![hæksenhamer – heimat (foul folk crusade) [ep]](https://www.vm-underground.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Haeksenhamer-–-Heimat-Foul-Folk-Crusade-cover.webp "Hæksenhamer – Heimat (Foul Folk Crusade) [EP]")
Info
- Band(s): Hæksenhamer
- Label(s): Death Revelations, Plvs Vltra Black Metal
- Release Format(s): Cassette, EP
- Release Year: 2024
- Review Date: October 18, 2024
- Author(s): VincentP
‘Heimat (Foul Folk Crusade)’, a title that seems awfully fitting with the music that’s presented by Hæksenhamer. On their first release (although technically the EP was first released as an advance demo), Hæksenhamer presents three tracks of gnarly, or foul, Black Metal with a strong Folk undertone and a clear longing melancholy, a sense of yearning for home (heimat is German for place of birth).
The opening track ‘Rural Insanity’ starts off with a sample, then transitions into a brief acoustic section until a gritty guitar riff and overwhelming drums kick the demo off. The guitar progression in the song is rather minimal, with themes recurring rather continously (in fact, the same guitar theme continues throughout the entirety of the three tracks on the EP). Once a disorienting break with background choir samples calls for a next thundering session, the song returns to its minimal fashion, blasting with hoarse vocals and disorienting samples. The same Folky melancholy can be found in ‘Poisonous Brews and Evil Spirits’, which starts with an acoustic strumming that could be a classic Folk song. Once the recurring guitar theme kicks in, it comes accompanied by a thick sounding bass while most of the variation is in the drums. The guitar theme isn’t exactly the same, as this time it features a more midtempo rocking section as well. The incoming piano in the song occupies an alienating position, giving the song a sinister undertone. In the closing ‘Sickening Fever of Diabolical Decadence’ the song then starts in an almost Doom-like fasion. It retains the droning ambience as the tempo goes up and this time the addition of violins give the song another twist and thereby a fitting, sorrowful, yearning yet disturbing ending.
With a raw, minimalistic guitar theme ‘Heimat (Foul Folk Crusade)’ is loosely based on the same riff. But the varying drum pace, disorienting samples, violins, pianos and out of control rasping vocals give the EP a rather fascinating, entrancing and unsettling character. Sometimes purposely rough around the edges in terms of musical execution, it further add to that sense of unease of the music. Thus, with a release that’s foul in appearance, Folky in riffs and with a sense of longing for home, Hæksenhamer deliver an intriguing debut EP.
Death Revelations
- Country: Germany
- Style: Death Metal, Black Metal
- Links: Facebook, Instagram
