apanthropy

Änterbila
Avart
Nordvis Produktion
To Be Released: 11/14/25

Rating: 84/100

“The four piece – founder Jerff on guitars and vocals, Monstrum on drums, Svaltunga on bass, and Raamt on guitars with additional contributions from Thomas von Wachenfeldt on violin and Malin on choir vocals – craft a sonic portrait that is stark and monochromatic, yet distinctly drawing from folk and pagan black metal archetypes, creating something like a unadorned portrayal of a winter storm or raging sea, restless black metal that is sometimes epic and galloping and other times confrontational and brutalist.“

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1 – Låt till far
2 – Ulven
3 – Jordfäst
4 – Smeden
5 – Kniven
6 – Årsgång
7 – Konung
8 – Eklundapolskan
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2020’s black metal is heavily diversified musical entity, enveloping or merging with practically every other genre imaginable, splitting into feverish offshoots, and executing with technicality ranging from primitive to hyper-advanced. Some bands have progressed their experimentation to a point where calling it black metal would be questionable, and others have stayed true to the core sound that was established decades ago. What is genuinely unique now are bands that manage to take the core sound of black metal and make it their own, bending it and twisting it to create a truly original piece of sonic art, to stoke the ancient flame with modern ritualization.

Änterbila were founded in 2020. Demo 2020 was released upon their inception and their self-titled debut album arrived in late 2022. Avart represents the sophomore effort of Änterbila, to be released November 14th through Nordvis Produktion. With eights songs clocking in at 33 minutes, the band delivers pagan black metal with folk flourishes in a manner the worships the sounds of old but executes with modern mindsets. Riff structures and percussion are reminiscent to early Enslaved, epic and melodic guitar phrases that utilize everything from tremolo grinding to single note segments coupled with a constant frenzy of snare and bass drum. Compositions are similar to that of early Windir or Arckanum, but with a distinctive take and translation courtesy of the Änterbila’s worship of the old sound through a palette of 2020’s tonality.

The four piece – founder Jerff on guitars and vocals, Monstrum on drums, Svaltunga on bass, and Raamt on guitars with additional contributions from Thomas von Wachenfeldt on violin and Malin on choir vocals – craft a sonic portrait that is stark and monochromatic, yet distinctly drawing from folk and pagan black metal archetypes, creating something like a unadorned portrayal of a winter storm or raging sea, restless black metal that is sometimes epic and galloping and other times confrontational and brutalist.

The blare of the opening notes of ‘Låt Till Far’ gives way to an epic central melody that picks up in rhythm and intensity, adding layers and depth of sound as it progresses, violin and choir vocals enter, a crashing wall of sound as the drums peak into blast beats and double-bass segments. The dreary wail of violin carries the song to its resolution and leads into the first real taste of what Änterbila have created in terms of new music, ‘Ulven.’

‘Ulven’ harkens back to the 1990’s, with a discordant cyclical sequence early on that expands into a triumphant and epic riff structure during the chorus. Verse sections are dissonant, menacing, its coupling with more expansive chorus sections are an exercise in long-form tension and resolution. Excellent songwriting and structuring.

Like galloping horses in the dead of night comes ‘Jordfäst,’ an uptempo blend of folk-minded melodic engagement and epic riffing, choruses feature the title roared out in a clean style that adds a nice contrast to the churning fury going on beneath it.

Going back to the early European style of black metal is ‘Kniven,’ which features harking vocals during verses and cyclical melodic riffing coupled ripping double bass and blasting during the verse segments. Truly a testament to the strength of pagan black metal, the band rips and tears its way through a barrage of folk-tinged phrases, weaving a symmetrical yet intricate course of riffs that intersect and disperse, building up in tension and resolving seamlessly into the next phrase.

Tracks such as ‘Smeden’ thrive on sonic dynamism, exploring prominent rhythms coupled with surging and restless melodies early on before transitioning into a more monochromatic verse section. ‘Konung’ perhaps embodies that presence of folk-structuring in the deepest parts of the riff work more so than any other track on the album. Ending the record is the instrumental ‘Eklundapolskan,’ which features more exceptional violin playing to really tie off the album and drive the folk element home up until the last seconds of the album.

Production is modern but bleak and stark, cold but full of life. Guitars rage with pomp and rancor, with both layers interacting and intersecting melodically with clarity and emphasized power. Drums feature a staunch bass drum tone and warm, muted snare with fairly light cymbal volume. Vocals are more of the pagan black metal variety, not reliant on the shrill shriek of rawer black metal but more of a warrior’s shout of sorts.

Avart is a great example of the visionary execution of a smaller, lesser-known act that is writing internationally worthy folk-tinged black metal. While many bands who have started in the current decade simply won’t survive very long due to a number of variables and reasons, acts such as Änterbila deserve attention outside of their home region purely on the strength of their songwriting and execution. While not a hyper-technical performance, the band relies on older songwriting and riff structuring mechanics and focuses it through a black pagan lens with modern tonality, creating something that is worthy of attention and time.

Label: Nordvis Produktion
Band: Änterbila

AJK