Helfró

While bored during 2020 and living out of state, my girlfriend purchased this album at a record store just from looking at the cover artwork. The first time we put it on, it felt like we were entering a new dimension where the alien life there construct some of the most elegant black metal ever created in the universe. This version of the release we acquired with the bonus track and superior album cover is the one to own. After listening to the album on repeat several times, my expectations were highly surpassed.

Helfro’s debut I would describe is blackened death metal, keeping up with the likes of groups like Behemoth or Belphegor with the percussion section, but the feel and composition of the album is more what I would associate with black metal- just with top quality production, and expanded ground gained for the genre without sacrifice or redundance.

Being that the group is basically a two-piece (who are also involved in the group Ophidian I), the division in musical obligations is evenly split, and both members are extremely multi-skilled. They both have excellent vocals that stand out, with Símon Þ having a demonic howl and Ragnar S. taking care of the other ranges of growls and screams. There is a guest vocalist, Gísli S., on the album who does all the melodic vocals, and he makes appearances throughout the album on three songs, and these vocals are quite solemn and majestic. Since all lyrics and song titles are in Icelandic, when these tonal vocals come in, they integrate very well into the character of the album, and allow the listener to have a broader experience and are being expressed in their native tongue. Keyboard synthesizers are also sometimes present, such as on “Þegn hinna stundlegu harma”, but the band manages to accomplish a melodic feel just with the guitar riffs and also sometimes with the guest vocals, which creates even more balance. The vocals between the two actual members are also often well scattered throughout the songs, with each voice often doing an independent part rather than layering of the two at the same time.

“Þrátt fyrir brennandi vilja” has an awesome groove/prog drum part in the beginning, something that you would think might be more familiar in an Opeth song as a transition, and it makes for a distinguished introduction. Many of the songs on the album don’t start much like the others, with this one being the most unusual, but still fitting well into the entirety. The intro song on the bonus (and best version) track starts as a fade-in, which I think is a better start than the other version of the album where that track does not exist. Also, clocking in at 36 minutes, the length of the album is moderately short to average depending on expectation, but I find that this version is a perfect length for a debut album.

The album closer “Í Musteri Agans” is the real gem of all the songs because it has a blisteringly fast pace (approaching 300 bpm) which is why the band is clearly pushing the limits of speed and why they stood out and might even be from another world altogether.

The only drawback with the album? Well there is none. But the fact that it would be very unlikely to ever see this material performed live does suck. I would just appreciate a follow up or two from these Icelanders.

From the unique black metal hotbed of Iceland comes Helfró, promising a relentless and memorable experience on this, their debut album (and release).

Searing ambient guitars draw in a spectral display of gorgeously melancholy tinged tremolo chords. Without warning hammering drums, howling vocals snarls and destructive guitars blast into a ravaging tempest of sonic hellfire. This crushing extremity is a fine example of Icelandic brilliance when it comes to songwriting. While it may be slightly less dissonant than countrymen Sinmara or Andavald, there is still that experimental flare in the song structures and unique progressions which certainly have that unhinged, untamed approach.

Cascading forth a depraved darkness, the record continues in a frenzied ambience. Blending black metal of the highest order with almost technical death metal territories to conjure a more convulsive execution of the musical excellence akin to bands like Valkyrja. Glistening with a disturbing, twisted and magnificent flame, the total barbarity yet almost tranquil (in part) soundscapes certainly give a uniquely interesting contrast. If Belphegor and Misthyrming merged, this is how it would sound and that is a sentence I never expected to use. This is testament to the volatile and memorable nature of Helfró.

Rampant and obliterating, the heaviness of the record is here to stay with intertwined discordance and rupturing brutality used in perfect harmony. Ferocious and incredibly well played with a surprisingly intricate and high-end production value that allows the sonic concoctions of Helfró to decimate with their resonantly despairing aggression throughout. Clearly this band consists of incredibly experienced and talented musicians with the end result being a visceral and uncompromising listen that still has plenty of atmosphere amidst its jarring technicality and tribal, folksy sections (which certainly took me by surprise).

Helfró are not typical of Icelandic black metal like the bands mentioned earlier or say Svartidaudi to give perhaps the most recognisable name in the scene. Helfró do their own thing with dissonant, grooving blackened death metal. Certainly something to give Icelandic black metal a touch of diversification while still keeping all of the key elements of this sound at heart. Definitely a release to sink into if you feel blackened death metal needs more depth than the hordes of Behemoth clones. Helfró offer this and much, much more.

Written for www.nattskog.wordpress.com