Review: Ulvehyrde – Dødsdømt

There’s a certain weight to the name Ulvehyrde: a promise of frostbitten riffs, of a sound carved from the same blackened wood as the genre’s most revered ancestors. With “Dødsdømmt” the Norwegian band doesn’t just nod to the past; they drag it, kicking and screaming, into the present. The result is an album that’s as much a tribute as it is a testament to the enduring power of raw, fundamental black metal.

The album’s strength lies in its ability to balance ferocity and clarity. The production is sharp enough to cut through the murk, but never so polished that it sterilizes the music’s inherent malice. The guitars snarl, the drums pummel, and the vocals rasp with the kind of conviction that only comes from a deep, abiding love for the craft. Tracks like the title track and “Barnedrap” are steeped in the kind of mid-tempo malevolence that feels like a descent into a forgotten forest, where the trees whisper secrets best left unheard. Spitting out the vocals in norwegian adds pure ferocity and grimmness into the sound, hinting of sinister creatures lurking in the woods.

Yet, for all its virtues, “Dødsdømmt” sometimes feels more like a tribute than a revelation. The band’s devotion to the classics is evident, but there are moments where the album struggles to escape the shadow of its influences. The riffs are razor-sharp, the atmosphere thick with the scent of pine and decay, but the spark of true originality flickers rather than burns. It’s a record that excels in evoking the past, but occasionally falters in forging its own path.

The standout moments come when Ulvehyrde leans into darker, more atmospheric territory. Tracks like Dødsuret and Skarpretteren reveal a band capable of weaving doom-laden melodies into their black metal framework, hinting at a depth that could set them apart. If they push further into this abyss—if they dare to explore the darker corners of their sound—they might yet create something truly unforgettable.