Feel an Unholy and Dark Experience While Listening to ‘Hellrduk’ by ISGHERURD MORTH ‣ CVLTARTES

I hadn’t listened to black metal for a while now and I must reckon I had my doubts when first hearing ‘Hellrduk‘ by ISGHERURD MORTH. I soon realized upon listening to the album that I was poorly mistaken.

Before heading into my opinions about the album, let’s start to get to know the band a whole lot better. Having created the quirky and contradictory project STENCH PRICE, the high-tech French drummer Romain Goulon (NECROPHAGIST, BENIGHTED), and the Siberians Max Konstantinov (KAMLATH) & Peter Shallmin (ESCAPETHECULT) bring forth the brand new trio ISGHERURD MORTH. ISGHERURD MORTH plays the game under monikers GHOUL, RES, and PITOM.

From the opening track ‘Inferhn‘, you will instantly feel an unholy and dark experience into the deepest corners of hell. You are going to be smashed with this track, and the ones that follow after. Once with ‘Kultth Tormentr‘, the album only intensifies and showcases great aggression and power just to strengthen the material’s message. As the band claims ‘the debut album “HELLRDUK” reflects the band’s vision of Black Metal by paying homage to the 90’s second wave sound yet blending it with modern blackgaze elements.‘

‘Nocturahl‘ is, let’s say, the softest song from the album, but you will get the same honest black metal. All the instruments sound very solid and clear and contribute to the album without losing the black metal feeling.

The album is full of Peter’s powerful and devastating vocals, which almost feels ominous. You’ll eventually start to miss out on the music itself, and just enjoying listening to it, getting lost in your thoughts. Amidst the hard, devilish riffs, the blackgaze elements rise to only point out the majestic instrumental execution. The tunes come thick and fast and are genuinely beautiful and hypnotic.

All the compositions are great, but the truth is that for me, as a not so much of a black metal listener, the length of the songs makes it a little bit difficult to follow and give them the attention they fully deserve. But if you are looking for a dark atmosphere, and a true, classic black metal, well, look no further, because ISGHERURD MORTH is an excellent album of raw black metal, with personal esoteric lyricism.