Album Review: Fire Smoked Upon the Wolf’s Back by Útgarðar (ATMF)

It’s 2024 but Útgarðar are bringing us back to the 1990’s with their traditional black metal debut release, Fire Smoked Upon the Wolf’s Back.

Fire Smoked Upon the Wolf’s Back will be released on the 23rd of February via ATMF, and takes the best of 90s black metal in terms of sounds, reverbs and atmospheres, with added unique and inspired guitar riffs and abysmal pounding drums. Those days may seem so long passed now but such was the impact of 90’s Black Metal that it still inspires countless bands today, including Útgarðar. With mentioned references such as Bathory’s self titled first album and Darkthrone’s A Blaze in the Northern Sky, you can, quite safely, make assumptions around Útgarðar’s sound and style.  There is the exact same raw but evocative power and the same genuine inspiration here, but with a better sound, a more powerful mix and all those underlying nuances that are often missing today.

Fire Smoked Upon the Wolf’s Back will be released in a 6 panels Digipak & Gatefold LP format editions. The LP is a limited edition though with just 300 to be pressed. 100 regular black, 100 bone and 100 grey so you may need to move quickly to grab a copy. A link to buy these will be at the bottom of this review.

It should be noted that Fire Smoked Upon the Wolf’s Back was originally released for streaming independantly in late 2023.

Útgarðar are Niðafjöll on drums, guitars and bass with Seiðr on lead guitars, vocals and choirs.

Fire Smoked Upon the Wolf’s Back comes with 5 tracks on it and a total run time of just under 32 minutes getting underway with The Pyres of Útgarð. The track jumps straight into it and hits hard with a really authentic traditional sound. Raw blackened growls, speed drums and riffs – if you told me this was an album from the 90’s, I would believe you. It’s very hard, very heavy and quite loose musically. It does change up though, adding the little moments Útgarðar will use to evolve their sound. A deeper, atmospheric switch comes with some backing chanting style singing that has plenty of melodic intrigue yet still works in the song overall. It feels natural, as does the screaming lead guitarwork that follows it. We switch between these two different styles seamlessly over the rest of the song and it works.

A powerful blast of traditional black metal, but with a clever touch of that something different to just give the band a little bit of their own identity.

In short, that is pretty much what you should expect over the whole of Fire Smoked Upon the Wolf’s Back. A really authentic, amost tribute like, ode to traditional black metal with a little added spice and some neat ideas. The tapping and really cathcy drums in the intro to Ymir Awakens won’t instantly feel like traditional black metal, but then it transofrms seamlessly into a powerful writhing beast of a track with echoing drums, barked vocals and pummeling speed riffs. The switch to a groove orientated drum beat part way through, the lead guitar melody and then the clean vocals, sitting way back in the mix, these are the moments, sometimes fleeting, that take the black metal assault, keep it heavy as hell, but make you take notice.

Trolls of Muspel, Trolls of Frost starts with a much more slowed down, menacing sound and some more of the neat lead guitar work and catchy drum beats. Of course it changes, soon coming at you hard and fast with some amazing riffing. Really full and enveloping tones take over and suffocate the senses. The dark and sinister slow down, with a few effects and gentle tapping sounds is seriously ominous, especially when the clean choir like chanting comes in. The thicker, meatier black metal style works wonders and will get heads banging. All of this coupled with those moments of intesne and raw traditonal black metal is making for a really exciting and interesting listen.

The title track, Fire Smoked Upon The Wolf’s Back, sees Útgarðar start more expansively. Catchy drums, big lead guitar sounds and big vocals that are clean, layered and chant like, makes for a hugely atmopheric start. The guitars sound awesome in a song that, aside from the “whoah” vocals, has a 3 minute long intro/instrumental start that really sucks you in and gets you into the zone before it then lets loose on you with vicious growled vocals, speed drums and quick riffs. I really like the menacing vocals a lot in a song that is probably my favourite so far. When everything comes back in at the end, the “whoah whoah” singing, the black metal vocals, the lead guitar melody, the heavy drums and riffs, all combining gloriously, it’s cemented firmly as my favourite.

We close out with Under Soil. Another banger though also more of the same top quality stuff. It starts with the atmospheric sounds we had haf way through Trolls of Muspel, Trolls of Frost. Some tapping sounds, some backing effects. I must admit, it puts you on edge, really setting a scene but also with you expecting it to suddenly switch, and waiting for it, you are left feeling a little uncertain. When it does, it is less of a transition and more of a hard stop, then restart with slowed down guitars and huge drum crashes before then switching again into a vicious onslaught of traditional black metal. Fast, loose, raw, heavy – you name it, they have it and bring it.

As is their style though, Útgarðar find plenty of time for some more changes as the song reaches it’s end. Moments where lead guitars take control for a bit, a slow down to a dark and sinister section with more of the clean vocals but working with the growl and a gentle but morose atmospheric section that fades away until the end.

Fire Smoked Upon The Wolf’s Back is a really strong release and it’s difficult to see it as a debut. Partly because it so often sounds like it is from an earlier time, but also because it is so well put togther and so well paced. I would assume this isn’t the guys in Útgarðar’s first rodeo. I’m also glad it isn’t overly stretched as an album as I think another 2 or 3 songs of the same style might start seeing repetition creep in but at this length, with these 5 tracks, it is perfect.

Musically, it slays, with very aggressive and intense traditional black metal but those little moments, they make all the difference for me. Whether it is in a pace change, a moment of atmosphere building, the cleans or the lead guitar work, songs I enjoyed became songs that I loved and that would keep me coming back for more. It’s a very strong release and should easily tread the line pleasing those black metal fans craving for the traditional and those who love that, but also like a little more.

Be sure to grab yourself a copy of Fire Smoked Upon the Wolf’s Back, the physical and limited edition LP, from here.

Útgarðar Links

Facebook – Instagram – YouTube – Bandcamp – Spotify – ATMF