Trelldom - ...By the Word… (2026)

I admire this album more than I enjoy it. It constantly suggests that something significant is about to happen, but it rarely delivers the kind of arrival that justifies the amount of tension it builds. The atmosphere is undeniably strong, yet atmosphere alone doesn't carry much weight with me anymore.

What keeps me engaged is the sense of authorship. It doesn't sound like a band following a black metal template. The ideas feel personal, and the album has a recognizable voice from start to finish. There's genuine ambition here.

The problem is that the structural rewards don't match the structural complexity. The record spends a lot of time creating unease, opening doors, introducing textures and twists, but the climaxes often feel surprisingly restrained. I leave tracks remembering the journey more than the destination.

In the end, I respect the vision and the identity, but I don't feel the emotional gravity or payoff needed to push it into the 70s. It's an interesting album to explore, yet it rarely becomes a compelling one to revisit.

Pros

Strong atmosphere and world-building → the album creates a distinctive, unsettling space that feels deliberate rather than generic
Clear artistic identity → I never feel like I'm listening to another interchangeable modern black metal record
Interesting structural ideas → there are enough unexpected turns and textures to keep the album from becoming predictable

Cons

The tension rarely converts into payoff → the album keeps promising revelation but often settles for continuation
Few memorable musical anchors → I remember moods and passages more than riffs, melodies, or climaxes
Experimentation sometimes weakens momentum → certain detours feel intellectually interesting without increasing emotional impact

Genre: Avant-garde black metal
Country: Norway

Final Verdict: 64% (Good Album)
Yearly Ranking: 191th / 426

Highlight: The Word – Choose to Vanish


Made me think of:
Dodheimsgard
Blut Aus Nord
Deathspell Omega

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#Avant-gardeblackmetal #Trelldom #Norway
#LP #Album #release

 

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