When I read a promo that says “traditional Norwegian Black Metal,” my face is an iceberg that shows no emotion. If there’s one sub-genre more beaten to death than Power Metal, it’s old school Black Metal. However, Svartelder has such a cool name that I thought giving Trenches a chance would be the least I could do after months of hopelessness. This is a band with a respectable catalog, so you can’t blame me for wanting to believe! Let’s dive into the darkness!
My usual complaint about this school of Black Metal is that it sticks to too many tropes. The songs are unidimensional, with few musical textures (it all sounds the same!), the themes are overexplored, and the production, well, it’s legendary for all the wrong reasons. Svartelder doesn’t make any of these mistakes. Trenches has elements of Satyricon, Mayhem, but also hints of Belphegor and even more modern Post/Black. I’m honestly surprised at how diverse and playful Trenches can be without ever straying too far from its traditional essence. That’s harder to achieve than quitting mindless scrolling!
Trenches is constantly changing; it might start on a predictable note, but no track is the same here. They all have their own approach and purpose. Some are more aggressive, like “Psychotic Symphony,” others more melancholic, like “The Forgiving Isolation,” and even tracks that delve into atmospheric territory, like “With Death.” The full spectrum of Black and even a bit of Doom Metal runs through Trenches. This also happens to be a rather short album, which makes it easier to analyze and listen to several times. It offers so much in little time—the dream of almost any reviewer. Alright, enough butt kissing, what are the problems with Trenches?
I don’t have extensive issues with the album. If anything, I just thought the last two tracks, by being more atmospheric, took away from the overall pace. I get they have a more Emperor vibe, but it’s complicated to make all these shifts fit well. Then there’s the vocal work, which is good and varied, but it almost felt lost in the background. This is likely due to production decisions—after all, this is supposed to be traditional—but the problem is when the tradition is being recorded with a potato. That’s not the case here, but I suspect the mix we’ve got is to blame.
I expected nothing but derivative Black Metal from Svartelder, and perhaps that’s why I’m so pleasantly surprised with what I ended up getting. Trenches has grit, evil, speed, melody, and sorrow like very few Black Metal releases this year. It also has killer art. If you love your Metal cruel and perverse but want to avoid how corny bands can get in the pursuit of those elements, I believe Trenches is what you need. Oh, I almost forgot to mention! This is kind of War Metal, so you nerds out there can do what you like most—kill each other in the comment section!
Label: Soulseller Records
Release date: 2 August, 2024
Website: https://www.facebook.com/SvartelderOfficial
Country: Norway
Score: Not dying on a ditch! Or 4.0/5.0 for the expendable infantry
Metal Eclipse Reviews 