In 2022 we were forewarned that a new Lifvsleda album was incoming with the release of the 7” EP ‘Lifvspänn’, a prelude to the band’s second album ‘Sepulkral Dedikation’. This time around no such warning shots have been fired, and in true Norma Evangelium Diaboli fashion word of the impending arrival of the newest album ‘Evangelii Härold’ was kept silent until just days before release. But based on the previous albums by the Swedes, this should prove to be a pleasant surprise, right?
Well, it certainly is if you’ve been enjoying the previous works of the band. In every way, ‘Evangelii Härold’ is a clear continuation of the previous two albums. Black Metal in the style of the Swedish scene from the 90’s, with clearest overlap with the likes of Armagedda, Sorhin, Shining on the first few albums and the earlier work of Mörk Gryning. On ‘Sepulkral Dedikation’, the band had improved strongly upon their debut ‘Det Besegrade Lifvet’, mostly by expanding the song dynamics and the melodic and melancholic twists while deepening the intensity and atmosphere. On ‘Evangelii Härold’ we find the band further building upon that, making the album a logical, albeit slightly more intricate as well as fiercer continuation.
With ‘Det Perfekta Sinnet’ the album starts in ferocious fashion, with the strong subcutaneous melodies expanding further than ever before. Presenting itself almost as a guitar lead that develops throughout the entire song, the piercing tempo, gnawing melody and possessed vocals create a haunting atmosphere. The subsequent ‘Sönderfall’ takes a different approach, opting for a more minimally progressing and hypnotising guitar department. The variation is now presented by nervous changes in the drums and a prominent bass sound, combining into something that is both entrancing and restless. One of the album highlights is ‘Griftefärd’, a song that exactly presents what made Lifvsleda is all about: varying drum rhythms, excellent vocals and catchy piercing riffs that harken back to something we heard decades ago from the likes of Darkthrone, Armagedda and the first albums of Shining. ‘Bland Likbodar och Vintergrafvar’ is one of the songs where subtle background keyboards elevate the track, while the vocals at times are brought in an almost poetic fashion. The album ends with the proverbial bang of ‘Helige Död’, a song filled with lingering and lurking melodies, rolling bass, ever shifting drums and a deranged vocal performance in which all chains are broken.
‘Evangelii Härold’ is a confimation of the excellence that Lifvsleda had displayed on ‘Sepulkral Dedikation’. While both records immediately reveal some of their strongest features, they fully reveal their secrets with repeated listens. ‘Evangelii Härold’ likely is the more intricate of the two, needing more time to fully absorb. But it is worth every bit of effort to do so. Because if anything, Lifvsleda shows that their take on Swedish Black Metal is very much worth hearing.
