“To burn the veil, to learn to see”
Almost a week ago I got in my inbox a strange email, which started something like “We are Boarhammer, a 2 piece black metal band”. The more I read through the email, the more intrigued I became, so I quickly went to Boarhammer‘s Bandcamp page to check out the 2 tracks available there. After several minutes I was left in total awe, so I quickly sent the band an “I’m in for a review” email.
The demo I am talking about here is called “I: Cutting Wood for Magickal Purposes” and is the first release of Boarhammer, this recently formed band hailing from, I’d like to think, the deep forests of Germany. This duo consists of Wodwoz (guitars and vocals) and The Vessel (drums, vocals and bass), two guys who have decided to play some sort of “ritualistic black metal madness“, as they very well put it.
The tape will come out on the 3rd of December, in a limited run of 150 self released copies. The 7 songs on the tape (six originals and a Mercyful Fate cover) span for almost 30 minutes, which is a bit peculiar for a demo, but by all means it’s not a bad thing in their case. What we deal here with is a strange concoction of 1st class primitive black metal worship, some doom metal passages and, if I distinguished well, some bluesy and psychedelic parts (e.g the track “Ritual Tusks“), with a pronounced old school vibe, from the music to the tape cover.
Imagine this melange, crafted in a very ritualistic, rural-like style, being released in 2021. I for one have not heard anything like this before and I have to admit I absolutely like it! (Do not compare this to any of the Cultes des Ghoules releases, it’s not the same thing!). The songs are complex, with lots of rhythm changes (both in the guitar and the drum parts), great riffs and crazy vocals.
The vocals, yes…They are fantastic, not the average black metal shrieks but harsh, insane and very narrative at the same time. It’s like every track is a short folk story, narrated through the music by the 2 wood spirits, Wodwoz and The Vessel. Lyrically, the songs deal with medieval folklore and beliefs, (black) magic and witchcraft, use of weird psychotropic plants and liquids which, if ingested, would provide hallucinogenic effects. That pretty much explains why someone would be “Riding the Hedge“, “Channeling Wormwood Spirits” or, even more, using “Ritual Tusks” for his/her magical practices:
“Ride the hedge
Purify the vision
Become the tide
The cycle starts again…Tonight“
The atmosphere on this demo is sinister, somber and it definitely has an evil touch, from the very first melodic chords of the opener “Riding the Hedge“, to the crazy/chaotic ending of “Black Funeral“. There’s a malevolent shadow from the past floating over the entire songs, like something bad is about to happen, but you don’t know when. The best example is the short but intense part on “Spirits on Black Wings“, when the wind, the crows and the ritualistic drums create a disturbing effect (listen with headphones for maximum effect).
For me this demo has it all. Black metal magic, raw sound, sinister atmosphere with hidden melodies, surprisingly good production and above all, excellent musicianship. The songs flow smoothly one into another, as if tied together by an invisible, magical thread . I just could not pick out a favorite track out of the seven, they all fit perfectly as a whole, there’s no filler here.
This release came out of nowhere but it quickly became one of my favorites and I cannot recommend it enough, so make sure you buy a copy while they last. You won’t be disappointed and the more you listen to it, the more you’ll get under its spell. Hail The True Boarhammer!
Boarhammer – “I: Cutting Wood for Magickal Purposes” track list:
1. Riding the Hedge
2. Channeling Wormwood Spirits
3. Spirits on Black Wings
4. Tatra Wolves
5. Ritual Tusks
6. The Tress are no Trees
7. Black Funeral
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