercely committed to the raw, ritualistic spirit that has defined Hulder from the beginning.

Verbolgen also comes with cover art painted by Morrigan (Aeternus, Obtained Enslavement) – her first artwork for a metal band since Hades’ Alone Walkyng in 1996.

Hulder is Hulder on vocals, guitars and keyboards with Necreon on bass and vocals. Assisting here on Verbolgen are a collection of talented guest musicians including Keld (Majesties, Obsequiae, Celestiial) on hurdy gurdy, guitars and keys and Ianuaria on the flute. Drums are shared between Vapula on tracks 4, 5, 8 and 9 and Vrolok (Aeternus, Gorgoroth) on tracks 2, 3, 6 and 7.

Verbolgen gets underway with an intro track called Drie Raven. It is long for an intro at well over two minutes, but does a great job of setting the scene and getting you into the atmosphere of the album. The soft sounds of guitars and traditional instruments are hypnotising, really putting across the paganism and mysticism right from the off.

With me fully embedded now, The Crowning takes over with a blast of riffs and drums on top of a post-blackened melody. The vocals are harsh and traditional black metal in style. Growls, barks and rasping tones add darkness and malevolence over the pounding drums, bass and punchy riffs. It’s heavy as hell, but still retains the feel and atmosphere of the intro track. A passage of ritualistic spoken female vocals adds even more malice and magic too. It’s a very strong song that certainly pays tribute to traditional black metal but isn’t without its modern touches.

Thy Binding Oath drops the pace down to a mean and nasty sound. Lead guitars come screaming in over the sludge to create some wonderful contrasts. The contrasting vocals, where Necreon’s clean voice comes in, add so much extra depth to Hulder’s sound, and the periods where the harsh and clean vocals harmonise on this track are wonderful. Around that, whether through the crashing drums, pounding bass and guitars or the magical lead guitars, it’s very easy to get lost in another superb and engaging track.

Up next is the title track, Verbolgen, and here Hulder go for the jugular with a four-minute blast of pure traditional black metal. Even the production quality seems lowered a tad here to give that “I’m in a cave on a snowy mountain” vibe. It’s hard, heavy and full of venom, with a wicked pace, blast beats and rasping, snarled vocals.

…And We Shall Sing keeps the pace and energy at manic levels with an impressive drum and riff performance. We drop into a more groove-driven beat as the snarled vocals join in and, as heavy as it is, I have to admit it is also very catchy. I really enjoy the transitions between out-and-out chaos, a more groove-driven verse, and then back to chaos again. Some of the driving lead guitar melodies are excellent too, really adding depth and atmosphere where it is needed. This might be my favourite track on Verbolgen so far.

In Blood and in Earth is a longer song at over seven minutes and keeps the quality high. A softened acoustic intro brings traditional instruments to the forefront and really creates an immersive atmosphere before the black metal crashes in and takes over. It’s hard and heavy, balancing traditional sounds with a more post-modern vibe through the driving melodies. Transitions in pace and aggression allow the track room to breathe while keeping atmosphere at the forefront. The vocal performance is great, while the flow of the song keeps you fully invested throughout its runtime.

Den Nacht Zijn Lied ramps the darkness and tradition back up with a glorious intro of wicked drums and guitars that echoes the earlier days of black metal. The drum performance here really stands out and even the production seems toned down a little to give it that authentic feel. Strong barked vocals and expert riffs really add to the bleak darkness of the song, while a brilliant solo just rams home how much skill and creativity Hulder have. As the song progresses, melody plays more and more of a role, moving us away from the really traditional sound towards a more modern black metal style. I love how a single song almost chronicles the genre’s evolution within it. It’s another fantastic track.

Our penultimate track on Verbolgen is called View From Nemeton, and this one really goes for it with a traditional black metal assault that hammers you with blistering drums and riffs from the off. Some keys in the background add layers of symphonic depth, which only add to the darkness. Echoing clean vocals peer through the chaos before the drums and riffs switch to a more driving beat. Chuck in another wonderful guitar solo and more chaotic passages of black metal attack, and you have a song that is structurally a little less complex but no less effective.

Verbolgen comes to a close with The Glow of Dawn, though there are two bonus tracks available on release, A Beacon From Darkened Skies and Zonnesteen. The Glow of Dawn unsurprisingly keeps the quality of the album at the highest level. I’m not sure there’s much to say that I haven’t already said many times throughout this review, so let me just point out that we get another masterful black metal track, combining traditional black metal with traditional instruments to create something very dark, very heavy and very atmospheric. This closing piece is a full instrumental and is nearly five minutes long, which might seem lengthy for some. I love it though and think it closes the album out wonderfully.

Verbolgen is another superb release from Hulder and one that expertly balances traditional black metal with more modern ideas without ever compromising its identity. The atmosphere is deep and immersive throughout, the creativity on display is consistently impressive, and every track feels like it has something worthwhile to offer. It’s an album that embraces the genre’s roots while confidently pushing its own sound forward, making for a thoroughly engaging listen from beginning to end. Fans of both traditional and modern black metal should find plenty to enjoy here.

Track List

1. Drie Raven (Intro)
2. The Crowning
3. Thy Binding Oath
4. Verbolgen
5. …And We Shall Sing
6. In Blood and in Earth
7. Den Nacht Zijn Lied
8. View From Nemeton
9. The Glow of Dawn

Hulder Links