The Norwegian black metal band, NATTVERD, came onto the scene in 2010 and their fourth full-length album, "I Helvetes Forakt," will be released soon on Soulseller Records. This is a dynamic album full of tempo changes and different raspy black metal vocal styles. The first track, "Det Stormer I Norge," begins with the sounds of gusting winds and a church bell ringing. Later on, there are even howling wolves thrown in for the diehards. I'm usually not a fan of these on-the-nose effects, but they are done well in this case. The production is more on the raw side of things, but not so raw that the quality of the music suffers. Ormr's raspy vocals run the black metal gamut, helping add a layer of dynamism to the whole album.

"Vandring I Elver Av Blod" is a mostly mid-tempo song with some faster parts to break things up. Later on, keyboards are added in playing high notes. Everything coalesces nicely into an impenetrable wall of sound. Renton's drumming is well showcased toward the song's end, making these first two tracks a fitting one-two punch that lets you know what to expect from the rest of the album. The fourth track, "Oeyne I Natten," is another mostly mid-tempo offering. There are some atmospheric elements on display as well. The bell tolling makes another appearance. Renton's drumming builds into a rewarding climax featuring layered vocals.

"Helvete Kjenner Alt, Selv Naar Attaken Har Lagt Seg" is the most dynamic track on "I Helvetes Forakt." It begins with a slow, dramatic marching beat that builds into a moment of what I like to call "full-on black metal." That's the point where the music is at its most aggressive and every member is giving one hundred percent to the performance. The song eventually slows down and gets more melodic before turning the intensity back up to eleven for a short while. Everything dies down again for the finale. This song effectively serves as a microcosm of the entire album, mirroring the music's ebb and flow.

"Gudsforlatt" begins with an opening salvo of a guitar riff. It's as ballistic as it is infectious. The same dynamic fluctuations are present as well. The chorus is not one to be missed, and the same goes for the mind-blowing guitar solo. The final track, "I Moerke Skip Innover," is an eight-minute magnum opus, and the best one on "I Helvetes Forakt." The drumming is more impactful and slower than the usual blast beats. At no point do they achieve "full-on black metal" status, but they make up for that with atmospheric elements. The wolf howls and wind gusts make another appearance and the song ends with the sound of thunder. Normally, I would be against such dead giveaway tactics, but I'm just glad that these effects were worked into full songs and not separated into individual filler songs.

Overall, "I Helvetes Forakt," is a great black metal album that plays things a bit too safe to be hailed as one of the greats. That being said, it's still a solid album through and through. There aren't any missed opportunities or wasted moments. On the other hand, there isn't anything present that hasn't been heard during black metal's second wave. It won't blow any minds, but it remains thoroughly enjoyable.