Genre: Viking/Black Metal
Country: Sweden
Label: Hammerheart Records
Year: 2022
Ereb Altor have written a plethora of songs in 2020 and picked a dozen of them to make two releases; four of them to feature on Eldens Boning EP that was out in May 2021 and the rest 8 on this year Vargtimman. This is the ninth full-length from Gävle based epic pagan folk/black metal scheme. The Swedes have carefully crafted a solid release that honors their Norse heritage and Bathory’s legacy once again. Without extravaganza or hyperbolic references on their main influencer they know how to filter Quorthon’s impact naturally and give it through their strong personal stigma. The album is like being recorded in mid-90’s with pagan/black elements and parts being dominating its sound rather an epic/heavy/doom motif that the Hammerheart era that the quartet adores should suggest. Their black metal is heroic and dark enriched by ambient melancholic melodic parts, frozen aura and misty atmosphere. The production is almost perfect giving space to all instruments to shine and especially to Ragnar’s cleaner vocal parts. Probably will bring you in mind groups like Borknagar and Enslaved while the record at the end of the day is definitely a winner and seems like the logical step of a band that never stop evolving its sound without eating humble pie at all costs. You can’t find any better soundtrack for this year for all those who love to hear tales of Fenriz and his sons Skoll, Hatti and covered with snow at the top high mountains than: I Have The Sky, Fenris, Rise of the Destroyer and Alvablot.