HULDER - Verses In Oath Digi-CD

The vengeful medieval witch vibes spawned by the lyrics are further enhanced by various atmospheric components on the album: crows cawing in the distance as a storm steadily approaches, trance-inducing choir recitations, a haunting operatic vocal break, and plenty of ominous and straight dastardly synths. These touches also help to break up the album into more digestible parts and keep things from getting too stale. I’ve always enjoyed the more ambient and atmospheric sections in Hulder’s work, and personally would love to see a little more in the releases to come to counterbalance the more visceral sound they are now embracing.

It took me a couple listens to acclimate to the brutality of Verses in Oath, but it has since been in heavy rotation. Hulder came into their own on this album with an astonishing command of sonic ferocity and poetic lamentation. Although a fantastic achievement in and of its own, I feel this album may be an indication of even greater things to come. I await the next undivine blessings from Hulder with bated breath.