Gyrdleah – Spellbinder

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GYRDLEAH is a Black Metal band formed in the UK in 2005. It took 18 long years for the artist Flagrum to release his debut full-length, though they did release an EP in 2011. The debut full-length here has nine songs, and “Stab the Lamb” is the first. The opening tones are slow and somber, with audible bass notes. It picks up a bit later, with steady rolling drums. The production is about what you would expect from the genre…mucky and with much treble. Towards the end, some eerie clean vocals join the Black Metal shrieks.

“Gyfu” has another hopeless sound and slow pace. Again, I really like the bass in the mix. It’s an element of Black Metal that is often lost. Some of the sad tones here also have a quality of beauty to them…it’s how the melodies are presented. “Gather for the Murder” features a dark and evil main riff with a commanding sound. Again, it picks up a bit, but the delicate melodies remain among the deep black soul of the song. “Approaching Grydleah” is a short, one-minute instrumental connecting the first part of the album to the second. It has ambient tones that are tense.

“Speak of the Devil” is another slow, grinding song that focuses on tones of grey, and black. Do not look for absolution on this album, for it is gone. Steady sounds develop, until you can feel your soul leave your body. Satan has claimed it. “Spellbinder” has an even slower grind, where tones of desolation and desperation abound. Some lead guitar notes pull you in and mesmerize you. Before you know it, you are under the song’s spell for good. “VVitch” is yet another slow, grueling song where the light from the sun has ceased to shine for decades. It keeps a slow pace throughout, but the evil is dialed up a notch towards the end, with a long vocal growl.

“Six Hundred Threescore and Six” is and old school way of saying “666.” Somber clean vocals accompany the Black Metal shrieks. The song has a nice balance between desolate tones and angry ones. It’s almost as if the subject can’t make up his mind. “Outro” is a short instrumental closer, with light winds and bell strikes. Evil lurks beyond. Overall, this was a pretty good album that did not fall into the Black Metal trap of sticking to the sounds of the FWOBM. Clean vocals, and desolate sounds peppered the album, giving it just enough of and edge to be interesting. The darker elements also satisfy some of the listener’s primal needs.

Songwriting: 7
Musicianship: 6
Memorability: 7
Production: 7