Hellveto – In the Glory of Heroes
Pulverised Records – ASH024 – October 31, 2006
By Wayward_Son
For most of us, Hellveto came into the known in 2004/2005 with the emergence of In Arms of Kurpian Phantom and Klatwa. At least, that is when this one-man band started creating a minor buzz in the underground. Since then, this “only hegemon of unholy Hellveto” known only as L.O.N, has been unleashing material more prolifically than any band in recent memory. Since the two aforementioned albums’ release, Hellveto has put out another four full-lengths, and one compilation comprised of new material and an older demo.
The number of recordings L.O.N. has been able to deliver is only one of the pleasures of Hellveto. The consistent quality of the music found within is the true treasure. L.O.N.’s self-proclaimed “True Pagan Black Metal” is an apt description of Hellveto’s creations. Reveling not in the overly happy and jolly form of a large percentage of “Pagan” bands, Hellveto instead relies on battle-ready, militaristic style romps of mid-paced black metal, with a heavy dose of classical type keyboards, and some clean acoustic breaks. In the Glory of Heroes sounds almost soundtrack-like, with the ever-present keyboards creating a backdrop of beauty, misery, and sometimes malevolence. The presence of the piano and acoustic guitars give the album another dimension that some of the previous releases lacked. Whereas releases such as Zemsta, Stos, and Zmierzch stayed true to a certain violent majesty, In the Glory of Heroes effortlessly strays from sadness to victory.
L.O.N.’s vocal delivery is a standard raspy grunt that, while fitting to the music presented, really does not add that extra nudge to push the band that little further. Perhaps the usage of some cleanly sung vocals would benefit the sound of despair, loss, and triumph Hellveto seems to be going toward with In the Glory of Heroes.
The problem with a band like Hellveto is three-fold. While the material presented may be original, it really is nothing more than a well-played combination of Graveland and Summoning. L.O.N. has taken Darken’s masterful use creating epic structures within black metal and thrown Summoning’s flawless keyboards to the forefront. Any devout fan of those two bands will notice it immediately. This writer admits that may be selling L.O.N. a bit short, as In the Glory of Heroes, as well as a good portion of his catalogue, are thoroughly enjoyable albums for fans of this type of sound.
The second problem L.O.N. needs to address is the redundancy factor. Almost every song keeps the same rhythm and repetitious framework. Towards the end, you’ll find yourself wondering if you accidentally hit the repeat button. Which leads this writer into problem number three. They say there is no such thing as too much of a good thing. L.O.N. has offered up so much music in such a short period of time that it is easy to get discouraged. This writer now owns eleven Hellveto releases (number twelve is on the way), and while each offers its own charms, L.O.N. is coming dangerously close to overkill. Instead of recording everything that comes to his mind, perhaps combining the best ideas from three separate albums would allow fans to build up some thirst for that special Hellveto sound. Too much of a good thing ruins the yearning.
Faithful Reader, if you cannot get enough of that classically influenced Pagan black metal sound, this writer strongly recommends In the Glory of Heroes. It is easily one of Hellveto’s strongest releases. Although, you can always wait for 966, the band’s first 2007 material.
Official Hellveto Website
Official Pulverised Records Website
Pulverised Records – ASH024 – October 31, 2006
By Wayward_Son
For most of us, Hellveto came into the known in 2004/2005 with the emergence of In Arms of Kurpian Phantom and Klatwa. At least, that is when this one-man band started creating a minor buzz in the underground. Since then, this “only hegemon of unholy Hellveto” known only as L.O.N, has been unleashing material more prolifically than any band in recent memory. Since the two aforementioned albums’ release, Hellveto has put out another four full-lengths, and one compilation comprised of new material and an older demo.
The number of recordings L.O.N. has been able to deliver is only one of the pleasures of Hellveto. The consistent quality of the music found within is the true treasure. L.O.N.’s self-proclaimed “True Pagan Black Metal” is an apt description of Hellveto’s creations. Reveling not in the overly happy and jolly form of a large percentage of “Pagan” bands, Hellveto instead relies on battle-ready, militaristic style romps of mid-paced black metal, with a heavy dose of classical type keyboards, and some clean acoustic breaks. In the Glory of Heroes sounds almost soundtrack-like, with the ever-present keyboards creating a backdrop of beauty, misery, and sometimes malevolence. The presence of the piano and acoustic guitars give the album another dimension that some of the previous releases lacked. Whereas releases such as Zemsta, Stos, and Zmierzch stayed true to a certain violent majesty, In the Glory of Heroes effortlessly strays from sadness to victory.
L.O.N.’s vocal delivery is a standard raspy grunt that, while fitting to the music presented, really does not add that extra nudge to push the band that little further. Perhaps the usage of some cleanly sung vocals would benefit the sound of despair, loss, and triumph Hellveto seems to be going toward with In the Glory of Heroes.
The problem with a band like Hellveto is three-fold. While the material presented may be original, it really is nothing more than a well-played combination of Graveland and Summoning. L.O.N. has taken Darken’s masterful use creating epic structures within black metal and thrown Summoning’s flawless keyboards to the forefront. Any devout fan of those two bands will notice it immediately. This writer admits that may be selling L.O.N. a bit short, as In the Glory of Heroes, as well as a good portion of his catalogue, are thoroughly enjoyable albums for fans of this type of sound.
The second problem L.O.N. needs to address is the redundancy factor. Almost every song keeps the same rhythm and repetitious framework. Towards the end, you’ll find yourself wondering if you accidentally hit the repeat button. Which leads this writer into problem number three. They say there is no such thing as too much of a good thing. L.O.N. has offered up so much music in such a short period of time that it is easy to get discouraged. This writer now owns eleven Hellveto releases (number twelve is on the way), and while each offers its own charms, L.O.N. is coming dangerously close to overkill. Instead of recording everything that comes to his mind, perhaps combining the best ideas from three separate albums would allow fans to build up some thirst for that special Hellveto sound. Too much of a good thing ruins the yearning.
Faithful Reader, if you cannot get enough of that classically influenced Pagan black metal sound, this writer strongly recommends In the Glory of Heroes. It is easily one of Hellveto’s strongest releases. Although, you can always wait for 966, the band’s first 2007 material.
Official Hellveto Website
Official Pulverised Records Website
