Verbolgen

Verbolgen

With Verbolgen, the one-woman black-metal phenomenon known as Hulder expands her lineup to include bassist and backing vocalist—and her husband—Necreon. Keeping Hulder’s core membership all in the family makes sense: Belgian-born mastermind Marliese “Marz” Beeuwsaert’s take on black metal is deeply personal while steeped in the Cascadian tradition of the band’s adopted Washington-state home and the larger Scandinavian tradition of the genre’s classic second wave. The acoustic intro, “Drie Raven,” imparts an intimate campfire atmosphere with Euro-folk guitars and medieval woodwinds before crashing into the majestic overture of “The Crowning.” Equal parts Satyricon, Bathory, and early Emperor, the galloping title track channels some of the black-metal greats, while lead single “View From Nemeton” cuts a savage swath through the forests of the Pacific Northwest with blistering guitars (and hurdy-gurdy) to offer a glimpse of hidden realms.