Grimwald were born in 2007 from the will of the multi-instrumentalist Helvoth, and after various changes in the lineup and the demos “The Legend Of The Raven” in 2008 and “The Berserker” dated 2009, they released their first album “Über Grimlands düsteren Wäldern”. The self-produced album is faithfully linked to the black metal sounds of the early 90s, with the addition of contrasting elements that emerge from time to time between the tracks. A time jump of two decades that leads us to explore the history of Augusta Taurinorum, ancient name of Turin, in this concept album focused on its esoteric and occult tradition, from Nostradamus to Cagliostro. The basic duo composed of Helvoth and Sariel divides the task in the songwriting phase, and the addition in the studio of Antolovich (ex Tronus Abyss) behind the skins, closes the first of the two ‘magical’ triangles whose vertices converge in the city of Turin.
And it is precisely the martial-style drum roll that acts as a counterpoint to the organ in the Intro “The Supreme Centre”, which opens the ceremonies. Excellent first impact with “Moon Of Doom”, with the guitar theme that instantly imprints itself in the mind, and Sariel’s voice of great grip, as well as the lyrics in perfect style that read: «The Evil Moon As A Trap For Us». The rhythms are suitable for the cause and the overall sound is absolutely in line with those who have made black metal a unique and unmistakable style. “Unsatisfiable Will” flows on a slow-tempo except for a short section; its few chords develop an interesting stylistic appeal, based on Sariel's voice, which makes its own the typical screaming of the Norwegian forests and capable of a great test, in which his dramatic roar will be the focal point.
The following “The Supreme Centre pt.II – Augusta Taurinorum“ begins with Sariel declaiming «Turin, A Triangle Of Magic, A Triangle Of Power, The Ascending Line Of The Sun Traces Out The Main Road»; the meter changes slightly, supported by the inexorable 4/4, while the guitars make the discourse more varied, both from a melodic point of view and as an ‘operational’ range, to close with arpeggios with a foggy air, supported by Helvoth’s parsimonious synths. And the same synths are protagonists in the central part of “Across The Eeerie Forests Of Grimland” as spatial effects, and used as keys before the final verse: «Across The Eeerie Forests Of Grimland, You’ll Get Lost, Raped By The Darkness. Across The Eeerie Forests Of Grimland, Screams In The Night, Wrapping Your Silence. Across The Eeerie Forests Of Grimland, Shadows Are Flick’ring About Your Head. Across The Eeerie Forests Of Grimland, The Wind Is Freezing, It Brings Your Death».
The Turin saga continues with the minimal “The Supreme Centre pt.III – The Alchemistical Pits”, where a single continuous chord and Antolovich’s coloristic drumming support Sariel’s narrative voice: «Turin Is A Dark Divinity That Kills Its Sons, Like Uranus And medea. The Alchemistical Pits, Centre Of Enlightenment And Knowledge». An acoustic guitar slightly breaks the balance, with a few notes that create the right passage for the organ finale, which disperses in the distance.
“The Black Sun” winds between mid-tempo and an up-tempo section that recalls things already heard previously, especially for the drum part, certainly in style, but which could certainly look for some ‘small’ expedient without affecting the very specific style of the band. It is even more noticeable in the final “El Bosch/The Wood”, where every single cymbal hit is predictable from the beginning. The rest is there and is appreciable: Helvoth’s voice narrates wooded landscapes and night walks, until the acoustic guitars take control of the situation to delicately lead us towards a psychedelic finale, dictated by the two synth chords to which various effects are added.
A very good debut for Grimwald, who, remaining faithful to their dark creed, give us a debut album with a Northern European flavor. With some elements of surprise in the next works, the speech could be more varied and less predictable.
Sample:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3k-2egEUocA&t=800s
