I've been following Hulder since her first steps as a one-woman band. The first time I heard her music, I immediately became a fan, enthusiastic about the way she created black metal, paying respect to the genre while blending it with nuances of folklore.
Since then, Hulder has evolved into a full band and has released her third full-length album, Verbolgen, which might well be her magnum opus.
Verbolgen was co-released by 20 Buck Spin and Season Of Mist, and perhaps because of that, it has a better production and a more mature sound. The folk influence is still present, creating a dark folk atmosphere throughout the whole album. Solid choruses immediately grab the listener's attention and transport them to the snowy mountains of the North.
Verbolgen consists of nine tracks, ranging from slow, atmospheric passages to fast and furious, dense black metal. The old-school feeling is very much present, but polished. Fans looking for something rawer might not be entirely satisfied with this release and may prefer the previous album, Verses in Oath.
For me, this is their best album so far. The evolution is noticeable and makes me genuinely curious about what the band (or Hulder herself) can deliver in the future.