Review by Felix on October 3, 2023.

Tsjuder were never children of sadness. Since their first steps, they preferred brutal sounds. Raw and violent tracks without useless frills have always characterized their albums. “Legion Helvete”, their fourth full-length from 2011, ended a period of seven long years of silence. Nevertheless, this hiatus did not lead to a new approach. The album is easily comparable with its predecessor “Desert Northern Hell”, a masterpiece of Norwegian blackness. Frankly speaking, I believe that you must have a strong conviction if you don’t modify your style after such a long time. And exactly this conviction is the first positive thing I like when it comes to the formation from the Norwegian capital.

Speaking of Norway, Tsjuder are obviously familiar with “Pure Holocaust”. Immortal’s groundbreaking work (it celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, unbelievable) does not only work as a general point of orientation due to comparable vibes and aesthetics. Especially the opening riff of “Fra en råtten kiste” pays tribute to “The Sun No Longer Rises”, while “Black Shadows of Hell” refers to Immortal’s all-time classic in a more general way. But don’t draw hasty conclusions – Tsjuder’s songs offer a lot of different layers and parts. Thus, their tracks are mostly great and autonomous. Especially “Fra en råtten kiste” does not suffer from a lack of own ideas and a short sign of respect for pioneers does not mean that unscrupulous copycats are at work.

Despite its uncompromising vehemence, the material of “Legion Helvete” reflects an impressive maturity. The rakish songs do not lack variety, but the different sections blend seamlessly with each other. As a result, we get an album with a strong and natural flow. Better still, its explosiveness starts with the first and ends with the last tone. Intros or outros are overrated, Tsjuder deliver the pure Apocalypse, even though they have structured it in musically useful sections. On the other hand, the band also likes it the primitive way from time to time. It feels great to listen to the lead vocalist while he just barks the word “Slakt”, the title of another straight, almost linear highlight. Sometimes the method of the hammer is simply good.

Production-wise, there is nothing to grumble. I am speaking about an album from 2011, not a demo from 1991 which has been recorded by a technically incompetent misanthrope in a lonely log house in Northern Norway. “Legion Helvete” has a demonic feel to it. The guitars appear like a general threat. Perhaps they are too dominant, at least in comparison with bass and drums. Especially the latter could have make a more expressive contribution. The drum rolls in the opulent closer show the real potential of this instrument. By the way, “Vårt helvete” is a sustainable final statement. More than ten minutes of pure black metal without even one second of boredom are no matter of course, but Tsjuder manage this challenge cleverly. All in all, they barrel along the icy roads of Northern black metal. I admit that they also deliver one or two less strong pieces (“Blod og aske” has some somewhat vapid parts), but the strong big picture of “Legion Helvete” remains untouched. It’s nothing less than another unsilent storm in the North abyss.

Rating: 8.2 out of 10