The Austrian band Svartalfar has been active for quite some time, though this occurred in two periods with a long hiatus in between. Between 2000 and 2005, they put out one demo and three full lengths, all self released on CD-R, which was typical for that era. This was also the time when they decided to add ‘The True’ above their logo, a concept they still embrace today.
Svartalfar chooses to deliver raw 90s Black Metal, but they look for variety within that style. You can easily hear a cold melody or riff that points towards Mayhem and Burzum, only to follow it with something that is a touch more melodic and melancholic. The sound and execution are raw and pure, yet I am still in two minds about the quality of the songs. It is certainly above average, but I don’t see myself praising ‘Geisterwerk’, if someone asks me for a top ten from the past five years in this genre.
