URGEHAL – Aeons In Sodom

Urgehal – Aeons In Sodom (2016, Season Of Mist)

With the passing of vocalist/guitarist Trondr Nefas in 2012, many believed that the Norwegian Black metal act Urgehal was dead and gone as its leader. It is now widely known that like Piggy, Voïvod’s innovative guitarist, Nefas left completed guitar tracks of the next album of Urgehal. Aeons In Sodom is now the subject of this review.

The vocals duty has been like a tribute album to the now gone frontman and are done by legends of the genre in Nocturno Culto (DarkThrone) on ‘’The Iron Children’’, M. Sorgar (Bloodsworn, Endezzma) on ‘’Blood of the Legion’’, Hoest (Taake, Gaahlskagg, Deathcult) on ‘’The Sulfur Black Haze’’, and Nattefrost (Carpathian Forest, Kreft) on ‘’Endetid’’ are amongst the more well known players on this superb rendition of a second wave Black metal album.

While not reinventing the genre or pushing its conventions, Aeons In Sodom is a collective effort and the final chapter of one of the great stories of Norwegian Black metal. It reminds us of how a band can stay true to its roots and never compromise to achieve its musical fulfilment. Each vocalist respected the concept of each song while injecting a bit of his vision and interpretation of the genre and the band Urgehal.

Finally, I must admit being a late fan of Urgehal even if I have been into the genre for almost twenty years but their entire discography is as interesting as many other great acts listed above. In fact, the bequeath that is Aeons In Sodom is the greatest farewell that Trondr Nefas could have wished because it highlights his music with the help of his peers and his usual bandmates in Enzifer (bass) and Uruz (drums).

7.5