Galdrum

American melodic black metallers Stormkeep delivered their debut EP via Van Records. This should be an interesting and immersive experience.

Scores of ambient, dungeon-dwelling synths open the EP with an epic and ancient blend of soundscapes that harken back to the 90s Scandinavian bands. Deep and brooding, the atmospherics grow with a storm of melodic guitar work and powerful drumming that ensues with hasty aggression. The blistering tempest of icy melodies and harsh shrieks is a developed and immersive cascade of ferocious and gorgeous black metal with a stunning production that feels genuinely old school while the ideas are unique in their own right. Blasting through a chaotic and frenzied yet drawn out blend of extremity, Stormkeep has a strong sense of purpose which is clearly going to be fulfilled on this work of gloriously charging black metal excellence.

The magnificent stride through the 4 tracks has a huge momentum and malicious yet welcoming soundscape that takes us until battle, showcasing epic and bombastic progressions within the traditionally cold parameters of the genre. While a simplistic foundation is at the heart of this music, it is developed and all avenues are explored to provide an intricate work that while short has a lot of deviations that grow with transcendent and natural progression. Chanting and more melodious ideas come to life with a truly awe-striking approach to the whole piece, referring to the EP as an entity as each track is just a portion of a grander picture that must be appreciated in full. A work of marvellous and mighty proportions.

This is resplendent, wonderfully atmospheric and yet scathing black metal with as much ambience as there is ferocity. A wolven and ancient rite of pure old school brilliance. Bombardments of blistering fury and stunning orchestration allow the EP to ebb and flow with a monstrously melodic and fearsome sense of embattlement that is fantastic to behold.

Written for www.nattskog.wordpress.com

Just last year, Stormkeep shocked the metal world with the release of their debut album "Tales of Othertime", which was praised for it's homage to bands like Emperor, Dissection, and Windir, while also adding its own influences to make it special. However, before that all came, the band had released a four-track EP back in 2020 titled "Galdrum". And while it isn't exactly on the level of TOO, I still think it's a fantastic EP for what it is.

The opening track "Glass Caverns of Dragon Kings" starts off with a dungeon synth intro. The keyboards here sound nice and high-quality, and the tune it plays is excellent with its soft and calming tone. It then cuts to the metal part, and this is where things get amazing. The guitar riffs are melodic, similar to that of the debut album, but the sound is more heavy and slightly rawer, making it sound more extreme and aggressive. The drumming is also similar to the riffs, in that its blastbeats are more fierce and technical in composition. The bass is also pretty good, as its bass play does follow along the riffs well. The overall tone of this track is more heavier and crazed when compared to the more laxed debut, but it still maintains its melodic sound that more in the vain of Dissection. Glass Caverns of Dragon Kings does stand as a highlight, but I also really like the track "Lightning Frost" and its strong melodic sound that makes the atmosphere sound more grand and epic. While "Of Lore..." is a bit short quality-wise, the rest of the tracks have some strong riffs and drums, and the dungeon synth only makes the atmosphere sound more melodic and beautiful.

The vocals are also pretty good. Isaac Faulk of Blood Incantation does the vocals here, and like that of TOO, they're pretty good, though they are a bit stronger here than on the actual album. Going back to "Lightning Frost", Isaac has more aggression in his voice, and his passion for the lightning sounds more stronger than on TOO. Therefore, his performance comes off as more genuine, and is more fitting to the heavy and melodic riffs. This isn't to say that the vocals on TOO sucked, but compared to the EP, it's clear that Isaac had a stronger vocal performance on here than on the album.

Galdrum might not have the attention and love as Tales of Othertime, but in my opinion, I believe more people should check this EP out. It does take on a more heavier direction, but it's still strong at its melodic moments as well as some killer dungeon synth pieces. If you enjoyed Tales of Othertime, but haven't checked this EP out already, then I highly recommend you give Galdrum a spin too.