Purity Through Fire is proud to present Hjemsøkt’s highly anticipated debut album, ‘Om Vinteren, På En Sort Trone’, on CD and vinyl LP formats.
Yet another creation of restless madman Peregrinus – under the banner of Purity Through Fire the past couple years, releasing records from his bands Solus Grief, Unholy Craft, Kvad, and Heraldic Blaze, but joined here by vocalist/lyricist Letaliis – Hjemsøkt is unapologetically the duo’s homage to early Nordic Black Metal, particularly the pagan-oriented iteration of it. From the earliest (and iciest) blasts from the likes of Enslaved, Ulver, Hades, Perished, Helheim, Taake, and even Satyricon, these descendants of Odin railed against modernity and, instead of waging war for Satan, sought to revive ancient energies through a solemnly melodic & mesmerizing style of Black Metal. Such was the sound of last year’s debut mini-album ‘Mystikk & Mørke’, and now Hjemsøkt punctually return with their full-length debut, ‘Om Vinteren, På En Sort Trone’.
The second wave still courses through Hjemsøkt’s veins, and thus does their debut album rip right past “nowadays Black Metal” and back to the darkest past. Wilder and wilier than the preceding MLP, perhaps due to the arrival of drumming madman M.W., ‘Om Vinteren, På En Sort Trone’ stacks riff upon riff upon RIFF, unleashing an arsenal of coldest fire; the sum effect is still mesmerizing, but there’s a berserker sensation that creates a unique counterpoint to the often-melancholic riffing. And while that high-speed attack goes many places across the duration of each of these eight songs, there’s an expanded portfolio of dynamics, including plaintive acoustics, spectral synth, and exceptionally tight downshifts in tempo. Invoking the ancients again but differently, one could liken Hjemsøkt here to the late/great Sorhin or modern torchbearer of the olde Grifteskymfning – but, of course, with Peregrinus’ ever-enveloping touch. Esteemed references, to be sure: this is exclusively Æterisk Misantropisk Sort Metal!
