Review: Grvm Kvlt – Ultima Equitem

This album could be the shit: it’s released as limited tape edition and via bandcamp and that’s it. The creator named the project accordingly to genre standards and the cover artwork is cool. But the murky production, thin layering, and uninspired transitions hold the solid songs back. The production may be labeled a raw or authentic, but limits the enjoyment too much in the end.

Tracks like Sächsisches Schwarzmetall” offer trickles of promise—but the bursts of blast beats and solid-but-not-more riffs only skim the surface. The riffs pass without leaving a mark, and the Atari-style degradation in the mix dilutes impact.

Most tracks aim for dynamic weight, but the pacing never finds a compelling balance. These songs stagger under their own ambition, their longings for atmosphere hindered by blunt execution.

A flash of potential appears in “Wiederkehr” with it melodic underlining. Unfortunately, it’s a rare bright spot in a record that meanders through simple lyricism (“Vom Willen sich der Welt zu widersetzen,” “Pfad der Opferungen”) and dramatic vocal phrasings that often come across as overwrought rather than haunting.

Production-wise, the half‑grungy mastering calls back to DIY credibility, yet it’s too thin to support repeated blasts—the missing musical pressure never materializes.

That said, intentions are clear: the album wans to be dramatic, pagan-tinged, and steeped in melancholy – that can sense it on every riff and phrase. But raw ambition doesn’t replace songwriting depth. The record lingers in its own shadow – authenticity is present, but artistry remains unfinished. It’s an album that wears its influences on its sleeve, but lacks the creative heft to transcend them. For fans of minimalistic, raw German black metal, there is merit. But for anyone seeking textured melodies, lyrical complexity, or compositional boldness, the album offers mere suggestion, not substance.