Ultra Silvam - The Sanctity of Death

8/10

Ultra Silvam pay homage to the gods while still retaining what is original to them and have a prominent place in the black metal underground!

Ultra Silvam are a relatively new band and have been around for a little over half a decade. I was eagerly waiting to catch them live at the 2020 edition of the Hell over Hammaburg festival but alas my plans had changed severely due to the burgeoning pandemic. Fast forward two years later to today and I couldn’t be happier to see that they have a sophomore album. Their debut, The Spearwound Salvation, was received with much acclaim and it put the band on the (black metal) map. Their follow up album, The Sanctity of Death, was released recently and I’ll do my best to give you a glimpse of what is in store for your ears.

Ultra Silvam hail from Mälmo, Sweden. To say that they just play black metal is a bit of disservice in describing their music. Their music has foundations of 80s heavy, thrash and black metal. You can hear a bit of Bathory, Venom, Nifelheim but also the second wave of black metal influences. Expect some riffy, thrashy black metal played through an almost lo-fi filter. It’s definitely discernible but has all the aesthetics that will excite any old school fan.

The album commences with Dies Irae which starts off with a bass intro and culminates into a chaotic frenzy. There is a mix of harsh and orchestral vocals. The song packs a lot in less than four minutes of running time. Definitely a promising start! Sodom vies himlafärd is a mid-paced, hypnotic track with a thrashy second half. It felt almost as if I was listening to Nekromantheon. The album title track was next but it was a bit of a disappointment. It felt a bit like a filler track compared to the first two. Tintinnabuli Diaboli is an instrumental interlude and clearly marks the half-way point of the album.

The second half of the album continues with Förintelsens andeväsen del II: Den deicidala transsubstantiationens mysterium. The track starts off in a very similar chaotic manner like Dies Irae. The riffs are frenetic and hypnotic. The track ends with the eerie sounds of wind chimes and organs. Black Soil Fornication is yet another mid-paced track but it probably has your atypical black metal riffs as an opener. It’ll get you air-guitaring in no time. Ultra Silvam do a great job combining the different ideas in the song to make it sound very seamless. It’s simple yet intricate. Incarnation Reverse starts off ferociously and transitions into sections which have some elements of Finnish black metal. By this I mean it is fast-paced yet melodic. The thrash-y quality is retained. The album closer, Of Molded Bread and Rotten Wine, opens terrifically with the kind of off-kilter guitar riffs that Black Soil Fornication also had. Most of the track is largely high on tempo with a few breaks of spoken word and transitions. The track ends with some exquisite dual guitar work and gives you the impression that the world is about to come to an apocalyptic end! Considering everything that is happening in the world, it is quite fitting!

In terms of dissecting the instrumentation on the album, I reckon the stand out performance is the guitars. It sounds massive, very rough with the gain pumped high as the sky and the old school tone is just perfect. I felt the solos were a bit drowned out but were still audible. The dual approach to the vocals is right up my alley. So if you like the harsh and raspy vocals which is not typical of the second wave of black metal, then you will enjoy this. The rhythm section of bass and drums come through quite well and form the backbone of the album. I quite like that the bass is audible throughout the songs.

If I were to compare the band’s two albums, I think the Sanctity of Death is a bit more “refined” but it definitely continues what the Spearwound Salvation sought to achieve. With greater refinement, I think there’s a bit of compromise in terms of energy but it’s marginal. Yes, I would’ve liked more high octane, headbang-y tracks like A Skull Full of Stars (on their debut), but at the same time I see the band is growing in their musicianship and songwriting ways. Either way, I think the band’s sophomore effort is highly recommended especially if you enjoy the sounds of bands like Nifelheim, Watain, Bathory (the black/thrashy era) and Taake. Ultra Silvam pay homage to the gods while still retaining what is original to them and have a prominent place in the black metal underground!

Originally posted on Tempelores.com