UNLORD – schwarzwald – CLOUDY LP

Black Metal – Cloudy orange version – Hells Headbangers

In that black metal-rich year of 1997 did UNLORD unleash their debut album, Schwarzwald. Adorned with appropriately fiery cover art, Schwarzwald very much sounded – and looked – like its era, and was all the better for it. And yet, crucially, UNLORD here offer a variety of songcraft across the 13-track album whilst keeping the focus on cryogenically-cold violence. What’s more, their usage of synths is sparing and tasteful, and on Schwarzwald did they set forth a sterling standard of production: remarkably clear and crisp, but not once sacrificing an iota of power.