Review: Hulder – Verbolgen

Review by Jeger

Hulder – Verbolgen

Record Label: 20 Buck Spin

Year: 2026

Rating: 9/10

Since 2018, Belgian/Pacific Northwestern Black Metal Troubadour, Hulder, has spent her days developing her craft, much to the enthrallment of critics and enthusiasts, as her brand of Folk/Medieval-inspired BM is only appropriate for the genre, and sharing in it have been genuine Black Metal people whose standards for excellence no doubt match my own. And Hulder has always delivered, from the 2018 Demo, “Ascending the Raven Stone”, through the project’s many obscure recordings and into the upper echelons here; Hulder’s output has been both prolific and profound.

Hulder provides an escape; a release into sacred days of yore when the mystification of Folklore and the heroism of humble Warriors were known throughout the land. Medieval days of steel & iron, of myth & legend. Now, as we stand clinched in Kali Yuga’s degenerative grip, as the scene thirsts for BM of the purest variety, Hulder is preparing to release its third LP, “Verbolgen”, on August 7 via 20 Buck Spin.

Hulder

As precious as hearth-lit eves spent in the fellowship of kin and yet as dark as a slivered moon, starless night is “Verbolgen”. Lost somewhere in the shadows of “The Crowning” – enveloped in the weight of its composition as heavier-than-lead progressions unfold into where desperate spoken-word vocals narrate the spirit and the struggle of darker ages, all the while as the sound of true BM captures the essence. The following track, “Thy Binding Oath”, sees Hulder in a deeper, heavier state of BM creation: the tempo drops, the vocals take on all new malevolent forms and the music, as a whole, begins to spell a darker form of poetry. BM for seizing the spirit of olden times and for contemplating the folly of modernity. Not a second’s worth of anything that could be considered contemporary, only tried & true writing/recording methods, but enhanced of course, by Hulder’s natural understanding of Black Metal artistry.

“Verbolgen” feels very much like a natural continuation from Hulder’s previous “Verses in Oath” LP, only a bit more experimental and less direct. Hulder even shows off some soloing skills during “Den Nacht Zijn Lied” and her role seems to be even more vital now that she has been awarded some extra time to hone the more familiar aspects of her work since Bassist Necreon has been onboarded. A dual-faceted vocal attack only provides more depth to an already abyssal offering, particularly during “In Blood and In Earth” that features both Hulder and Necreon as they wallow in the throes of ancient BM revelry; death-growling and snarling along to every sinister series of compounding riffs and bludgeoning rhythms.

Another opus! Another testament to the strength of Black Metal enduring and to the undying faith in the genre that Hulder displays with every recording. Her best years still lie ahead and that says something remarkable as her output as of now has been of the world-class kind. As long as projects like Hulder continue to stake their claim for true Black Metal status, there will always be at the very least promise of a fruitful future for Black Metal, so long as they can keep up the recording pace alongside those who’ve sold their way out BM, and for Hulder, that has not been an issue. To Medieval times! To lore and to Black Metal. Hulder followers! You won’t be disappointed and first timers? Prepare for a baptismal in real genre representation.