Black metal is about far more than just music. It is about emotion and attitude. It should be provocative, aggressive and confrontational and there should be an intensity, whether that be a brooding claustrophobia or vitriolic aural assault. Of course, each band brings something different, but a universal truth is that black metal and all of these facets are best experienced in the live environment.

Danish black metal act Solbrud understand this well, and always deliver outstanding live shows, which are often events to be experienced rather than just ‘gigs’. Perhaps the culmination of this approach was their inspired gig at the Brønshøj Water Tower back in 2019. The tower itself is something of a minor landmark in the Brønshøj district of Copenhagen. Built from reinforced concrete, the tower is foreboding, desolate and perhaps even brutal in its appearance in keeping with the evocative black metal that it was to host. Furthermore, it has fairly unique acoustics, apparently generating 15 seconds of reverb which added to the immense atmosphere of this show.

The concert was made up of eight tracks, covering all three Solbrud albums along with one new track ‘Sjæleskrig’. Eight tracks might not sound like much, but these are behemoths with four of the eight clocking in at well over eleven minutes, really giving the music time to evolve and grow as the atmosphere develops. Some of these tracks were rearranged to fit with the tower’s acoustics, while others were delivered in their original form.

I’m not going to dissect the album fully as I’m sure the concert was more about the overall experience and effect, than individual tracks but suffice to say that over the course of the album, the atmosphere grows becoming ever increasingly oppressive and bleak while remaining melodic and melancholic. There are delicate passages such as on the magnificent ‘Klippemennesket’ which nicely balance some of the more battering moments such as during the opening track ‘Øde Lagt’. The new track ‘Sjæleskrig’ resonates with sublime melody, sombre to the point of a lament, but also beautifully belligerent.

This is an epic monolith of atmospheric black metal. It is bleak, harsh and unyielding, but it is also evocative, alluring and melancholic. I could go on rolling out the superlatives but you get the point. If you like black metal, you need to listen to this album.

(9.5/10 Andy Pountney)

https://www.facebook.com/Solbrud

https://solbrud.bandcamp.com/album/levende-i-br-nsh-j-vandt-rn