Betwixt and Between

Is it just me or are all the good new black metal bands coming out of Oregon? We have L'acephale, Agalloch and this band. Like the other two bands I just mentioned, Oakhelm has a very unique approach at playing black metal. They infuse it with viking themes and a wonderful atmosphere.

Betwixt and Between is enjoyable from start to finish. The guitars mostly consist of epic viking inspired melodies and tremolo riffing. The melodic guitar parts are very catchy and almost remind me of melodic death metal at times. Some parts make me think of Amon Amarth. Being catchy doesn't imply that it is not heavy. This album is a perfect balance of heavy aggression and atmosphere. In the metal songs there are many interludes of either acoustic guitars or both male and female chanting.

The drums consist almost exclusively of double bass drumming and blast beats. While this suits the style of music and makes it even heavier and more aggressive, it is almost constant and this can get kind of distracting at times. The drummer is very talented but a bit more variety would be nice.

The main vocalist is high pitched like most black metal vocalists. His voice seems a bit less distorted than your average black metal rasp. It can be a tiny bit annoying at times, so I'm glad there is variety in the vocals. A female singer chants on Skaal Shanty and on some interludes. There is also a male chanter who has a very deep voice who appears on interludes. On As the Murder Flies there is an extremely low male voice that gives the song a very creepy feel. It is fortunate there are multiple vocalists because the main vocalist alone would get kind of boring.

Besides metal songs there are also two very nice folk songs. The fist one is Skaal Shanty. This song is amazing. It has both a nautical and a gypsy feel. The accordion gives it a very distinct feel. The female vocalist's chants are just beautiful on this song. Maybon Shore is entirely instrumental. It features acoustic guitars and a sampling of a storm. The acoustic guitars are very melodic and sorrowful. They go along perfectly with the viking theme. The storm sample adds atmosphere to the song.

Oregon's done it again! Another great metal band. From pounding metal to mournful acoustic guitars, this album is good from start to finish. It is both atmospheric and aggressive. It certainly deserves a listen.