Can Norwegian black metal still stay relevant in the 2020’s? The answer is yes, the genre has moved beyond burning churches and fingering the remains of dead goats. These days, black metal poses the questions in life that maybe we’re too afraid to answer, digging deep into the psyche drawing out those primal energies. To continue asking these questions are Kirkerbrann and Visegard who have released ‘Kirkegard’, their latest split.
Fans of black metal and in particular Norwegian black metal will know exactly what to expect here, the pair demonstrate their wares with pride and the show the world not just what they are capable of, but what the genre can do in the 21st Century with their pummelling blast beats, tremolo picking and shrieking vocals all packaged up in a production which although recorded with expertise and care, does its best to mimic the sound of when black metal was truly in its prime. Furthermore, the mixes of both sides of this split are enhanced by some high-profile guest appearances such as Nattefrost from Carpathian Forest and Morfeus from Limbonic Art twiddling the knobs to great effect on each side of the split respectively.
There isn’t anything here on this split which Kirkerbrann or Visegard haven’t done before, but what they do is keep it real with some decent black metal vibes which continues to demonstrate just how alive the black metal underground is.
