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 Hjaal

“Bastion of Fear” (Independent/Unsigned, 2023)

If there was ever a historical era that enchanted me, medieval times was the one. As a kid I started cultivating this love for all things medieval, be it castles, tales and legends, historical events. Overall, a love for everything medieval related. When I discovered Black Metal, I discovered that the genre was closely related to those dark ages, and that music “painted” a portrait of medieval battles and knights, and that was enough to leave me wanting more. Still to this day, whenever I read a mention to medieval sound and inspiration, on a review, I have to immediately check it to confirm that that ambiance is there. Hjaal is one of those examples. A duo, one from Colombia, the other from England, show that Art has no boundaries and stops for nothing. Amazing!

The music. Quality Black Metal, no doubt. I just love the melodies and those small details that provide the tunes with this extra power and energy. This is epic, one feels it, completely! Music is melodic, but never weak. I read, somewhere, a comment with which I agree 100%: the music gives you a glimpse of the actual events and time and space. I am a supporter of the idea that music can actually provide images. Hjaal, on this record, reached out to days of castles and knights, and replicated it quite nicely. “The Path of the Fallen Heros” is a good example. The melody is very medieval-like, and resonates into battle, a.k.a. our room. Guitar riffs that resemble old troubadour melodies are what approaches the band to the times of castles, and when turned into Black Metal, it grows on you just like that!

Sound-wise, there are bits and pieces that could undoubtedly be in a 90ies Pagan Black Metal album, and that is also something very well structured by the band, absorbing all those references, while maintaining a sense of contemporaneity. In other words: capturing the old, while adding the new. I genuinely enjoyed the album and see it as very valid and capable of standing on its own. Recommended.

Hjaal Official Bandcamp

 

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