Hulders Ritual [Digipak], Slagmaur, CD

With their fourth studio album "Hulders Ritual" ('Ritual of the Huldra'), Slagmaur break the chains of repetition and nostalgia by rewriting the rules of black metal. This does not mean abandoning the foundations of the genre, which is already indicated by working with the 'inventor' of the 'Norwegian black metal sound', THORNS mastermind Snorre W. Ruch, as an additional producer. The band's founder, General Gribbsphiiser, rather unafraid and with reckless abandon mutates and warps the traditional formula through a host of subtle innovations and tweaks of the classic sound. Although "Hulders Ritual" continues, refines, and widens the daring stylistic balance of Slagmaur's previous works, it adds an extra dimension of sardonic mania to it's collection of sharp and vicious sonic instruments. Choice guest-contributions that include TAAKE vocalist Hoest, DIMMU BORGIR guitarist Silenoz, and MISTHYRMING frontman D.G., who cover three decades of Nordic black metal make a case in point. Slagmaur hail from Brekstad on the Fosen peninsula in the Trondelag region and are a part of the Trondheim-based 'Nidrosian black metal movement'. Although Gribbsphiiser started the band as a solo project, he already recruited fellow musicians during the recording of his first demo, "Svin" (2006). Slagmaur's black avant-garde debut album, "Skrekk Lich Kunstler" (2007), marked the premier instalment in the still-unfolding series, "The Art of Olderman". The following studio albums "Von Rov Shelter" (2009) and "Thill Smitts Terror" (2017) continued this story arc. "Hulders Ritual" is for those, who are seeking musical darkness, magic, and the relentless breaking of limitations from black metal. Slagmaur push forward among the select few that are leading the way to the future of the genre.