Review: Galvornhathol – III

Review by Jeger

Galvornhathol – III

Record Label: Independent

Year: 2025

Rating: 8/10

I’m that old head who doesn’t care to know what shoe/Blackgaze is. I’m interested in Black Metal in its truest forms along with black byproducts such as Post-Black Metal that is created with sentimentality at the fore. Black Metal is meant to be meaningful in some way, whether it be through spirituality or catharsis, and when the latter comes into play, it’s bands like Harakiri for the Sky, Vintras and Galvornhathol who own the purge. Black and beyond is the Post-BM journey and into the sphere of ’80s and ’90s Alternative-laced Black Metal, or perhaps a little Synthwave we go… It’s gold either way. Always heavily based on what is tragically emotional and musically reliant on heavy melodic slathering is the gist of most of what I’ve listened to when it comes to Post-Black Metal. Guilty pleasure? Don’t believe in such nonsense. Not recommended for old-school Burzum knuckleheads, but instead for the seasoned at life – the wise – the one who values being moved by the music, as opposed to simply being thrilled by it.

Germany’s Galvornhathol have been a scarcity on the scene since their inception in 2003, and are on the cusp of a grande climax achievement. On March 21, 2025, Galvornhathol will release the third and final installment in a trilogy of records that began with their debut, “I”, LP back in 2020 and will culminate with the release of the forthcoming “III” (independent).

Galvornhathol

It’s almost as if New York Dolls made a Black Metal song. New York Dolls or Goo Goo Dolls? Something in between maybe… Just oozing that sort of ’90s bohemian alternative cachet and boasting catchy Punk/Popish melodies is the opener, “Andromeda”. Brilliant synergy of influences here; resulting in music of a reckless yet ultimately intelligent design. It holds water and fuck does it feel good. The Black reaches far! It shouldn’t always but in this case we’re kosher. Danceable Marduk-endorsing, “The Blond Beast”-worshipping rhythms during “Long Way Home” bridge the gap between what’s aggressive and what’s epic as “Nebulae” unfolds to some melancholy Gothic Rock vibes – a phoenix-rising of a song – cold and somber but altogether comforting like an easy drugged out death surrounded by loved ones or a nice opiate nod in the shitter. Ah, the little things… Soaring really during most of this though. There’s an uplifting air to some parts of the album that casts the overall experience in a rather elegant light; an epic sort of relinquishing of yourself unto the universe like one falling to his knees in the rain to the realization of some magnificent existential epiphany.

You can mix Black Metal into just about anything. That doesn’t mean that it’s not an epic fail most of the time. Who the fuck wants to listen to Black/Punk or this weird Black/Powerviolence shit I heard one time. Yikes… But this is nicely done. Galvornhathol boldly blends the warm melodic familiarity of alternative with the greatest dark art of Black Metal, and it’s like I’m back in the early ‘00’s listening to Seether and wishing it could be much better, only it is with “III”, because it’s fucking Black Metal and not just some middle-aged looking dude in eyeliner crying about some bullshit with Amy Lee…

When the stretch beyond what seems acceptable is successfully made and it works, that’s where Post-Black Metal begins. Shoegaze? You can have it. Not much into hipster sub-culture, beards on fragile-looking men, or the terpene profile of the weed I’m smoking… And despite “III” feeling a bit disjointed here and there, I consider it more or less a total package experience: good music, form-fitting aesthetic and nice cover art.