Origin: Oslo, Norway 🇳🇴
Genre: Black Metal
Tsjuder – the name is synonymous with brutal and the music that they’ve created under this moniker and under the banner of true Norwegian black metal over the past 30 years is of the most indescribably hate-fueled variety. With their influences drawn from the early European thrash movement, first wave pioneers and Mayhem’s pre “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas” days, Tsjuder have made it their mission to bring only the fastest and the most aggressive black metal to the threshold. Each one of their competition-annihilating, no compromise albums a feast of violence and a lesson in dynamic range. On June 23, Tsjuder will release their long-awaited new album, “Helvegr”, once again through a blood pact with Season of Mist.
Long-gone are the Devil-worshipping days of olde – the “Kill For Satan” era when Gorgoroth, Sarcófago and 80’s Sepultura were channeled. These days the word “simplicity” has little to no meaning for Tsjuder, the compositions are more flamboyant and the speed/precision are amped into the red. All the while as the most volatile Satanic energy pulsates beneath the surface of every frigid, stronger-than-steel progression. “Helvegr” encapsulates all this; offering the quintessential Tsjuder experience. Already rich and filling lead tracks, “Iron Beast”, “Prestehammeren” and “Gods of Black Blood” to whet the appetite for the feast of fire before you. A few risks taken; resulting in memorable cuts like the catchy title-track and “Faenskap og Død” that alternate from heavy riff-dominated glory to nasty, early Impaled Nazarene worshipping, Mayhem “Deathcrush” ridden vibes. The album closes with a rare contemplative piece in “Hvit Død” – an instrumental that reduces the inertia of the experience and eases you out of what’s been an otherwise hellacious ride.
Highly anticipated and surrounded by almost unreachable expectations is “Helvegr”, and compared to the overindulgence of their previous effort, this one goes down smoother and feels more like a welcoming affair. Black metal for the listener who appreciates the less-is-more approach this time as opposed to the exhaustive nature of “Antiliv”. The balance between youthful aggression and the kind of wisdom that comes with age has been reached. But also new and exciting levels of adeptness and perhaps a little more willingness to explore; to navigate the genre’s outer perimeter without venturing too far off the beaten path. Even the album’s cover art is a breath of fresh air.
Tsjuder are back! And all proper diabolical fanfare can be expected to unfold leading all the way up to “Helvegr’s” official release. This album is a statement as to just how lethal true Norwegian black metal can be: no melody, nothing to warm the heart, nothing soft and cozy, just ruthless black metal to slay Angels and torture Saints to. The brutality of Gorgoroth, the malevolence of Mayhem and the epic of Immortal, all right here. “Helvegr” will no doubt go down as one of the year’s very best mainstream black metal releases alongside the aforementioned Immortal’s “War Against All”. A seldom occurrence where true black metal and the mainstream actually occupy the same space, but for Tsjuder, it’s business as usual.
9/10
Experience “Prestehammeren” from “Helvegr” right here as presented by Season of Mist:
~Jeger
