Blodulv
II
7.4
I’m doing a wonderful job lately picking albums to review that don’t quite appeal to the metal community at large. That could mean either my metal tastes are slightly off kilter, or I need to be more random in my review selection. You know, get a few ‘core bands down the ol’ gullet and into the ol’ crapper to see what all the fuss is about.
Ahhh, fuck it. I’d rather do another review of an obscure black metal band that’ll quietly float to the floor of the MetalReview.com archives. And just to make things as painless as possible, I’ll just go ahead and strike the killing blow that’ll send most of you recoiling faster than if I’d splayed my nuts on a plate before you - Blodulv play Burzum-ic, simple, trebled black metal with a drum machine.
Good night folks! Thanks for coming by, and don’t forget to tell your friends about our delicious Bloomin’ Onion.
Ok, everyone gone? Splendid. Now I’m gonna tell the few strays left behind about a wicked little band called Blodulv. Apparently there’s not a hell of a lot known about this elusive Swedish cult, apart from the fact the brunt of the music over the years has been crafted by a feller who calls himself Grendel. And although the band has listed numerous other contributors on individual songs over time, their music has consistently sounded like one guitarist, one vocalist, and a drum machine. In nearly four years of existence, Blodulv have released a demo, an EP, five split records, and three full lengths, all released in limited additions, all on relatively obscure labels, and (nearly) all selling out very quickly. II, originally released in 2004 by Total Holocaust Records, has now been licensed for rerelease by Knightmare Recordings, and features a slick new digipack design with delightfully morose cover art to accompany the cantankerous canticles within.
To give you an idea of what Blodulv typically sound like (especially when you’ve got the volume up high, where it should be), lets head on into your Pa’s old woodshed and get ourselves to work. For the guitars, rip up the ol’ buzz saw and start cutting your way through some 2x10 slabs. Go ahead and let those woodchips fly on up and pelt you in your face too, for added effect. For the vocals, fire up that heavy-duty welding torch and twist that blaze down to a nice, blasting, blue-flame. Now turn that bitch right onto your face and keep it there for about a half hour. That’s Blodulv in a nutshell. But here’s the kicker…although the guitars and vocals are often akin to sticking your head in a blast furnace, much like the work of very early Burzum, Wolok, and a handful of other bands, there’s a strange, relaxing element in the core of the music. It might be due to the simple, rhythmic nature of the drum machine, or because the brain has a way of absorbing what it registers as noise and adapts, but I often listen to Blodulv’s music when relaxing. II doesn’t stray from the proven formula, delivering a wealth of hypnotic mid-to-fast paced material, peppered with an occasional plodding, decrepit ditty (“Tyrant” and the repulsively wicked closer, “With The Fist of Satan”), and it’s all swaddled together in the filthy rags of Grendel’s simple, yet surprisingly inventive songwriting.
Again, Blodulv’s II is definitely not the kind of record the general metal public will digest easily. Hell, I’d be surprised to find even one other miscreant out there that actually finds him or herself with a similar hankerin’ for this particular style of black metal, but I suppose I put the time and effort into this review for that one person, and because I think this album's worth it.
