Artist: Bronze Hall
Title: Honor & Steel
Type: Album
Label: Digital / Canti Erecti
Its a curiosity that this attracted my attention in the release deluge initially because of what I thought was a cool and unusual name that sounded very epic heavy metal. So a little due diligence surprised me with the statement that this was actually….black metal. So more due diligence followed. All clear. Hit play and…er… that sounds like epic heavy metal to me as the swaggering riff of ‘Triumph Of Honor And Steel’ rings out. The keyboards swirl, the guitar melody leads us right to the heart of epic heavy metal indeed. It’s only when the snarled, growling vocals come in that riff descends into a more black metal shape, the drumming becomes thunder. And oh yes this is indeed epic black/heavy metal indeed. It’s a little like Hammerheart era Bathory formed a heavy metal band with Immortal, soaked themselves in a marinade of viking metal, myth and legend and the lilt of folk melody and stormed the nearest castle.
It is actually all kinds of cool. And from one guy, Yöpyöveli.
‘We Follow The Ravens’ has an acoustic, picked note beginning. A quiet, simple and raw tune as the sounds of waves whisper. Then the drum beats stirs the oars, the bass pulses and the guitar summons the riff. Again this is heavy metal indeed, even close to some NWOBHM bands I recall from back in the day (Geddes Axe for example, just far better production). Again the death vocals provide the words. The atmosphere is cold and primal but has a strange warmth within it, a clear vision. The keyboards very much stand as their own sound, not absorbed into everything and the lead break has such a feeling of just metal in all its glory.
‘Ancient Whispers’ opening suggests to be that Yöpyöveli probably has a dungeon synth album somewhere in him, but the strong, ponderous riff that forms keeps the tiller steady and marches into that mythic viking metal world. It’s like a slow rolling storm and holds the attention so damned well as though a fireside bard is taking the stage.
‘By Fire…’ is another suprise in an album of them. Acoustic guitars weave and dance a little warmth into the camp. This isn’t just some interlude, this is a beautiful heartfelt lengthy introduction and, when the electric guitar returns it takes up the mantle and it is just pure Viking metal. It has a nineties feel in the best way, a glance back maybe as far back as Mithotyn, Falkenbach et al but with a modern and perfect raw sound.
‘Aura Of Might’ beats the drums as keyboards open up the vistas, again I feel the dungeon synth building the spine of this. It soars, looking up to the peaks and across the valleys. Brooding but majestic and inspiring awe.
It is a perfectly placed instrumental before the final epic ten mintues of Land In Solitude (Quest For Blood) comes in. The spirit of Quorthon is strong here; that rumbling riff style, the distant melody that still somehow graps your heart and refuses to let go. The keyboard parts are again just immaculate; they bring such a sense of legend, of myth and memory to the song. And the whay the riff rises once more for the raging heart of the song is just superb.
I’m kind of speechless. If genre definitions matter to you hand on heart I wouldn’t call this black metal. Except that its sense of Viking metal is distilled from the roots, Bathory, and the vocals are more black metal than anything. And then you have the almost folk touches, the epic sense of keyboard mastery that just evokes the best dungeon synth. Thread and weave so straight from the heart heavy metal and you have Bronze Hall.
To Hel with it, if they want to call this epic black metal, I’ll go with it. All I can say is that this is a bloody joy to hear. Passionate, mythic, world building metal. Viking, black and dungeon synth fans will all find something to fall in love with here.
Damn I want more!
Gizmo
https://bronzehall.bandcamp.com/album/honor-steel
https://cantiereticiproductions.bandcamp.com/album/honor-steel
Walking The Liminal Space 