Helgrind - Return To Motherland
Cuba
Independent (Digital) / Black Spark Records (CD)
"Return To Motherland" is the debut full-length from this Cuban Pagan/Black metal group, which I was totally unaware of until now (including the fact that I know very little of the Cuban scene) so it’s quite a pleasant experience to listen to them. I was surprised that in that same year they also released what would become their second full-length (exactly 3 months later). This, in my opinion, is a clear indication of the creativity that drives the band, and a good reason not to lose track of the band and give these pagans a listen!
So join me and don't get lost along the way because this is Return To The Motherland!
Many use the label "Pagano" to get attention, and then you find that nothing in their music reflects that. Even mentioning Cuba is not exactly the first thing that comes to mind when talking about this style or theme that surrounds the band, but I assure you that this is a true journey into the ritualistic tradition of the ancient Vikings. The whole atmosphere is just amazing! Just listen to the intro "Lands On Fire" to know what I'm talking about. You can really imagine the atmosphere as if you were living it in your own flesh and suddenly an ancient melody gives rise to "Song of the Runes". Little by little the song picks up speed to run towards the extreme path. A great choral work highlights the atmosphere and gives much more force to the entire production.
The brilliance of this work is that they sought to make sense of the riffs and not just use them to fill gaps. Each segment engages perfectly with the next and listening becomes very rewarding. A guitar that seems to sing a hymn launches the melody of the following song "Rusalka" in which the band goes from a galloping drum pattern to a precise and direct double pedal to hit your senses together. I must emphasize that the solos are truly epic! Some are brief, but I think they are very accurate with the landscape behind them. And speaking of landscapes, the song ends with a relaxing hum along with the noises of waves hitting the beach (or at least that’s what I imagine) which is brutal. The calm is abruptly broken with the speed of "Mighty Fallen One" and then dethroned by another of many masterful riffs that seem to come out of the depths of Nifelheim, and I say this because, within all the joy they convey with their melodies, they somehow still manage to retain a dark atmosphere. I would love to know how this whole environment would be with some typical instruments of Nordic folklore. Towards the end of "Väinämöinen" you will come across some of the heaviest riffs on the album.
The time has come to talk about the track that gives the album its name: "Return To The Motherland" begins with a quiet acoustic passage that gives rise to the victorious cry of the Cuban warriors who transport us into a fantastic world. When you listen to it, it’s easy to envision a great fire and a whole army celebrating a victory before starting the long journey back home. It’s something that stands out in the whole review, but very few bands can achieve such a work of art from its essence and make you feel part of the whole experience. "Last Pagan Resistance" maintains the atmosphere of the album, but with a much more black metal riff that gives us a peak inside their fury unleashed. "Uppsala" is the intro of "Blöta" (one of my favorite songs) which I find to be the blackest of the entire album and an excellent way to close the pagan attack. It has a killer keyboard! Out of the bowels of the ocean! I couldn't have enjoyed this album more, so I recommend that you listen to it as soon as possible, and hopefully have the same epic experience as I did. Finally, the band does a great cover of Falkenbach, and so my brothers, we end this ritual! Take a sword and get ready for battle! (Catacombs Walker)