The atmosphere and lyrical themes of black metal are naturally suited to dark forests, frostbitten mountains, or the infernal fires of hell… historical topics too have long found a home within the genre. The bridge between mythology and history with Scandinavian legends Bathory and Enslaved, or native and settler history in America with modern acts such as Panopticon, Wayfarer, Pan-Amerikan Native Front, and many more. As the genre continuously expands and evolves over time, so too have the breadth of its themes. Anchors Plunged off Helluland is the new split from Burnt Lodge and Veytik, delivering a one-two punch of Indigenous American-Norse contact alongside Ancient Greek and Nuragic civilization sagas in the form of triumphant melodic black metal.
Anchors Plunged Off Helluland features two Pacific Northwest artists, Portland-based Indigenous solo act Burnt Lodge and Olympia’s Veytik. This split marks my first experience with the former, and it’s very much a positive one. Xaaynuunaxre deals in blackened majesty befitting the subarctic subject matter, the Beothuk, Taissumanialungmiut, and Tuniit peoples who once inhabited distinct areas of Newfoundland, Nunavut, and the coasts of Greenland. “Brumal Premonition” and “Mother of the Deep” don’t break the compositional mold, but are crafted with passion and a fantastic ear for pacing, the former track in particular. Triumphant melodicism is abound as leads soar with the grace of Valfar and the shredding chops of Quorthon above epic chord progressions. Both tracks merge past and present sounds of black metal in a fantastic manner, and are a must listen for fans of peers like Blackbraid, Dödsrit, or Uprising.
Helluland was the name given by Leif Erikson to a rocky land now believed to be Canada’s Baffin Island, and the highlight of Anchors Plunged is undoubtedly the title track bearing this name; it’s the perfect bridge between the two acts in the form of a co-written collaboration. A sorrowful, harmonized chord progression echoes the previous tracks by Burnt Lodge all before syncopated rhythm guitar and crenellated leads usher in the grand return of Veytik. There are sections that clearly belong to one or the other, yet a majority of the track is very cohesive between the two; a thrashy verse riff and thick chords atop ferocious blasts could belong to either artist, while guitar solos from both Xaaynuunaxre and Veytik’s Baron von Uffhuf in the final third of the song further tie the two together. Mournful yet exultant, it’s truly the best of both worlds.
As befitting both the darkness of black metal and the subject matter at hand, there’s an inherent melancholia that permeates the sound of the these first three tracks. The Beothuk of Newfoundland and the Tuniit (commonly known as the Dorset culture) are both extinct, the former from disease and competition with European settlers and the latter for unknown reasons, though potentially with competition or absorption by the Thule people (the ancestors of the modern Inuit) in addition to climate change. The Thule people were indeed encountered by Greenlandic Norse and given the name Skræling, and while there is believed to have been some trade between the two cultures there was hostility as well as “Anchors Plunged Off Helluland” depicts… the Greenlandic Norse too, were doomed to decline and desertion of the vast island and the lands beyond through economic and climate related factors.
Veytik’s side of the split takes us back a few thousand years to the Trojan War and the Nuragic civilization of Sardinia. In keeping with the Obsequious influence the band shares with acts like Morke and Weald & Woe, the metal tracks are preceded by short interludes; one classical guitar in a medieval-sounding fashion, the other incorporating flute-like synths courtesy of Xaaynuunaxre. Once it gets to the black metal though, Baron Von Uffhuf and company unleash some of their most ferocious material thus far. Where Burnt Lodge may have been crisp and clear in comparison, Veytik immediately pierces and pummels the eardrums on “Tears Upon the Tomb of Patroclus”; this is primarily thanks to the throat-shredding shrieks of frontman Baron von Uffhuf (and deep growls courtesy of guest Eleanor Harper of Lust Hag), not to mention the blasts and skull-thudding kick drum of Count Avis Lapis. The weaving melodic leads towering above like banners on high are still present, but a lot of the focus here is on precise black metal riffage. “Nuragic Walls and Ruthless Hordes” continues further in the vein, with trebly bursts of chords that would make Pure Holocaust-era Immortal proud. This is black metal meant for the clashing of swords and the triumph of war.
Two enthusiasts of history spanning thousands of years and miles, and two smiths of quality black metal. Artists sharing a split can sometimes be too similar (or one casts large shadows over the other), yet despite the stark differences in sound Burnt Lodge and Veytik both hold their own individually. Their distinct sounds merge with surprising ease in the collaborative title track; the sorrow of civilizations long gone and the brutality of war makes Anchors Plunged Off Hellalund a worthy addition to the collection of both history buffs and black metal fanatics.
Anchors Plunged Off Helluland is available now through each band’s respective Bandcamp page (Veytik | Burnt Lodge), with tapes through Fiadh Productions. For more information on Burnt Lodge check out their Instagram page, and for more information on Veytik check out their Instagram page.
— Colin
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