Goliard "The Darkest Hour" CD

Goliard are a black metal outfit hailing from Medellin/Colombia. Having been formed in 2010 it took until 2017 to release the full length debut “Iconoclastic Hymns”. Three years later they are back, presenting album number two titled “The Darkest Hour”. While I do not think that this album name is related to the COVID 19 disaster holding the world in hostage it perfectly fits the nihilistic and bleak atmosphere of the music.
Like it is the case with more or less each metal genre having its origins way back in the eighties there is little room left for innovation. There is a reason why some bands made big waves and have gained a lot of followers over the past decades. Goliard are clever enough to pay tribute to some of those names and chose a quite traditional approach of taking all the classic elements, enhancing them with a little bit of own DNA to create something that sounds familiar but fresh and energetic.
The classic tremolo runs are in full force and there are a lot of the classic epic and melodies that we all know from the Scandinavian bands of the second wave of black metal. There are also some references to the more minimalistic approach that black metal bands of the first wave brought to the world, but also some bits that have a very hypnotic and ambient feeling. Atmosphere is something that is important for each black metal outfit, and Goliard do not deny this fact, making sure that “The Darkest Hour” presents an eerie homage to the past.
Beside the fantastic guitar work also the rhythm deserves a shout-out. The drumming is relentless, following the main patterns of each song and underlining several parts of the songs, depending what might fit in that exact moment in the best possible way. What impressed me as well is the straight-to-the-point songwriting. Each of the songs has a clear structure and his own character. Some of them are kept in mid-tempo, surprising with outstanding harmonies, while others are ferocious and very direct.
The production is almost flawless with the right combination of rawness and clarity to give each instrument and sonic detail enough room to breathe. The end result is a very natural and organic sound fitting the music like a glove. The physical version released by Dutch label The Ritual productions comes with nice and atmospheric artwork, so each fan of old school black metal should be glad to get a nice addition to his collection.

Sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...