[8/10] Norwegian Grammy winners, Khold return with their fifth album, Hundre År Gammal. This album may sound bland to many fans of modern black metal, as it is not an album of scathing, barbaric speed; nor does it feature a vast array of classical instruments. Khold opt for simple riffs of the slow to medium variety, which is reminiscent of Satyricon during moments of slow groove. The pace never really picks up, but the music changes enough to stay interesting. The tones are quite trebly but have this diabolic, crawling atmosphere and sometimes the group will let a note hang in the air in satanic psychedelic fashion.

“Rekviem” provides a great example of the layers they create through reverb. Each step up and down the guitar fret produces a ringing noise filled with multi-layered trappings. This trippy noise moves onward as the band joins in, further transforming the music into darker passages of the psyche. Another psychedelic attribute emerges during “Troløs.” This time both guitarists combine for a mean riff, separate during a tempo break, and then converge back to the song’s main rhythm. During the tempo step down, the guitars ring back and forth between each speaker, and the bass rears its ugly face.

Grimd’s bass plays a large part in bringing out Khold’s massive, distorted sound. The title track trudges along in doom metal fashion with churning grooves and subtle string bends. The bass dominates the mix in this track, moving each note along with gargantuan steps. Grimd really cranks the distortion on this instrument, resulting in fuzzy, dirt-caked tones. Gard and Rinn’s guitars mesh brilliantly with Grimd’s bass to construct the big sound or divides to create more layers.

As stated above, Khold’s sound may seem over simplistic, and their Norwegian-sung lyrics also may cause a problem with English-speaking listeners. Hundre År Gammal thrives on atmosphere, but not the type generated by keys and the sort. Khold creates heavy riffs that never seem to bore, and the interplay between each musician may also engage listeners. Those attracted to the heavy, groovy side of black metal, ala Darkthrone and sometimes Satyricon, and understand how underrated guitars have become in the realm of black metal should try Hundre År Gammal on for size.

www.khold.com