Much like any genre or scene everything eventually gets flooded. It’s easy to see why and how, when people start paying attention to their local music scene then the passion grows and more and more people start to form bands, some good, some not so good. Yet it’s this flood that keeps the genres alive, if we didn’t have a ton of Dungeon Synth albums dropping in a week for example the genre perhaps wouldn’t be coined as such. As we know floods can be bad too, they can bring destruction of a genre as people get bored of the same sound, even to the point of resentment.
Perhaps not so much a part of the flood as a rain that comes after the puddles form are Tulus, the underground Norwegian Black Metal force. The band formed in 1991 with members eventually going on to form Khold in later years. Tulus haven”t been without their own influence however, their 1996 debut Pure Black Energy is indeed a sought after and well respected album. In 2006 Khold was put on hold and with this the reformation of Tulus began, and now in 2020 we are given the bands sixth full length release entitled Old Old Death through Soulseller Records.
The opening riff of Hel is perhaps one of the most Metal riffs I’ve heard in some time. It’s so simple and yet so evil sounding that it just oozes perfection. Getting into the track as the drums speed up the Thrash nature of the record becomes apparent. Finally to top it off comes the traditional old school Black Metal vocals that border upon Death Metal at times in their sort of low rasps. I Havet Hos Rån comes in to keep up the riff game with its basic yet powerful full Metal delivery. I like the structure which the songs on this album take, this is a literal meaning of no frills and I’m in full support of it.
Crossing over into the second half of the album I Hinmannens Hånd offers equal amounts of purist power. It’s actually really quite refreshing to hear something that is so stripped back. There is no time for utter extremity, the likes of which we see all too often nowadays. This is real Black Metal torn straight from the early days. There really is little more to add to the equation, but don’t allow my understatements to be a burden upon this album. Rather they are a boon, not to overhype this record but I’m a touch speechless when it comes to this sort of dark and evil sounding Metal. The album itself is also only short and thus wastes no time at all. Indeed, the final track In Memoriam is a crushing and finite ending that will be sure to leave the listener stunned and hungry for more.
If you’re sick of modernist ideals and over polished Black Metal bands then please listen to Old Old Death. This is about as ‘trve’ as one can get. It takes no prisoners and masks nothing, the production is average, the riffs are simple and the vocals aren’t all that special, yet this is its charm. If one album has really taken me by surprise this year so far it would have to be Old Old Death, I expected little and was given so much. Could this be the dark horse of the year?
(8/10 George Caley)
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