There’s a lesson in the crackling fires of Verbolgen, the latest offering from Belgian-by-way-of-the-Pacific-Northwest Hulder, now formally a “band” with the addition of Hulder’s husband, Necreon, who’d been assisting on previous records. I should say multiple lessons: I can’t pretend to know the intricacies behind Hulder’s decision to veer in a more ambitious, melodic direction (seems to be a theme in black metal lately). But I hear the fire crackling, the pipe mourning a tune between the breaths of a plucked guitar. Smoke rises, my head tilts back, and I dream.

I dream of history, of a century buried in the years of the pandemic, and of Godslastering: Hymns of a Forlorn Peasantry, my introduction to Hulder, probably via the pages of Decibel Magazine. And that was probably the problem, because media and the online community being what it was (and is), the album, a decent blend of pagan second-wave black metal with a lo-fi bite that didn’t quite kill the lines being played, was immediately heralded as the second coming, with Hulder positioned as one of the saviors of the genre. I blanched, and further trips to her prior discography, and following along as she released new records, failed to move the needle much. I had hopes for Verses In Oath, even grabbing the vinyl, but the turn to an even more buzzing monotonous rip of more ’90s Scandinavian worship did absolutely nothing for me. Considering Verses In Oath was only 2024, was two years really going to change my mind?

One lesson I had learned at this point was there’s so much music out there, if something isn’t jibing after numerous attempts, maybe it’s time to let it lie. But I also learned another lesson: going through the motions of listening isn’t the same as absorbing it. Hulder was reaching towards something, and I thought if she did, it would reach me.

Turns out, it did.

Verbolgen isn’t so much a refutation of Verses In Oath as it is an outgrowth of it, growing and maturing, and finding where those pockets of brutality can be the most effective, particularly when sparingly used. Despite the blistering opening of leading single “View From Nemetom” (think about the fact black metal bands have singles for a moment. The world is truly incredible), I’m really taken by the final moment of the song, with its raging tribal drums and clean vocal chants. Beyond the fidelity of the production, that closing stretch gently eased listeners into what Hulder was planning. Same old legacy style, but now so clear you could hear the snatches of ideas that had been there all along, and they came to fruition on second single “In Blood and In Earth.” It’s at once everything that spoke to the earnestness of embodying that old-school Norwegian flame, but now that unique thing Hulder always hid the background was really rearing its head. The song is righteous in its majesty, unafraid to buck against everything that made all those digital headlines back in the day. If the music doesn’t reflect your being—even if it’s a point in time—why bother doing it?

I keep coming back to those words, as I return again and again to songs like “…And We Shall Sing” with its brutal double kick and Hulder’s voice sounding like it’s about to tear as a tsunami of keys and guitars raises the levels and dynamics to crushing crescendos, only to fall back into the grace of acoustic guitars, segueing into “In Blood and In Earth.” If I had to pick a favorite, though, it would be “The Glow of Dawn,” and that riff, fading as the night leaves.

As do I. I rise from the fires, the toxins of rushed judgments and inane commentary sweated out like so much poison. Didn’t Hulder cover Celtic Frost? And I think I recall some real moments on The Eternal Fanfare EP.

One more lesson learned. If you feel like keeping on, then keep on, my friend. Maybe one day you feel something, and that feeling will reflect back through the years, echolocating other moments that might shine brighter, now.

-Chris

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Verbolgen is available now from 20 Buck Spin. For more information on Hulder, check out their website and Facebook/Instagram pages.