Torver- Witching Hour.

 Anyone who has read this blog for a while knows I'm a fan of black metal. I mean, I am sitting here writing this in my Black Funeral t shirt. I've been a fan of black metal since around 1993. I was 16 years old and just discovered bands like Absu, Master's Hammer, Havohej and, of course, the Norwegian bands. 

People now-a-days really don't have a reference for that time period. Black Metal wasn't really formalized into a genre until sometime in the late 90's.   That's when it became about just copying the Norse bands. Before that, it was a pretty wild territory. At the time, All 3 of the bands I mentioned would have been considered Black Metal.  No one really questioned that. 

Recently I got told by a younger person online that Mortuary Drape isn't actually Black Metal. Well, trust me that is a VERY new idea. Also to young people trying to tell those of us who were there at the dawn of the 2nd wave what is or isn't Black Metal, well, I'll just quote Aslan from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe: "Don't site the deep magic to me, witch! I was there when it was written." (A Pagan siting a Christian author when talking about a largely Satanic music form? This is the kind of transgressive nonsense you guys come here for, right?).

So with that in mind, Let's talk about Torver. Torver are a UK band that until this record I had never heard of. Which surprises me considering there are several luminaries in the scene in this project. There are members of Ethereal Forest and Wreodan Healh in this project. I haven't reviewed Ethereal Forest but I like them a lot and you can find the Wreodan Healh review and read the glowing praise I've heaped on that one singular record. 

So, do Torver live up to the hype  of the members' other bands? Let's find out.

This is one of the best records I've heard in a long time. It IS Black Metal but its different. There's a reason I began talking about my youth with this genre. This record takes me back to a time when Black Metal was less formalized and more free to cavort in the shadows. Musically it has all earmarks of great UKBM. Within the notes and riffs lies an ancient and mouldering majesty that made bands like December Moon, Hecate Enthroned and, yes, even early Cradle of Filth so great.  There's something incredibly gothic about the interplay of the guitar with the keyboards and violin. The bass shines through occasionally adding a depth to the music that Black Metal doesn't always succeed in expressing. The vocalist has a spectacular rasp but also uses spoken clean vocals that adds to the atmosphere in a superb way.

The singular violin that is placed front and center on every single track reminds me of what it might be like if My Dying Bride were a Black Metal band instead of Death/Doom. It sets up such a wondrous majestic and melancholic atmosphere. It gives me the vision of what it might be to wonder through castle ruins on a rainy day; feeling the rain touch your face as you walk through old stone and rotting wood. Black Metal is, in my opinion, at its best when it is cinematic.  I only found this record on Friday and I have listened to it 4 or 5 times already. 

This will be in my top 5 records this year and is in the running for my number one spot. If you like majestic, melancholic and cinematic Black Metal, you could do a LOT worse than putting your money toward this record. Highlights: Nocturnal Serenade, Reformation of the Trinity, Where Angels Fear to Tread and Walk Alone.


https://wulfhereproductions.bandcamp.com/album/witching-hour