HEIMDALLS WACHT: "Nichtorte - Oder Die Geistreise Des Runenschamanen"

I do not consider Germany to spawn the black metal of highest caliber, and probably never will think so. Thousands of almost identical bands result in a scene of rather unattractive mess. Of course there are exceptions to every rule, and I'd say that Heimdalls Wacht's Nichtorte - Oder Die Geistreise Des Runenschamanen belongs to these relatively rare albums that somehow stand out. The name of the game is pagan black metal that in practice means beautiful, melancholic riffs that are however executed in distorted tremolo pickings on top of blast beats. There's plenty of Burzum style aggression as well and that is good, it's not about the sweets all the time.

It's hard to put into words how exactly Heimdalls Wacht does the job better than many other contenders – I guess it's simply that the band has more skill in composing tracks that don't bore the listener at any time, even though the album clocks at over sixty minutes. Sure, there's nothing really original about the music presented here, as most of the melody lines have probably been used already in various variations throughout the history of folk / pagan influenced black metal. There are also riffs that could have been written by Sargeist (midway into ”Der Wind gibt mir Geleit” for example), they reek so much of the Finnish scene that someone might get dizzy, but I don't mind because they're not there every second to confuse me.

For general enjoyment, I would have reduced Nichtorte's running time. Even if there's mostly quality compositions, it doesn't warrant a perfect listening experience: how many of us can actually listen to an hour of music without any distractions? Atmospheric black metal could be another thing, delving into a lengthy Paysage d'Hiver soundscape when going to sleep or wandering in nature, but in Heimdall Wacht's case, I think it's a tad too much. Anyhow, this is not a serious glitch: one can always enjoy an album in smaller dosages.

Sound-wise, Nichtorte is close to perfect. It is not polished yet the sound is still detailed, upfront. It's harsh yet all instruments are nicely audible. Compositionally, as implied, the album does well too, though I don't think there's any song that would truly rend my heart or something along those lines. ”Ignis Fatuus” belongs to my favourities - do not be too surprised to find some clean singing from this piece, or from the whole album in general! It is done tastefully, fortunately. Nichtorte - Oder Die Geistreise Des Runenschamanen works as a fine example of well done pagan black metal. It is not otherworldly at any time, but it's surprisingly consistent for its lengthy running time.

3.5 / 5