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SOLBRUD
Jærtegn

Mighty Music (2014)
Rating: 7.5/10

Jærtegn is the sophomore effort from raging Danish black metallers Solbrud, a quartet which formed in 2009 and features the line-up of Ole Luk (vocals / guitar), Adrian Utzon Dietz (guitar), Tobias Hjorth (bass) and Troels Hjorth (drums).

If this sweltering hot follow-up to Solbrud’s 2012 debut self-titled platter is anything to go by, then these Danes are going to be melting a lot of ears. From the off, it’s an evil sounding cacophony that races from start to finish as a tirade of clashing cymbals, blasting drums waves and seething chords make way for an almost hissing hoarse vocal which, if anything, refuses to take centre stage and instead becomes part of that smog-like instrumentation which chokes the listener.

This is very much melodic black metal, but something which exists as the music equivalent to a burning furnace in that the metal is just so straight and pure as a force that no-one can withstand such a wall of fire. That’s not to say that it’s a mere blur, but the frenzy – although not harsh – is just so blunt in its attack that one rarely gets time for breath as the flames lap the throat. The fast, blazing riffs are what Solbrud is all about, and these fiery blasts of air continue their path for each of the four tracks on offer. Indeed, opening track ‘Sortedøden’ is so direct and without mercy that for its 11-or-so minutes of existence, it feels akin to being pulled by the Devil’s stallions through the molten pits of Hades.

Black metal of this kind is not necessarily an acquired taste because there is that deep tract of melody always racing hard throughout, but it’s about trying to withstand the tundra of heat that becomes such an ordeal. It seems to take an eternity for that lead off track to slow, but by that point the scorching percussion has already melted our bones and Luk’s vocal chords have clearly been lanced of any flesh to leave smouldering sinews.

Then it’s time to brace yourself once again for another coming rush of lava, this time in the form of the 10-minute ‘Afbed’ which begins as another hasty retreat into fire, but is that an occasional break in the blitz I hear? Yep, it sure is, as Solbrud prepares itself for another heatwave of melodic yet bracing metal. By this time though, I’m guessing that both axemen have literally flayed away their fingers as they strum like madmen to keep up with Troels Hjorth’s manic percussion. In a sense, Solbrud just operates on one single plateau, opting for constant channels of pace which by the end leaves me completely drained.

If you’re robust enough to make the midway stage, then simply prepare for another deluge of high temperatures; 15 minutes of ‘Klippemennesket’ suggests a band with nerves and bones of steel. An eerie guitar twang signals the beginning of this black metal boiler which seems to false start, or in other words takes a while to fully heat up to a point where it becomes a metallic mainstay of rasping, burnt vocal sneers and Troels Hjorth’s constant searing presence with those charred sticks. With the final frontier of ‘Ursult’, it’s very much game over for me as the quartet seems intent to race itself to the finish line, overheat and melt into a pile of pus on the spot.

All I can say is that this is fast, direct black metal. If that’s your thing, then turn on the oven, throw your head in and prepare for a suntan of the highest order!

Neil Arnold

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