Metal Debate Album Review - Verses In Oath (Hulder)

The Great Metal Debate Podcast

Welcome back metalheads to another episode of The Great Metal Debate podcast. Its Xander back with a new album review. Today we will be briefly talking about my thoughts on the new album from Hulder titled Verses In Oath. Those of you not in the loop, Hulder is a one woman black metal band from Washington State. I had heard the name Hulder muttered a few times on the internet over the past few years and I mistakenly thought it was an old school black metal band. But sometime last spring, I decided to give her a listen and discovered that Godslastering: Hymns of a Forlorn Peasantry was the one and only album released by her on Iron Bonehead Productions back in 2020. I remember thinking the album was okay but before I began listening to Verses In Oath, I figured it would be a good idea to revisit the debut. In the past week, I have listened to the debut twice in a row because I ended up being kinda impressed when I really paid a lot more attention. For Verses In Oath, we see that she has now signed with 20 Buck Spin. And 3 weeks ago, black metal promotion uploaded the first new music video for "Hearken The End". I had listened to the single only a couple times before I got my hands on the promo and even after listening to Verses In Oath front to back 3 times, I can confidently say that ... Godslastering is better. Sorry. Don't get me wrong, Versus In Oath is a decent record but its a small step down. It all begins with the obligatory intro track where all you hear is the sound of crows cawing followed by some thunder. Its very generic and cliche compared to the first song on the debut which was "Upon Frigid Winds". That was a great way to kick off a first album, not some build-up to a forgettable track like "Boughs Ablaze". Going back to that single "Hearken The End". It don't mind the hypnotic chanting/choir esq clean vocals she does but it seems like the guitar throughout the majority of these songs are washed out in the mix with the other instruments. Its certainty a far cry from a song like "Creature of Demonic Majesty". The album title track didn't really do much for me either but one thing about this record that I thought was silly was the two interlude tracks. Why couldn't the operatic sirens of "Lamentation" just be combined into the same track as "An Offering"? "Cast Into The Well Of Remembrance" was a song that stood out to me because of the synth work and the acoustic guitar moment. Too bad it was faded out in the studio mix and was overpowered by the drum cymbals being too loud. Plus there was that mild tempo change where the electric guitar and the vocals both sped up together. The remaining three songs didn't stand out much to me as they all kinda sounded too similar. This type of black metal definitely appeals to a certain crowd being both avant-garde and a little on the raw side. Again, I must clarify that both of Hulder's records are decent but are not what I would rank as top tier. I applaud anyone who is a one person band because it shows both musicianship and dedication. I can also appreciate how her lyrics are more focused on medieval folklore instead of the tired satanic theme we're all used to seeing. So if you think you'd be into this, I'm sure you'll be able to buy her digital files and merchandise on her Bandcamp page. But in conclusion, I'll rate Versus In Oath with a 5/10.