Valdur/Guilded Abyss/Bloody Mountain Records/2025 Full length Review

 

  Mammoth  Lake's   Valdur  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  into  a  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Guilded  Abyss"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Bloody  Mountain  Records.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  some  evil  sounding  melodies  at  times.  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  tremolo  picking  is  added  into  the  faster  riffing  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  raw  black  metal  feeling.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  add  in  more  of  an  old  school  death  metal  style along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

   At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  dissonant  sounding  and  a  later  track  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  radio  samples  and  some  songs  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  sound  effects  and  dark  soundscapes,  spoken  words  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  harsh  noises.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Valdur  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hailing  Molten  Meteors"  "Guilded  Abyss"  and  "Stars  of  Belial".  8  out  of  10.

  https://bloodymountainrecords.bandcamp.com/album/guilded-abyss  

    

Valdur/Goat Of Iniquity/Bloody Mountian Records/2018 Full Length Review

  Northern  California's  Valdur  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  raw  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Goat  Of  Iniquity"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Bloody  Mountain  Records.

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  the  vocals  being  bestial  death  metal  growls  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  utilizing  dark  sounding  melodies  at  times  and  some  of  the  tracks a re  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Elements  of  war  metal  can  also  be  heard  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  while  goat  sounds  and  spoken  word  samples  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  a  couple  of  the  tracks  along  with  the  tremolo  picking  also  giving  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  as  throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  At  the  music  has  its  ritualistic  moments,  as  the  album  progresses  grim  black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  briefly while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  finally  brought  onto  the  recording  they  are  done  in  a  very  raw  and  melodic  style ,  noises  and  synths  can  also  be  heard  on  the  closing  track.

  Valdur  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  raw  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Valdur  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Divine  Halls  Of  Obscurity  Pt.  1"  and  "Inhale  The  Floodgates  Open".  8/5  out  of  10.

youtu.be/noSY8k0SQak

Valdur/Divine Cessation/Bloody Mountain Records/2017 CD Review

  Mammoth  Lakes's  Valdur  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  their  raw  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Divine  Cessation"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Bloody  Mountain  Records.

  Battle  horns  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  raw  musical  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  bestial  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  songs  also  mixing  in  elements  of  war  metal  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  a  brief  use  of keyboards  for a  few  seconds  and  elements  of  doom/death  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  slower  riffing  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  fashion  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  one  of  the  songs  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  grim  black  metal  screams.

  Valdur  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  raw  mixture  of  black  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occult  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Valdur  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  bestial  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Divine  Cessation"  "Plague  Born  Of  A  Dying  Star"  and  "Potent  Black  Orb".  8  out  of  10.

https://valdur.bandcamp.com/album/divine-cessation-teaser-track

https://bloodymountainrecords.bandcamp.com/album/divine-cessation-teaser-track

  

Valdur/Pathetic Scum/Bloody Mountain/2015 CD Review

  Mammoth  Lakes,  California's  Valdur  have  returned  with  a  new recording that  continues  the  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  of  the  last  release  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Pathetic  Scum"  which  will  be  released  by  Bloody  Mountain  Records  on  June  30th.

  A  very  fast,  raw  and  bestial  war  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  raw  aggression  and  after  awhile  demonic  death  metal  growls  start  becoming  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  there  is  also  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Most  of  the  tracks a re  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  some  of  the  slower  parts  bring  in  influences  of  early  90's  doom/death  metal  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  morbid  sounding  melodies,  fast  tremolo  picking  and  black  metal  screams  at  times  and  some  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  samples  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  atmospheric  sounds  can  be  heard  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  very  dark  and melodic  sounding.

  Valdur  creates  another  recording  that  takes  the  darkest  and  heaviest  elements  of  war,  black  and  death  metal  to  create  some  very  unholy  and  blasphemous  music,  the  production  sounds  very  dark and  raw  yet  powerful at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Valdur  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Impending  Doom"  and  "Morbid Emanations".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/valdur/54163319709     

Valdur/At War With/Bloddy Mountain Records/2013 CD Review

  This  is  the  review  of  the  new  album  from  Northern  California's  Valdur  which  shows  them  going  for  more  of  a  black/death  metal  sound  with  the  recording  being  called  "At  War  With"  and  was  released  by  Bloody  Mountain  Records  during  the  year  of  2013.

  "Enter"  which  is  the  intro  for  the  album  opens  up  with  dark  sounding  synths  an d  spoken  word  samples  as  well  as  some  distorted  noises.

  "Conjuring  The  Fire  Plagues"  which  is  also  the  first  official  song  on  the  album  begins  with  heavy  and  raw  black/death  metal  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  a  few  seconds  later  blackened  death  metal  growls  kick  in  as  well  as  blast  beats  which  also  leads  up  to  some  chaotic  sounding  war  metal  guitar  leads  before  alternating  between  mid  paced  and  fast  parts and  you  can  also  hear  melody  in  the  guitar  riffing.

  "Death  Winds  Will  Cleanse"  opens  up  with  dark  and  melodic  guitar  riffing  before  adding  in  bass  guitars  and  drums  which  also  utilize  blast  beats  as  well  as  the  guitar  riffing  getting  more  primitive  which  also  leads  to  the  black/death  metal  vocals  kicking  in  and  the  song  sticks  mostly  to  slow  and  mid  paced  parts  while  also  speeding  up  at  times.

  "Incantre"  begins  with  slow  and  heavy  guitar  riffs,  drums  and  blackened  death  metal  growls  and  you  can  hear  bass  guitars  in  the  background  before  the  music  speeds  up  a  bit  and  adds  in  bestial  black  metal  elements  and  a  few  seconds  alter  the  music  speeds  up  a  bit  and  adds  in  blast  beats.

  "Vast"  kicks  in  with  evil  sounding  choirs  and  a  few  seconds  alter  clean  playing  and  blast  beats  from  the  drums  kick  in  along  with  bass  guitars  and  the  song  is  mostly  instrumental  with  no  screams,  growls  or  regular  guitars.

  "At  War  With  the  Old  World"  which  is  also  the  title  track  of  the  album  opens  up  with  dark  sounding  synths  and  war  sounds  before  adding  in  heavy,  dark  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  along  with  drums  and  a  minute  alter  the  music  speeds  up  a  bit,  adds  in  blast  beats  along  with  black/death  metal  growls  and  screams  and  towards  the  end  the  music starts  to  alternate  between  slow  and  fast  parts.

  "The  Calm  Before  War"  comes  in  with  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  and  a  few  seconds  alter  the  music  speeds  up  along  with  blast  beats  along  with  some  growls  a  few  seconds  later  and  then  the  music  starts  to  alternate  between  slow  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  "Hellish  Dischord"  hits  it  off  with  spoken  word  samples  and  wind  sounds before  adding  in  fast  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  blast  beats  from  the  drums  and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  into  a  slower  direction  along  with  some  dark  sounding  melodies  and  then  alternating  between  fast  and  slow  parts.

  "Hammer  Pit"  is  introduced  with  bell  sounds  before  adding  in  heavy  guitar  riffs,  drums  and  deep  growls  and  after  awhile  the  music  speeds  up  a  bit  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  melodic  guitar  riffing  and  the  song  close  with  synths.

  "Outro(Creation  Pt.  II)"  closes  the  album  with  avant  garde  sounding  noises  and  blast  beats  from the  drums  along  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  and  bass  riffs  and  you  can  also  hear  a  small  amount  of  black  metal  screams  in  the  background  and  towards  the  end  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  synths  being  utilized.

  Song  lyrics  cover  Satanism  and  War  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  while  you  can  still  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Valdur  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black/death  metal,  you  should  check  out  the  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Conjuring  The  Fire  Plagues"  "At  War  With  the  Old  World"  and  "Hammer  Pit".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Bandcamp

Facebook

Spotify

Valdur/Self Titled/Bloody Mountain Records/2007 CD Review

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Valdur  which  continues  their  black/war  metal  sound  of  the previous  demo  while  also  mixing  in  elements  of  pagan  metal  with  the  album  being  self  titled  and  released  in  2007.

  "Bolthorn"  which  is  the  first  track on  the  album  opens  up  with  fast  and  primitive  guitar  riffs,  blast  beats,  and  high  pitched  screams  and  after  awhile  the  song  starts  alternating  between  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  adding  melody  in  certain  sections.

  'Step  Into  The  Pentagram"  which  is  also  a  re-recorded  song  from  the  previous  demo  starts  off  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffing, drums  and  black  metal  screams  and  gets  fast  after  awhile  but  not  in  the  same  direction  of  the  original  version  and  towards  the  end  you  can  hear  some  melodic  chanting  in  the  background.

  "Thors  Hammer"  starts  off with  some  primitive  black  metal  guitar  and  bass  riffs  before  adding  in  some  drums  and  grim  black  metal  vocals  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  the  song  slows  down  and  goes  into  a  more  mid  paced  direction  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  riffing  and  stays in  that  direction  till  the  closing  of  the  song.

  "Slekt  av  Fortidens  Krigere"  kicks  off  with  dark  ambient  soundscapes  and  a  few  seconds  later  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  and  bass  riffs  kick  in  along  with  some  drums  and  a  few  seconds  later  it  goes  into  a  more  fast  and  primitive  direction  along  with  some  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  before  adding  in  mid  paced  sections  and  pagan  shouts  and  then  alternating  between  fast  and  mid  paced  parts.

  "Battlescars' another  re-recorded  song  from  the  demo  begins  with  nature  and  people  sounds  before  going  into  an  all  out  black/war  metal  assault  along  with  some  grim  screams,  fast  and  primitive  guitar  riffs  and  blast  beats  from  the  drums  as  well  as  some  slower  and  atmospheric  elements  being  utilized  at  times.

  'Fire"  which  is  the  last  song  on  the  album  as  well  as  being  another  re-recorded  track from  the  demo  is  another  all  out  black/war  metal  assault  like  the  original  version  that  was  present  on  the  previous  demo.

  Song  lyrics  Satanism  and  Norse  Paganism  along  with  one  song  being  Norwegian,  while  the  production  has  a  very  heavy,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it  while  you  can  still  hear all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  along  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  war and  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bolthorn"  and  "Slekt  av  Fortidens  Krigere".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.    

Bandcamp

Facebook

Spotify

               

Valdur/Battlescars/2006 Demo Review

   Valdur  are  a  band  from  California  that has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  on  this  recording  being  satanic  black/death/war  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released 2006  demo  "Battlescars".

  "Step  Into  The  Pentagram"  opens  up  the  demo  with  chainsaw  sounds  before  throwing  in  some  dark  sounding  black/death  metal  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  a  few  seconds  later  it  speeds  up  adds  in  some  war  metal  elements  and  deep  growls  as  well  as some  blast  beats  and  towards  the  end t here  is  a  brief  use  of  melodic  chanting  being  utilized.

  "Battlescars"  starts  off  with  some  old  school  black  metal  guitar  riffing  before  adding  in  blast  beats  and  grim  vocals  which  also  take  the  song  into  a  more  war  metal  direction  and  after  awhile  mid  paced  sections  are added  into  the  song  while  also  keeping  the  faster  parts  around  along  with  some  dark  sounding  melodies  and  deeper  vocals  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  "Fire"  which  also  the  last  song  on  the  demo  begins  with  burning  sounds  before  adding  in  blast  beats  and  fast  and  primitive  black/death  metal  guitar  riffs  which  also  lead  up  to  some  high  pitched  and  grim  sounding   screams  and  halfway  through  the  song  the  music  slows  down  and  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  before  returning  to  the  more  fast  and  primal  parts  as  well  as  bring  spoken  word  parts  into  certain  sections  of  the  song  along  with  a  brief  death  metal  growls.

  Song  lyrics  cover  Satanism  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  heavy,  raw  and  primitive  sound  while  you  can  still  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  demo.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  a  great  sounding  recording  from  Valdur  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black/death/war  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Fire".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Bandcamp

Facebook

Spotify

Valdur Interview

1. Can you update us with what is going on with the band these days?
L.S. (drums)- We have just completed a tour of the northeastern area of the U.S. as well as a couple of shows down south in the Los Angeles area. We have also recently completed our latest full length titled 'Raven God Amongst Us' and we are promoting that as well. We have some more shows in the future and are also slowly getting prepared for the long winter ahead up here in the mountains….

2. What is the meaning of the band's name?
L.S.- It is a similar name to the god of the winter sky…..where we live, we have very long, cold winters…..so it seemed appropriate.

3. How would you describe your musical sound?
L.S.- Valdur is metal music first and foremost. We are proud to have many extreme metal influences in the creation of Valdur. I personally grew up with Mercyful Fate, Bathory, Venom, old Slayer, etc…..and then got heavily into thrash metal…then heavily into death metal….and then also got into the newer black metal stuff. I also like doom metal as well as the classic heavy metal. It's funny though…..for me, black metal is still Mercyful Fate! hah! None of us in Valdur are confined to one style of metal. I also listen to dark ambient and drone stuff. …..it is all an influence on our music. We do NOT just take one or two bands' styles and then try to copy them!

4. The new album has some lyrics that are written in a different language, what made you decide to use a different language on some songs and how would you describe the lyrical content of the new album?
L.S.- This comes from our vocalist (also guitarist) Thor. He is from Norway and so he chooses to write some of his songs in Norwegian. And no, we are not trying to be Norwegian Black Metal….Valdur would never try to be something that it is not! hey! We all bring our different influences to this band to make it complete. I am quite unclear as far as the lyrical content of the new album…..this is Thor's department.

5. What are some of the best live shows that the band has played so far?
L.S.- Every live show is good for us, as we put all of our energy and spirit into the live setting. It is actually hard for me to look back on the live shows as I typically end up in a very strange state of mind. Our music is very fast and intense and I have to concentrate very hard to keep it all together. I typically am frustrated when a metal band thinks it ok to be 'messy' on stage.

6. Do you have any plans to tour Europe in the future?
L.S.- Well, I must say that to tour Europe would be great. I have traveled all throughout Europe many times including: Greece, Italy, France, Switzerland, Netherlands, Scandinavia, etc…. -Chamonix, France is like a second home for me, I have spent a lot of time there in the French alps. To be able to travel through some of these countries and be able to play extreme metal music would be really amazing. Also to be able to play some festivals over there would be a dream come true. Maybe someday we will have that privilege, yes?

7. Are there any current side projects besides this band if so who are they and what kind of music do they play?
L.S.- I am actually the one with all the side projects as I am always plugging away at music. I play the drums in two other bands: Endless Blizzard as well as Weverin……and I have two of my own solo projects: Sxuperion and SXAP. It is all extreme metal with the exception of SXAP which more ambient stuff.

8. How has your material been received so far by black metal fans worldwide?
L.S.- Very well…

9. How would you describe your musical progress over the years and what direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?
L.S.- I think that when we first began composing songs, they had some old school death metal mixed into old and modern 'black metal' sounds. Then, I think we had a more traditional and more recent 'black metal' style….this was due to Thor writing so many riffs! I think that we are now slowly re-molding our sound…..but I am not quite sure how to describe it. My aim is to make my drum parts faster and more brutal for every release. I always get pissed when bands' music gets less intense over each release….like they are dumbing down their music. Fuck that…..

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and what are you listening to nowadays?
L.S.- As I said before, I listen to all kinds of metal music as well as ambient music. I despise most other kinds of music like rap or country or pop. Some people may think that I am 'closed minded'…..so be it. This is my choice. I know what I like and I stick with it. I am listening to a lot of Blut Aus Nord, the new Azarath is fucking awesome, Brian Eno (his Ambient series), Lull, the new Urgehal is good….I really like the new 1349, and I am addicted to the new Lightning Swords of Death full length…..it seems to get better and better the more I listen to it. I also am always listening to the good shit from the good old days……Mercyful Fate/King Diamond, Bathory, Morbid Angel, Unleashed, Incantation, etc. I have a huge metal collection!

11. What role does Paganism, Occultism or Satanism play in the music and how would you describe your views on those topics?
L.S.- We are deeply spiritual individuals. I will not going into our specific spiritual preferences though. To me, people who go about trying to prove their spirituality or their religious beliefs onto others are spineless, parasites who just cannot keep their mouths shut. Our spirituality plays a very strong role in our music though……and this is why one does not hear much 'happy', 'feel good' shit in Valdur, hah!…..although I think that our music can be very uplifting at times…..

12. What are some of your interests outside of music?
L.S.- We have many…..as I stated earlier, we live up high in the mountains of the eastern sierras. We have to laugh when people think of California as only being a beach when the state inhabits the highest peak in the lower 48 states (Mt. Whitney at over 14,000 ft.). The small town we live in is at 8,000 ft elevation…..so this means plenty of wandering through the mountains during all seasons of the year. The winters here are long……last winter we had snow on the ground for 9 months straight, and it gets so deep that it typically buries our homes. So this keeps us busy! There are also many other things that I get out of life, but I will keep those things private for now…….all I can say is that we are not stagnant people.

13. Any final words or thoughts?
L.S.- no…..

Bandcamp

Facebook

Spotify

Valdur/Raven God Amongst Us/BloodyMountain Records/2010 CD Review

Valdur are a black metal band from Northern California that has been around for a few years and this is a review of their 2010 album "Raven God Amongst Us" which was released by Bloody Mountain Records.

Drums alternate between mid paced and fast drumming with some brutal blast beats being thrown in, while the bass playing seems to follow the riffs that are coming out of the guitars and at times they sound powerful.

Rhythm guitars alternate between mid paced and fast black metal riffs that contain some melodies, and there are little to know lead guitars or solos present on this album except for maybe a few parts.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams with some deep death metal growls thrown in and on one song there is a small amount of viking chants, while the lyrics are written in a mixture of Norwegian and English which is kind off odd for an American black metal band and cover Norse Paganism and Asataru, as for the production it is very dark and raw sounding that goes over well with this band's primitive approach to black metal.

In my opinion Valdur are a very good black metal bands that should appeal  to any black metal fans that loves the raw pagan style of this genre, and this band also puts on a good live show. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Wound Fires In The Afterlife" "Great Abyss Unfold" "Berserker" and "Creation". RECOMMENDED BUY.

http://www.myspace.com/valdurkult