You don’t have to exist for a long time to be part of history, especially when we talk about history with the realms of extreme metal. Form a band, release a demo and disband…quite easy actually. Hellevaerder from The Netherlands is one of those bands, who just released a demo a couple of months after existence and quit just after releasing the demo. I could have chosen to leave this demo in the vaults and not mentioning it because…well, what is the point to promote it, as the band doesn’t exist anymore…But who knows, if they will reform and you think “Hellevaerder…Hellevaerder, it does ring a bell….oh yeah, I have read a review of it on VM-Underground!”, I’m glad I did write a review about it. As you can see, it has all to do with my ego to be honest. Frankly, “Aan de Aarde Teruggegeven” is too good to be ignored.
Although there is a slight dissonance occasionally, the core is Scandinavian Black Metal and creating a dark and melancholic atmosphere by riffs instead of other instruments. The vocals of Miranda Visser are in the vein of Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult’s Onielar, which is quite an impressive performance if you ask me. When you would ask me what to expect, I have to think for a bit as I don’t really hear a “spot on” reference, they take bits here and there and make something of their own. But if I have to pick something I would say you could hear hints of a darker Solbrud and parts of Slidhr. They managed to keep it melancholic without sounding as a Black/Doom band on one hand nor as a Depressive Black Metal band on the other. A fine demo and it is a shame the band isn’t around anymore due differences between the members, as I think they have delivered a more than decent demo.
