After a Norwegian Grammy ,4 albums and a short break KHOLD  come back with the  brand new album Hundre Ar Gammal .All these years KHOLD have been a leading power into the raw black/doom metal scene and here comes this new album to prove it for once more.The album is released through Tabu Records and the lyrics are in the Norwegian Language,something typical for KHOLD. Hundre Ar Gammal which means Hundred Years Old comes to take us to the cold Norwegian woods of our most morbid fantasies . Great production and 9 true Norwegian Black Metal songs along with the haunting voice  of Gardis what places this album very high in rank in terms of uniqueness.With compositions reminding a little of the mid pace of SATYRICON's music as well as moments reminiscent of CELTIC FROST , KHOLD manage to include all the sickness and darkness of the cold Norwegian landscapes into their music.The songs have mostly a medium pace .The filthy guitars are hammering,the distorted bass sound Of Grimd as well as the bends sicken the compositions and the keyboard passages create a dark atmosphere.
Gard's vocals are full of pain and expressivity. Dynamics are used geniously throughout the album  and the guitar playing varies from the low to high registers. As there is not too much of blastbeats and typical black metal drumming, KHOLD set a distance to the genre and differentiate by creating an experimentation which cannot be characterized as anything less than genious. Well thought melodic phrases and riffs haunt your mind and create a new,fresher approach to the way the Norwegian act plays its music. Though I would like to understand exactly what the lyrics are about in the songs I hear, Hundre Ar Gammal is an album to be heard by the non Norwegian speaking ones just for the sake of the concept and the music. Fans of the genre this is a definitely must have album.I heard it so many times and it will surely  keep me company through this cold winter...