The Ukrainian pagan black metal outfit ULVEGR return again after two years with the album The Call of Glacial Emptiness. The duo have been together since 2009 and released their debut album Где крови льдяной шторм (Where the Ice-Cold Blood Storms) in 2011 with a follow up in 2012 titled Arctogaia which received great reviews. This year they have returned to showcase their brilliant skill and mastery of the pagan black metal art and bring us along on this epic and mystical journey.
The album keeps the traditional black metal feel consistently without being to bland and repetitive. Keeping most songs in a raw black metal speed seems to be common on this album but also a few slow paced sections are placed at the right moments among many songs as well. The vocals are perfectly placed within the tracks and have a cold and distant sound but not the overdone reverb heard among many other black metal releases these days. The release is well mixed and composed to where it isn’t that studio crisp sound but not the circa 90’s black metal tape production, just perfectly in the middle.
All and all this release is definitely a true pagan black metal masterpiece that even Quorthon of Bathory would have been proud. It has all the makings of a great release that should be a timeless black metal classic in years to come and any underground black metal fan should own. The Call of Glacial Emptiness is a cold and chilling victory over those who oppose Ulvegr and you can either join or die!
