There are times, when we get really lucky as listeners, that records turn into adventures, and worlds change before our eyes, letting us live in the imagination of the artist. It doesn’t happen all the time. Maybe you get a handful or so of those each year, but when they come along, it’s something you don’t forget, and that music becomes a part of your DNA.
Solo black metal artist Hulder is on her way to making one of those, and those seeds are planted on “The Eternal Fanfare,” her five-track new EP that really begins to uncover what this creator is all about. Bridging the gap between her full-length debut offering “Godslastering: Hymns of a Forlorn Peasantry” and her upcoming second long player, this EP shows the philosophical and creative growth this project has achieved, and this is a collection that while a mini release, it still packs a winter’s storm of a punch and fills your mind with the imagination and ingenuity that went into making these songs. Hulder, who handles vocals, guitars, bass, and keys, is joined by drummer Necreon and guests Phil Tougas (Atramentus, VoidCeremony, Worm, etc.) who contributes a solo, and CK who also adds drums. By the way, if you haven’t seen Hulder live yet, you must change that. She and her band are a force, and they’re only going to get better.
“Curse From Beyond” is the opening introduction-style track with sounds rumbling, bells chiming, and the whole thing coming to life, washing into “Burden of Flesh and Bone” that is an absolute crusher. It tears open with savage shrieks, melodies carving into flesh, the chorus sweeping over you, taking control of your mind. Chorals rush as black metal-style glory unfolds, a synth bath swells, and guitars divebomb, smashing until everything fades into hell. “Sylvan Awakening” basks in power before animalistic rage explodes, clean calling mixing behind the hellish roars. Guitars hurdle as the storm increases dangerously, and the spirit sprints, with great riffs and madness freezing deep in the forest. The title track hisses in before coming apart as beastly growls destroy, and the catchiness gets in your veins and mixes with darkness. The playing explodes later, sung chants mesmerize, and the final blasts crush ribs. Closer “A Perilous Journey” buzzes and then pulls back to allow grisly emotions and murky clean calls. The tempo is somber and plodding, feeling both mystical and dangerous at the same time. Growls continue to scrape their mission as the shadows envelope and fade away forever.
Hulder’s power continues to grow at an alarming rate, and on this strong EP “The Eternal Fanfare,” you can feel their momentum growing in the roots and soils of the earth. This is an intriguing bridge to her second full-length, one that’s already gaining anticipation and should be one of those ones that gets a lot of attention once it arrives. But for now, we have these excellent five tracks that show you a project in furious growth that’s just getting bloodier and more exciting by the second.
For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/HulderUS
To buy the album, go here: https://www.20buckspin.com/collections/hulder
For more on the album, go here: https://www.20buckspin.com/
Meat Mead Metal 
You should have someone proofread your stuff. The new HULDER MLP is called “The Eternal Fanfare” not “The Eternal Flame”.
It’s a one-person operation. Trying not to make mistakes, but they happen. Thanks for pointing out the error. It’s fixed.