UHRILAHJA - En fördärvad värld (WOLFSPELL Records CD 2018)
Wolfspell Records' obsession for Finnish black metal continues with another representative of this scene, band called Uhrilahja. "En fördärvad värld" is their debut album and I can honestly say that it's a solid and enjoyable piece of black metal. I've listened to it dozens of times recently and really liked their music, despite its predictable and typical sound. But Uhrilahja proved to be a worthy band and their music should interest black metal fans for sure.
The strongest aspect of "En fördärvad värld" is the easiness, with which Uhrilahja is able to combine ferocious, harsh black metal with plenty of memorable, ever-present melodies. They immediately evoke dark, mysterious aura but keep that cold and grim character of old school black metal. Partly it all reminds me some early Gorgoroth records ("Antichrist"), especially because the vocals sound a lot like Pest (so, I could add Obtained Enslavement here also, if you only get rid of their symphonic parts). But then you could add Finnish acts like Thy Serpent, Azaghal, Calvarium or even Goatmoon. Anyway, comparisons aside, I truly think that "En fördärvad värld" has a lot to offer and is a strong, interesting album. Vicious yet melodic black metal, with plenty of killer and catchy riffs, great production and performance... and awesome vocals! I feel like especially the first part of the album contains the best Uhrilahja songs, for example the slowest and most epic, very melancholic "Cold White Mantle" is just superb, but also "Flesh Hook Rituals" is very good also, I just love that atmosphere in it and combination of aggressive, fast black metal with harmony and keyboard fillings. And these are not the only songs, which caught my attention, Uhrilahja has many great ideas for their songs, arrangements, etc. So, I can assure you that if you’re a fan of good sounding, but not pointlessly primitive and simplistic black metal, then this album may interest you. I do recommend it, yes!
Standout tracks: "Svarta själar", "Cold White Mantle", "Flesh Hook Rituals"
Verdict: 70/100
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