Review by Felix on June 27, 2024.

Ha, it took three days, but now that I have found the “Ú” in my laptop, I can start to write the first review for (yes!) Úlfarr’s first length. At the same time, I beg your pardon that the review is not written in Old English, although the lyrics of “Orlegsceaft” revitalize this form of English. But my modern English is bad enough and you can get a review in Deutsch if you really want, but not in Old English. So it goes without saying that I cannot say something about the lyrics, but there is another language I understand – the language of black metal. Úlfarr celebrate it in its purest form with hardly varying, extremely raw vocals, they reduce the style on its essentials, they perform their songs passionately and the artwork sends greetings to "Blasfemia Eternal", the strong Ancient Rites album from 1996. Is there anything else one can demand? I don’t think so.

Just take the sinister high velocity devastator called “Trollblót“ (needless to say that I needed two further days until I had found the „ó“). Its flow is nearly perfect, because it has such a natural feeling that it has to be exactly the way it is. The smooth yet hellish approach of the song is as irresistible as the best flowing tracks of Darkthrone on „Ravishing Grimness“ (which is a great work from my point of view) and the riffing is also not too far away from this album. The riff after the break at 4:20 is not only absolutely fantastic, it also underlines the affinity for Darkthrone as well. Due to the nearly absurdly throaty vocals, there is also some „Transylvanian Hunger“ represented in the sound of Úlfarr – I can definitely imagine worse references. Or put the focus on “Wælgæst wæfre”. (Hooray, I had used “æ” already before, it was no problem to find it!) Its seven minutes are filled to the brim with aggressive, explosive eruptions. But there are also nearly thoughtful sections and they and some mid-paced parts develop depth and despair. The song shows impressively the talent of the band to give its songs the right quantum of melodies and, even better, the guys are able to write very strong, expressive melody lines.

Admittedly, “Orlegsceaft” does not consist of highlights exclusively. Some tracks are robust and solid without meeting the highest expectations. They do not lack substance and show no signs of obvious weakness, they just have to accept that they cannot fully compete with the best tracks here. So one can sit down with a good drink and press the start button or guide the needle to the record – there is no song that will hurt the comfortable scenario. The production is also nothing one has to fear. I do not know whether there is some national black metal guide line, but the sound of the album is comparable with those of Frosten’s and Hellvelyn’s debuts. Nuances are missing, maybe the guitars could sound a bit sharper, but come on, it is a pretty simple yet adequate and vigorous sound. Unfortunately I cannot hear the bass guitar, but I am not able to say whether this is a weakness of the production or a consequence I have to suffer after more than 40 years of metal consumption. Either way, Úlfarr’s full-length debut continues the sound of their EPs and deserves respect and attention.

Rating: 7.8 out of 10