Artist: Hulder
Country: USA
Label: 20 Buck Spin / Season Of Mist
Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD
Year: 2026
Anyone who’s been around the Extreme Metal scene long enough will probably remember how the audience reacted to the musical shift on Immortal’s ‘Blizzard Beasts’, or those of Behemoth and Aeternus. Now, there’s plenty to be said against this: Immortal’s album turned out to be a sort of transitional record with a distinctly different production style, Behemoth underwent a gradual musical evolution, and Aeternus had always incorporated a certain element of Death Metal into their sound. Nevertheless, at the time, not everyone was equally enthusiastic about those records, and some even felt betrayed. In 2026, this will all be much less of an issue, but it is undeniable that Hulder is undergoing a similar transition.
Anyone who has followed the band from the start will have to agree that Hulder’s transition lies roughly midway between the bands mentioned above. Not so much in the sense that they sound the same, but rather in the way they have evolved. Although the heavier sound has long been part of Hulder’s repertoire, the evolution has been less gradual than with Behemoth; it wasn’t actually present from the very start, and whilst their early work had a somewhat more abrasive sound, nowhere does it sound as raw as on ‘Blizzard Beasts’. What Hulder demonstrates is a textbook example of the natural development of a distinctive sound.
For that is precisely what it is. Undoubtedly, many bands and movements, whether consciously or not, will have influenced Hulder’s current sound; by now, one can safely say that the band has found a distinctive and recognisable sound of its own. I referred to it as a more Death Metal-oriented sound, but to begin with, that description isn’t entirely accurate. It feels more Death Metal-oriented because the guitars have lost their recognisable shrill Black Metal connotation. But in terms of atmosphere, the band remains firmly rooted in the Black Metal genre. So whilst only traces remain of the original Hulder sound, it is that atmosphere and the underlying themes that endure from the original concept.
It is this common thread of folklore and mysticism that runs through Hulder’s entire body of work, and one could reasonably argue that it is even set to play an increasingly important role. Musically, at least. Although Hulder are an American band, Ms Hulder is originally from Belgium, and she brings with her not only much of the European Black Metal sound, but also the cultural background of the Old Continent. Setting aside matters of taste and personal preference, this unique combination of elements, both musical and spiritual, makes Hulder one of the most striking bands on the international Extreme Metal scene. So, whether you’re a fan or not, Hulder has now become a force to be reckoned with, and this is only reinforced by ‘Verbolgen’, on which the band sounds more mature than ever.
