BORNHOLM
Primaeval Pantheons
Massacre (2016)
Rating: 8/10
|
|
Bornholm is the name of a Hungarian black metal act from Budapest which was founded in 2000. The band name derives from an island situated off Sweden as well as being the name of a disease.
Primaeval Pantheons is the fourth full-length opus from the band that dabbles in dark, twisted tales of Paganism, philosophy and mystical history. Musically, it’s not the grim sort of icy black metal many people expect from the region, and yet while we still get the raspy, throaty vocal yaps the music comes across as an uplifting, majestic rush.
Oceans of pace envelope the listener – the drums cascade in glistening fashion amidst choirs, chants and bellows of union. Bornholm paint pictures to accompany their melodies. The music is never threatening, but always enlightening – unfolding like some ancient tome where the pages flitter to the sound of fleeting drums, evocative guitar tomes and vocal yelps.
The pace is mostly mid-tempo, meaning that each track is accessible from the first listen – far-reaching but not what I’d call vastly epic. Indeed, the vocals play second fiddle here to the sprawling guitar sound.
The nine tracks on offer bring complexity, a confidence but not an arrogance as some black metal records exude. But there’s a lot more on offer here, an example being ‘Atavism’ which incorporates traditional metal values alongside the more noticeable black metal strains which are laced with gothic keys. With ‘Runes Of Power’, however, there’s more of a scowling menace – rich textures comprising of subtle guitar twists and percussive nods.
It’s almost as if Bornholm have set out a standard framework, but within it are adept at crafting surprise touches. And that’s what makes their brand of black metal so enjoyable as we’re treated to the melodic chimes of ‘March Of Saturn’, which features an almost joyous plod. Yet at the other end of the spectrum we have ‘Iron Crown’; a spiky ice-ridden furnace blast of speed and then slower, yet menacing outbursts.
But a killer melody is never far away, Bornholm being experts at drawing the listener in and nowhere is this more evident than with closer ‘Imperium (Divus Rex)’; an almost doom-laden chugganaut featuring deft solos, catchy hooks and thought-provoking drum patterns. It’s a fitting way to end an impressive record – the sort of black metal experimentation that is not too far removed from the likes of Thyrfing mixed with Emperor at its most gracile.
Although lacking any sort of nastiness, Primaeval Pantheons remains a textured artefact of black metal prowess and one keen to prove that the genre still has much to offer without resorting to vast episodes of experimentation.
Neil Arnold
