Elfsgedroch – Op de beenderen van onze voorvaderen (2016)

Op de beenderen van onze voorvaderen is yet another another Dutch black metal record heavily influenced by Gorgoroth and Zyklon-B like Tarnkappe. Elfsgedroch however structures riffs as hyper-extended, arpeggiated tremolo-picked chords in incredibly long to the point of droning phrases in the manner of French Canadian band Sorcier des Glaces, who are indeed the band’s primary influence. Clever but occasionally too sappy harmonies similar to Master’s Hammer‘s Bartok and folk influenced heavy metal ones on Ritual but way more annoying pervade the record.

Elfsgedroch’s song structures are mainly progressive rock with extended bridges and out of place acoustic interludes similar to Metallica on Master of Puppets. The arrangement of riffs into verses, choruses, and bridges thankfully is not random as in more “technical metal” or Satyricon but the puppetry is not as effective as the South American influenced ones on  Serpent Ascending’s exemplary Ananku. The melodic bass lines compliment the guitars well though. Like Sorcier des Glaces’ later output, the songs are occasionally overlong but when they finally arrive at whatever far away destination that the band has intended to take them to, the view is profound.

The real flaws with Op de beenderen van onze voorvaderen is that occasionally the riffing is way too close Elfsgedroch’s heroes Sorcier des Glaces giving a sense of deja entendu that makes me want to listen to Snowland MMXII again instead. The other big flaw is that while competently played, Op de beenderen van onze voorvaderen is not nearly violent, aggressive, and urgent enough; it is at times almost lethargic resembling a more sedated, laid-back take on some of the more progressive Led Zeppelin compositions like “Achilles Last Stand.” Op de beenderen van onze voorvaderen has no sense of the overwhelming impending doom of humanity or any gnostic sense that the natural world is evil and wants only to eliminate you. Elfsgedroch are certainly not hordes of terror here to trample and mangle listeners into oblivion. These nagging flaws place their otherwise promising, catchy, and occasionally beautiful effort beneath the best of their countrymen Kjeld, Kaeck, Tarnkappe, and of course Sammath conceptually.

Tags: , , , , ,

18 thoughts on “Elfsgedroch – Op de beenderen van onze voorvaderen (2016)”

  1. Angry Black Jew says:

    I’m going to celebrate when this site finally shuts down, but judging by its monthly hits I’d say its thankfully on its way there. Keep flogging that dead horse.

    The idiot articles, the awful dutch ‘black metal’ worship, the mediocre/crap bands and that horrible wanker Daniel makes this all a mockery of what once was.

    Just stop.

    1. angry wanker Daniel says:

      Hey, I resemble that remark!

    2. Rainer Weikusat says:

      Sammath is good. I don’t know much of Kaeck as I can’t get past the “I’m the mannish man!”-vocals of the first track. Tarnkappe (which is completely different from this, BTW) is sort-of cool but the “nature mysticism” just doesn’t resonate with me: I was born in the country. The idea makes me think of the smell of cow dung on fields in spring. I essentially share Gabe Kalgan’s opinion on Kjeld — “not necessary”.

      You don’t seriously want to use “But they’re all Dutch!” as sufficient criterion to characterize all of these bands completely, dear angy black racist, do you?

    3. bring back the metal into deathmetal orh says:

      you’re so damn right. i’m still here because of what once was dm.org still can’t definitely close a site that was so deathmetal in all it is aside the music itself. and also ecause brett is still up to some more or less intruiging posts from time to time. but actually, if i’m most sincere, most of all i just want to see how long it takes, if at all, the incarnation of dumbness that is maraat himself gives up and either gives up destroying dm.org or the site goes fown in smr shit with just the the few clicks from maarat himself.. it’s that urge to look at something disgusting you actually never wanted to see that keeps me frequenting dm.org since dan the man took the wheel in his wanking hands

  2. GGALLIN1776 says:

    Something about the written dutch language always bothered me, it’s reminiscent of the feeling between the time you drank the last of way too many beers & the point you vomit.

    1. Who gets wasted with beer? How is that even possible?

      1. Cornrose says:

        This is good

      2. GGALLIN1776 says:

        Garden gnomes.

      3. Rainer Weikusat says:

        Everything is possible if you know how to do it. Good recipe for that: Get a sufficiently large number of bottles of Bavarian wheat beer. Tie a bottle opener to a rope. Tie the other end of the rope around a low branch of some tree (or suitable replacement). Hook the crown cap of a bottle to the opener. It should now hang in the air at the end off the rope. Push it so that it starts to swing. The guy whose turn it is is supposed to catch the bottle, rip it open and empty it in one go (0.5l).

        Fun for all of the family!

        1. GGALLIN1776 says:

          Hook a rotating lawn sprinkler to a keg, have everyone sit around it in a circle & open the valve. No further effort needed.

          1. Cornrose says:

            Get away from the device.
            Take a bath.
            Get a gun.
            Shoot self.

            1. GGALLIN1776 says:

              eat device

              choke

              die

          2. Rainer Weikusat says:

            It’s presumably also possible to do intravenous injections of grain alcohol (I’ve hear rumours of a certain person doing this with Vodka and not dying of that. NB: Said person has been dead for a long time and he didn’t get old enough to complain that he was over 40): Even saves you the effort to open your mouth and to gobble it down.

            I can’t imagine this to be much fun but sportive competition in summer aren’t everybody’s cup of $liquid.

            1. GGALLIN1776 says:

              Wasn’t that johnny thunders or the guy from the decline of western civilisation pt.2? Chris something sounds about right.

              The highest blood alcohol level I’ve had was 4.8 (around 2001/2) & I puked up my stomach lining all over my friend in the hospital. Bloody chunks, couldn’t drink anything carbonated for three months after that.

              1. Rainer Weikusat says:

                That was some well-known kaputtnik from my so-called home town who also introduced my then so-called girl friend to the joys of the needle.

  3. Snake says:

    Cool cover art

  4. Anthony says:

    I haven’t been really into too much of the Dutch black metal stuff. They kick ass at death metal (Polluted Inheritance, Castle, Eternal Solstice, Acrostichon, Ceremony, and Sempiternal Deathreign in addition to the more famous stuff), but most of the fasty-blasty stuff coming from the land of tulips and wooden shoes has left me cold. Apart from Kaeck of course

Comments are closed.

Classic reviews:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z