Ulykke

I am a big fan of the atmospheric/depressive metal act Make a Change…Kill Yourself. Although I am not tired of life or depressive in any way the mood of solitude and despair created by the music just resonates with me. The main guy behind the music called Ynleborgaz has another project going by the name Angantyr. Having been formed way back in 1997 there have been six full lengths and a bunch of splits and demo compilations. The most recent output has been album number six titled “Ulykke” what (I think) means something like “accident”.

The music from Angantyr is more on the classic, slightly rawer side, but still carries the thumbprint of Ynleborgaz unbound creative energy. He has included plenty of the flavors of what makes the style interesting to begin with, as he shows a clear understanding of how to bring it all together wonderfully, such that it fits together nicely, such that they all work off each other brilliantly. Over the course of his active career he has learned how to use all the respective elements that make black metal so fascinating and how to craft interesting and nicely flowing songs out of those.

There are many factors that could be listed to describe why this album is so excellent, but the most immediate is the record’s sheer listenability. While the overall atmosphere is grim and frosty the stunning harmonies work as counterbalance to the harsh riffs. Some whirling tremolo harmonies and subtle threads of glimmering lead guitar as well as the aggressiveness of rippling blast-beats and pure tonal terror make up for a captivating piece of music. Ynleborgaz knows how to create a sound that is both, extremely hard-hitting and highly melodic, inserting enough earworm riffs into the songwriting.

Tracks like “Krageben” work as prime example why black metal is so fascinating for a lot of us. The main themes are highly memorable, and they are repeated over and over again, sometimes culminating in even more dramatic variations of the original. The rest of the album follows suit, constantly shifting and changing, with actual, proper riffs finding their way to the surface amongst the assault, coupled with tasteful leads that add a sense of traditional second wave melodies to the whole affair.

Thanks to a good production job - raw and dirty yet diversified - the rhythm section and the guitar perfectly complement each other, and also the howling vocals have their place in the mix. The mix of heavy rhythm guitars and spiraling lead melodies, all underpinned by some frantic, almost feverish, drum work and topped off with some brilliantly raw and emotive vocals as used from Ynleborgaz, makes “Ulykke” a fittingly monumental and monolithic slab of raucous blackened rebellion, replete with an aura of immersive atmosphere which gives the track an epic, empowering vibe. Must-have for genre fans.