Artist: Hjemsøkt
Country: Norway
Label: Purity Through Fire
Formats: LP / CD
Year: 2024
Time is a fickle. A couple of years ago I intended to write up my thoughts on ‘Mystikk & Mørke’, an EP released by the Norwegians of Hjemsøkt on Purity Through Fire. But somehow it never came to pass, and my intentions became buried by time and dust. A similar same fate nearly befell the band’s debut full-length record ‘Om Vinteren, På En Sort Trone’, which was released already in October 2024. But a friendly voice pointed me into the direction of the record. My gratitude, for I am glad I can now redeem myself and give the band some much deserved attention.
Hjemsøkt labels themselves as Æterisk Misantropisk Sort Metal, or Ethereal Misanthropic Black Metal. What that comes down to, is that the band clearly listened carefully to the classic albums of Darkthrone, Satyricon, Gorgoroth and Ulver. However, the best way to describe ‘Om Vinteren, På En Sort Trone ‘ is probably a mixture of the early Taake albums, Gjendød and Tsjuder, but with an own twist. At the basis is a rather fierce and snarling Black Metal sound, urgent and intense. The drums are thundering, a bass pulse vividly rumbles, the guitars sound raw and the riffs shrill. While the majority of the vocals are hoarsely and violently spewed, clean background choirs are delicately woven in the tracks as well. With sporadic acoustic guitars, the final ingredient is a layer of cosmic synthesizers that lurk at the back of the mix for that extra haunting atmosphere.
What Hjemsøkt does particularly well on ‘Om Vinteren, På En Sort Trone’ is keeping the riffs to the point, much in line with the strength of the early Darkthrone albums. It fits with the raw sound of the guitars and the pulsating bass. Similarly, the haunting keyboards are rather basic, but all the more effective and discerning. The absolutele highlight of the album is ‘Dødens Øyne’. Here the keyboards are almost contrarian, following their own rhythm while the guitars and drums blast away. It features great use of clean vocals that almost duel with the hoarse shrieks. The acoustic break with Folk-like singing offers a safe haven in the storm, until the aggression swells again in almost monotonous fasion and with an alienating ambiance. Perhaps it’s quite telling of this atmospheric strength of the band that even the subsequent ambient interlude ‘Skogen & Tjernet’ hits exactly the right mark.
And that sentiment applies to the entire record, an album that never relents or digresses, always keeps up the intensity and quality. I may just as well have mentioned the more middpaced excellence in the title track, the aggression of ’Forhekset av en Blek & Ensom Måne’, or the classic-inspired riffs of album closer ‘Vinterkveld i Trollfjell’. ‘Om Vinteren, På En Sort Trone’ is a simply excellent homage to the Norwegian Black Metal scene of the 90’s, and the bands that revitalized it in the early 2000’s. Cold, raw Black Metal with a touch of Folk and a haunting atmosphere, it’s nothing short of a great debut record for the band!
