Year: 2025
Label: Handful of Hate
Rating: 8,1 / 10
HUNDSGUGEL is a project of Orpheus from GHASH. Until recently, he worked on it independently, with the exception of mixing and mastering, made by Armaros (GHASH bandmate) and G.W., respectively. HUNDSGUGEL has already transformed into a full-fledged band, but it will make sense to talk about this in more detail when something new comes out.
HUNDSGUGEL (in case anyone doesn't know, it's a knight's helmet in the shape of a dog's head) plays medieval dark metal with a raw sound and a rather unusual melancholic and solemn character. Orpheuses poetic nature (it's not for nothing that he took such a pseudonym for himself) is manifested here in everything. HUNDSGUGEL's "medieval" approach implies above all the aesthetics of that era. There are a couple of links to the real history here, but that's it. "Oath over Abyss" is not about the adventures of a Chevalier or German crusaders, it's about chivalrous honor, duty and oath; about great battles and their consequences. Again, Orpheus shows it in a very poetic, mystical and spiritual manner, but without unnecessary romanticization. For example, there is a song on the album about a knight who went into battle with the name of God on his lips, but before dying, he realized that his faith was self-deception. There's a song about "glorious death," which turns out to be a death in filth and despair. There is a story about immortal ravager warriors with curses written on their swords. And so on. It is a great pleasure that Orpheus decided to add the lyrics to the booklet. Although his English is not perfect yet, the lyrics add a lot of weight to the music.
HUNDSGUGEL's music is defined not so much by form as by sound. This is an amateurish and not at all perfect record, which in certain aspects resembles GHASH demo recordings, but it is very interesting and peculiar. The absence of a bass makes it "ghostly", a bit like the early works of RUNESPELL / BLOOD STRONGHOLD and DROWNING THE LIGHT, but the riffs are already taking their toll here, working in a completely different style. Thanks to the synthesizer parts that sound almost incessantly, HUNDSGUGEL gets a certain resemblance to GRAVELAND or IUVENES... then again, I'm pretty far-fetched about this. But, as a reviewer, I must give you at least an approximate picture. The songs on the album consist mainly of mid-tempo fragments with a solid rhythm a la BURZUM. Occasionally, the music switches to blast beats and tremolos.
However, I repeat, the form is of secondary importance here. The most important thing is the images created by music. And that's something... hazy, otherworldly. Fantasy often uses a plot device through which the hero finds himself on a field of battle that ended a long time ago, and sees the ghost of warriors who are fighting to the death, not knowing that they have been dead for hundreds of years already. HUNDSGUGEL is just about that. Throughout the album, there is a feeling that you are looking at ancient events through a veil of mystical haze. "Oath over Abyss” seems to be behind a curtain, which muffles the sounds and makes it clear that there is no place for the living on the other side. Vocals with a shortened echo effect and unique keys enhance this feeling. I would call the keyboard parts one of the greatest achievements of Orpheus on this album. They sound proud, but in such a key that they only cause sadness and despondency. This is how the call for battle of the army of ghosts would probably sound. Brilliant. And finally, "Oath over Abyss" is a solid album, focused on its goal and not interested in commercial appeal. There is no fake dynamics, frivolity, ”Easter eggs", jokes and the desire to be like someone else. In short, nothing of this tiresome bullshit of modern Western albums that I find even on the releases of the most respectful underground labels. This isn't some fucking DRAUGVEIL, excuse me for mentioning it.
The physical edition from Handful of Hate has a very beautiful 12-page booklet with golden print. It looks elite and really chivalrous. Details on a video.
