Gam – Alt Hans Væsen

Those who have been digging deep enough into the gems and secrets of today’s Black Metal scene might have been stumbling upon last year’s great ‘Hvisken Fra Skyggernes Vrå’ demo tape from the enigmatic entity that is Gam. The Danish band pulled off some impressive, yet recognizable tunes that could easily be regarded as one of the best demo recordings of 2022. Of course, a great demo always raises the expectations to what is going to be following it up. Unlike many bands these days in which the majority seem to be endlessly demoing, the anonymous Danish guys got straight into a full-length album, which appeared through the equally obscure Den Ottende Kunst label.

‘Alt Hans Væsen’ is definitely an album that will not disappoint anyone who were able to wrap their ears around the amazing demo, but even more so, it will not disappoint anyone who has a deep-rooted love for Norwegian Black Metal. And, for a change, this time the band didn’t sound like a recycled Darkthrone or Gorgoroth riffing machine, instead it went treasure hunting into the rich tradition of folky and pagan-like Black Metal. It is not seldomly that Gam delves into the same territories as Taake did on their splendid ‘Nattestid’-debut album, leaning heavily on the intricacies of early Ulver and Borknagar with the same gleaming, newfound power that Taake had on its earliest recordings.

Gam combines the same breathtaking song writing skills with the elements that made the early recordings of the aforementioned Norwegian icons so intriguing and refreshing. Effortlessly the band weaves acoustic passages, folky melodies with stinging and razor sharp Black Metal riffs, creating a Pagan feel that is becoming a rare breed these days. It all got wrapped up in an applicable and appropriate production that serves the music well with its warmth and just the right level of rawness. The dynamics in the music adds to a lot of its magic, not only do the well-played and creative drums play a major part in the album’s versatility, it is the varied vocals that is responsible to the resourceful character of the music. Yet, it is not only the outstanding song writing, credits should also go to the excellent sense of time management of the band: with the perfect playing time of exactly 30 minutes, the album keeps you on your toes for the majority of it.

Should you be interested in the ever bewildering world of folky/pagan Black Metal, you should do yourself a favour and give this well-played and near-perfectly executed piece of art a chance, the first half of the album in particular is undoubtedly of particularly outstanding quality. For now it seems that the album (just like the previously released demo) will be almost impossible to get, but nothing stops us from hoping for a proper release on vinyl.