Ealdfaeder is the new EP from Éohum and it’s a wonderfully unique little listen – whilst the primary style is a fairly standard black metal approach, there’s also a great little injection of folk into the mix, courtesy of the French horn and flute lines. It adds a nice element of melody to the otherwise fairly aggressive approach and it really works.
The EP gets underway with Eurocide, which begins with a solely melodic approach courtesy of the flute, and everything swiftly gets moving when the rest of the band join in and the wall of noise projected from the band hits you like a tonne of bricks – nice! A particularly good element is the continued use of the introductory melody over the top of the more traditional approach and it really helps the track stand out as a result, making it a great opener for Ealdfaeder.
Ealdfaeder progresses well from there, with the band also including doomier sections in the tracks on occasion and the two different elements of their sound juxtapose well against each other – the faster-paced black metal is a great contrast to the slower and fuller-sounding doom, and with the folkier elements thrown in for good measure, Éohum are on to a winning formula.
As a whole, there isn’t much that can be faulted with Ealdfaeder. It’s a nice, well-rounded piece and I for one can’t wait for more from this talented band.
9/10
