Band:	Blodsrit
Album:	Helveteshymner
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	2004
A review by:	Jeff

01. In Melancholy...
02. Griftevisa
03. Själslig Självdöd
04. Vanmakt
05. Horns
06. Ridding A Pest
07. Illdjarn
08. Solitude
09. Praise Suicide

I remember I did the review of the last Blodsrit album, "Ocularis Infernum" last year, and I remember that it was a really nice Black Metal album. My only regret came from the lack of originality of the album? One year later it seems that all that's changing. Yeah, "Helveteshymner" the new album of the band, always on Oaken Shield, is certainly more personal and also more creative, for sure it's a lot more accomplished?

If "Ocularis Infernum" was a bit common, one can't say that "Helveteshymner" is not original. Of course don't except any revolution in the style, but there are a lot of more variations in the conception of the songs. First, it's easier to feel the "bad" aspect of the music, the ambiances are a lot more dark and devilish. It's really easy to feel a very pernicious background in this album. Really, it's well done, and don't worry the songs are however melodic and catchy but well it's certainly a bit more hard to dive into the music, it's really more complex but it's not a bad point, because it's not inaccessible too. And of course there are some new things in the music too? I will take as an example, the song "Illdjarn", which definitely show the evolution of the band. It clearly sounds a lot more "Celtic" than all the others first songs of the album. With a really good transcendental chorus in the vein of bands like Himinbjorg for example you'll see that Blodsrit can vary its touch on each songs. Really I like that, "Helveteshymner" can be surprising on each songs.
Originality of the band, the lyrics are in English but also in Swedish and you can understand it, Swedish like all the others Nordics languages sound really good, at least for me, with Black Metal music. About the topics however don't expect anything really new for a Black Metal band?Devil, moroseness of our world etc?
The production another time with Blodsrit is really good, a good sound made in Soundlab [that's not a surprise then?] a good cover another time and a good booklet with good artwork, with lyrics and etc?

"Helveteshymner" is not THE Black Metal album of the year but honestly I think that it's a good one, and in my opinion it's clearly better than their last one. It's promising really, and it give me the feeling that with all this good work, Blodsrit will maybe become an important Black Metal band of the metal scene in the future. If you like good Black Metal, well I think that you can try Blodsrit through this album, they deserve it.