Artist: Ërhatiüurä
Country: France
Label: Hérésie Nocturne
Formats: Demo Tape
Year: 2026
When I ordered and reviewed the first demo tape of Ërhatiüurä there was little to no information available about this then-new project. Not that there is heaps of that now, but at least we do know that Ërhatiüurä sprung from the same mind as Reich Der Geister, Hiemal Atavism and Par-Delà Le Miroir – all acts whose demos ended up on these pages for review as well as in my personal demo tape collection. Honestly, the difference between all of these projects are not always crystal clear, but the quality of each of those demos is definitely worth your attention if you’re into raw and murky Black Metal that harkens back to the heydays of around the turn of the millennium.
‘Vergletscherung’ is the second demo that appeared in the second week of 2026, although it is said to have been recorded about a year ago already. That means that when this project’s debut demo was released, this was already done or at least in the making. And, while listening to ‘Vergletscherung’ it is not really surprising. Although not entirely the same, it is clear that both demos were made with a similar mindset and musical vision.
As a whole, ‘Weltnacht’, the first demo tape, had a little more oppressing atmosphere compared to this latest piece of work, but that is basically just a matter of cosmetics. As the main core of the project has absolutely remained intact. While the very muffled and downright lo-fi sound might be the first thing to catch your ears, there is a lot going on that would go unnoticed if you don’t pay the necessary attention to detail. That, for me at least, holds much of the charm and mystique of this sort of Black Metal.
In the review I wrote for ‘Weltnacht’ I drew parallels with the early demo tapes of Paysage d’Hiver, for both the visual aesthetics and the overall sonic presentation, and that still very much applies to this second demo as well. Just like the Swiss titan of nature-inspired atmospheric and raw Black Metal, this too is as dynamic and enigmatic at the same time. The pace quickens and slows while the chord progressions keep you at the edge of your seat and the atmospheric keyboards hum their lulling Dark Ambient for your advanced experience. Those old school Vinterriket-like Dark Ambient parts are not only fully integrated in the music of Ërhatiüurä but leads to a fantastic and dazzling grand finale in the waning seconds of this 20+ minute demo.
While the first demo tape was published by Realm And Ritual, this one is released by Wandering Shade’s own label, Hérésie Nocturne, also the home of most of this artist’s other musical endeavours. The cassette tape is available in a limited run of 20 copies, and although that’s not much, for those who prefer to play CDs, there is also a CDr available, but they’ll have to hurry even more because only five of them have been made.
