Bhleg – Fäghring (Review)

Bhleg - FäghringThis is the fourth album from Swedish black metallers Bhleg.

I always enjoy it when a new Bhleg release comes along, (Draumr Ást, Solarmegin, Ödhin), so Fäghring is well-received by yours truly.

Bhleg’s atmospheric brand of folk-enriched black metal spreads Continue reading “Bhleg – Fäghring (Review)”

Bhleg – Ödhin (Review)

Bhleg - ÖdhinBhleg are a Swedish black metal band and this is their third album.

Having enjoyed 2014’s Draumr Ást and 2018’s Solarmegin, I knew that I had to check out Ödhin when it appeared. If you’re unfamiliar with the band, Bhleg’s music is a form of black metal that’s full of atmosphere and folk influences. Continue reading “Bhleg – Ödhin (Review)”

Bhleg – Solarmegin (Review)

BhlegBhleg are a Swedish folk black metal band and this is their second album.

Roughly four years after Bhleg’s enjoyable debut album Draumr Ást appeared, the band have now returned with a colossal new album; Solarmegin is a 98-minute celebration of the sun. Yes, that’s right; this album is a big one. Continue reading “Bhleg – Solarmegin (Review)”

Bhleg – Draumr Ást (Review)

BhlegBhleg are from Sweden and this is their début album of Atmospheric Black Metal.

This is underground and under-produced with the result that the music has a brittle quality to it that still somehow retains a strength – like shards of ice. The fragile guitar tone still manages to inflict lacerations with how sharp it is as the scything vocals scream out from behind this torrent of frostblades.

Theirs is a blend of the atmospheric and Blackly melodic. To cold for the more perky Melodic Black Metal tag, instead they go the path less travelled down a cold winter path, lonesome and desolate. Many others have gone this way over the years, of course, but Bhleg are content to not mix with any other travellers and instead keep to themselves, exploring the snowy landscapes.

Okay, okay; enough of the ice and the frost and the winter – you get the idea. Suffice to say that this is Black Metal that harkens back to an earlier time and an influence from bands of these earlier eras can be heard in their sound, Burzum for one.

The Black Metal is offset with more atmospheric forays into lighter territories and these parts help break up the release.

Screaming vocals are joined by cleaner approaches on occasion, adding another aspect to the delivery of the band’s message.  The Bhleg vocalist has a clear, powerful scream and the cleans are performed well.

An enjoyable album. The kind of album to just drift off with and become almost hypnotized by the droning Blackened riffs. Give Bhleg a spin and see if they can show you their frosted visions of a natural landscape.