This particular album has been a number of years in the making. At the head of Urarv is Björn Aldrahn Dencker of DHG and Thorns. His original idea was a folk-inspired solo album but as time went on, additional musicians came in and the musical concept widened dramatically.
The fusion of styles is event from the opening “Forvitringstid”. The calming opening is deceptive and gives way to a traditional Norwegian folk rant but in the cloak of black metal. The net result is epic chaos. The Norwegian frostiness is there of course, but my mind was drawn atmospherically to Finland’s Moonsorrow. “Ancient DNA” is more raw and full of black metal fury. The fact that there’s a tinge of insanity about these odes is not coincidental. This helps to create the sense of control loss. Calmness returns momentarily but it’s not long before we’re dragged into the dungeons, and the furious black metal winds, epitomised by the frenetic and punishing drum sounds, take us to a land where, to quote the lyric, “winter lasts a life time”. This is a world of bleak, grey soundscapes with razor-sharp edges ready to cut you. A traditional chorus rises out of the scene of almost industrial violence. “The Retortion” is powerful and impressive.
The thunder continues with “Broken Wand” and its story of “never ending pain”. Turbulence, violence and bleak winds accompany the agony-laden vocals. Terrible sounds sweep through the uncontrollable chaos. Violent outbursts, fire and explosions are the norm. “Guru” goes more into thrash-punk mode but the sheer destructiveness and energy are the same. Again we’re led into a world of mental images where we’re standing in the middle of a scene of devastation and hopelessness. Spiral gateways and the eye of the night are thrown in to sharpen our picture of this nightmarish scene. Norwegian folk tradition, which by and large has been swallowed up, returns in “Valens Tempel” but it is distorted and overwhelmed by the violent and uncompromising framework. The combination is threatening and effective. Mr Dencker screams uncontrollably as the black metal rhythm remorselessly pumps itself into our veins. The pure venom that this album conveys is represented in the final track “Red Circle”. This venom is exciting and the song drives forward belligerently and melodically, inviting us into this world of relentless fury and giving the listener plenty back in return for being subjected to this world of insanity and mental pain.
Paradoxically “Aurum” is so vivid that there is no semblance of life left after listening to it. The decision to take this work beyond folk was an inspired one. If proof were needed that black metal atmospheres, horror, folk and insanity are an effective combination, this is it.
(9/10 Andrew Doherty)
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