Gjaldur – Jahrzeit [EP]

We turn our gaze to Germany, a country that has left an indelible mark on the international Black Metal underground. With many works and great bands, they have spread death, anti-Christianity, Satanism, apathy, suicide, hatred, war, and plague throughout the world. On this occasion, we will dissect the most recent EP from Gjaldur, edited by Astral Nightmare Productions. This work by the duo of veterans, well-known in the deep, dark circles of Black Metal, materializes in CD format. The band already has a decade of history and struggle behind them, having so far released several demos, a split, a compilation, and two albums.

The opening EP curses us without wasting time, with a burst of intensity. Black Metal in its most volatile form features tremolo riffs emanating black melodies and the unmistakable screams of Grim, best known for annihilating with his cursed vociferations in the legendary Aaskereia. The track stretches between blast beats and mid-tempo rhythms, showcasing a very well-executed musical work faintly accompanied by keyboards that act as ambient mattresses. The next track, ‘Das Mal des kalten Lichts’, remains on the same abyssal edge of its predecessor but is loaded with riffs overflowing with feeling and depth. Sometimes it is difficult to describe what these types of riffs awaken in the listener, as each person perceives it differently, but I feel pure hatred—that fuel of destruction consumed in Black Metal. The track itself was 4 minutes and a few seconds that passed like an exhalation in the middle of a winter night. Another highlight is the tremendous instrumental work Fafnir has brought to the opus. This is the same artist who left behind incredible albums with the 90s band Broken Moon on the drums.

Seeking safety and shelter from the sonic storm unleashed by the two conspirators, the track ‘Misanthropie’ creates a false illusion of tranquillity and respite. Taking into account its short duration and interlude setting, the soundtrack of some old movie becomes the perfect prelude to an epic and gloomy ending. This longed-for ending now stands immense in the darkness of the devastated towns, with a monstrous duration of 11 minutes, as heavy and grotesque as death itself and its sharp scythe decapitating souls moaning among the swirling cold winds and the posthumous desolation sown in every step. It is accompanied by sad notes of acoustic guitar that cry and lament in a few short steps until surrendering to the distorted feedback that breaks the faint tranquillity. That is when ‘Wiederkehr’ assaults with all its power, its tremolo guitars chewing melodies as painful as a dagger stuck in the chest. Being the longest song on the EP, it uses all the resources and elements already presented, but with the addition of guttural voices that give it greater depth.

This work is short but also damn exciting, brimming with misanthropic hatred that at the same time generates a dark auditory and imaginative experience of forgotten and devastated places, as described above. ‘Jahrzeit’ is a great work without a doubt, and I already hope that it is the prelude to a new full-length album and the continuity of the band. May it not run the same fate as the two bands referenced in the review from which these two bestial musicians emerged!