TSJUDER – Helvegr

Norwegian black metal stalwarts Tsjuder have been at it for thirty years and show no sign of letting up or losing creative steam, which is perfectly illustrated by the band’s upcoming barrage of harsh and gut-piercing sounds of darkness entitled Helvegr.

Comprising nine compositions that encompass the cold and raging vibe of mid-90s black metal coupled with slightly more modern, aggressive tendencies, the album very much captures this unholy trio at the peak of its powers. There is a certain sturdiness, or strength and determination, if you will, to its potent and vigorous content, and the record is nothing if not well-composed. The slow-burning, brooding epic named ‘Surtr’ is a dynamic beast that ultimately reaches a big, climactic finale much in the same way that the accessible ‘Chaos Fiend’ and the mid-paced title track do thanks to their strong melodic phrases and dynamics. The blistering vortex of pitch-black old-school madness that is ‘Faenskap og Død’ is as hellish as they come while ‘Gods of Black Blood’ conjures up a truly sinister aura that is both captivating and claustrophobic.  

Helvegr does not so much represent a musical evolution but rather a consolidation of musical power and a demonstration of what makes Tsjuder such a wicked act and why one keeps coming back to them when in need of an effective black metal fix. A grim and ugly fucker that you ought to acquaint yourself with.