Review Summary: A varied, unique, and satisfying entry into the world of black metal.
Black metalers are known for not following the rules, and the now defunct German progressive black metal band Nagelfar is certainly no exception. The band is often confused with Swedish peers, Naglfar. The two groups' names actually even reference the same thing, (the ship of death from Scandinavian lore) but the similarities end there. Nagelfar’s debut, Hünengrab im Herbst, is incomparable to pretty much any other album of the genre. The ability to stand out in a realm of music so diverse is an achievement unto itself. But maybe that’s why they’re called progressive black metal.
Shrieked vocals - check. Tremolo picking - check. Blast beats - check. While these elements are present and place the album safely in the genre of black metal, they’re used in new and interesting ways. Melodies change and progress in the most unorthodox of ways. But it works. Well. The album harnesses an epic sound, utilizing components less frequent to black metal with compelling effect. Clean vocal passages, acoustic guitar melodies, and synths and pianos are carefully woven throughout the album to create some rather interesting textures. Many of the guitar riffs are very uncharacteristic of black metal. Hell, there’s even a few major chords, but in the context of the album, they seem to fit nicely. The vocals are certainly solid, both clean and shrieked, and play out like another instrument in the mix rather than take center stage. Also well executed are the drums and bass. They shine some moments more than others, but their role in enhancing the overall product is far from minor.
Pretty much every component of Hünengrab im Herbst is dynamic, which makes for an album that doesn’t often “drag.” Whether good or not so good, the music is hard to call boring. That fact is made even more impressive given that two of the tracks reach the fourteen-minute mark. As usually is for any album crammed full of so many ideas, there’s bound to be some moments leaving one to scratch their head, and that can prove to be the case here. Though, upon several listens and the album’s proper digestion, things begin to click. And still, some things just don’t work. Some of the sung parts clearly lack taste. Those moments, however, are sparse, and really, they seem forgivable when acknowledging the album’s audacity.
At the end of the day, being unique isn’t as good as just being great, but Nagelfar manage to do both. Hünengrab im Herbst is an album to keep coming back to, to unlock its many mysteries and curiosities. It only seems a shame that the band didn’t quite have the same staying-power.
