apanthropy

Slagmaur
Hulders Ritual
Prophecy Productions
To Be Released: February 27th, 2026

Rating: 8.5/10

“The old ways run deep in the blood of Slagmaur, wielding the darkness of true black metal, and with it, a lens of chaos in which it is projected through, leading to more of an experience and less of a listen.”

–
1 – Ritual Dogs
2 – Wildkatze
3 – Huldergeist
4 – Hexen Herjer
5 – Warlok
6 – Rathkings
–

Avant-garde is perhaps too broad of a term these days. In extreme music, particularly black metal, the term ‘avant-garde’ feels more like a dumping ground for anything that doesn’t strictly adhere to the base or ‘expected’ formulae. Some bands are best simply considered ‘unorthodox,’ in a sense where they have competent understanding of the sonic foundations of the genre but choose to warp the narrative in some fashion, achieving the same end goal of the music, but just getting to the final destination by taking the scenic routes.

Slagmaur play an unorthodox form of black metal, distinctively Norwegian, modern but deeply influenced by the past, expansive but controlled, unique in both tone and composition. Hulders Ritual bears the feral creative energy of early Master’s Hammer, the tonality of early Burzum, and a level of composing on par with Emperor of the early 1990s. Long crystalline tremolo phrases mix with chromatic rhythmic passages and progressions, subtle keyboards add depth to the sonic narrative, and the composing feels relatively atmospheric in nature, but dense and deep in tone. With guest contributions from Hoest (Taake), Silenoz (Dimmu Borgir), and D.G. (Misþyrming), there is plenty of talent behind Hulders Ritual.

Executed in principle as a three-piece line-up consisting of Lt. Wardr on drums and keyboards, General Gribbsphiiser on guitars and bass, and Dr. Von Hellreich on primary vocals, the band produce six tracks totaling 40 minutes of complete sonic darkness.

‘Ritual Dogs’ should catch the listener’s attention right from the start, especially on the first playthrough. For the instrumentation being relatively sparse, comprised of chordal rhythm guitar and primary lead melody in tremolo merged with a very simple drum beat, the end result is crushing, dense, and menacing. The driving rhythm of the four-on-the-floor approach to drumming is simple and highly effective, with intense bass drum strobing whipping the song forward. Moments of double-bass executions lead to entrancement when coupled with long, drawn-out single-note melodic tremolo and subtle accenting synth.

Tracks such as ‘Wildkatze’ and ‘Huldergeist’ possess a guitar tone that is wiry, scratchy, and choppy, very reminiscent of Filosofem-era Burzum. It is ancient sounding, almost alien in nature, dry as a desert and as cold as the highest peak. Both tracks channel the late 1990s in tone, composition, and delivery, with ‘Huldergeist’ possessing a trance-like repeating tremolo motif and massive sounding chord progressions.

Ensorcelling piano greets the listener at the start of ‘Hexen Herjer’ with a metronomic beat and long, spiraling guitar lines following closely behind. The vocals are particularly powerful here, playing a central role in a large portion of the track. There is a fair bit of experimentation to the overall fluidity of the song towards the second half, but this type of tempo slowdown coupled with engaging the listener with a more minimalist track is a strong way to open the second half of the record.

Closing the record are two distinctively Norwegian tracks, ‘Warlok’ and ‘Rathkings.’ ‘Warlok’ takes an almost ritualistic posture in terms of percussion patterns and circular phrasing. ‘Rathkings’ is a remarkable way to close out Hulders Ritual, featuring some of the most aggressive tempos and riff work on the record. It is a storming blast of cold outer darkness. The synth work is impeccable, fitting in with the instrumentation in perfect assimilation, complimenting the movements of the song and accenting the momentum of the riff work.

The production on Hulders Ritual is more of a throwback sound, not raw but certainly not clean. The guitar tone exudes black metal adversity, and the percussion projects a lot of definition on the downbeats, which is great for when the band takes a starker approach to execution. The myriad vocalists are all accented perfectly, with each contribution being clear and definitive, especially those of Hoest.

Hulders Ritual is a strong contribution to both their discography and the European black metal scene in the early months of 2026. Dynamic, engaging, and unorthodox enough to be ritualistically entrancing, the nine year wait for new material from the band is over, and the return is an excellent display of experimentation and rigid execution. The old ways run deep in the blood of Slagmaur, wielding the darkness of true black metal, and with it, a lens of chaos in which it is projected through, leading to more of an experience and less of a listen.

Label: Prophecy Productions
Band: Slagmaur

AJK