Album Review: Ovate – Ovate (Soulseller Records)

Soulseller Records presents the debut self-titled album of black metal band, Ovate featuring live members of Taake and Gorgoroth! The album will be released on June 1st 2018.

With attention grabbing riffs, hefty drum beats and roaring vocals, Ovate bring the fire immediately with Morgenstjerne and in a way that gets the juices well and truly flowing. Unsurprisingly, they have way more up their sleeve though as it takes on a deeper and richer rhythm in the latter half.

Song til ein orm continues the harsh but clean black metal sound that is all about providing thumping heaviness while proving to be a really exciting journey.

With tracks that go on for as long as 8+ minutes it is no real surprise that Ovate use the time to break a lot of the black metal conventions. Not going down the more common atmospheric route, instead the five tracks that make up this self-titled release have a more ancient and primal feel but without the rawness often associated with that style.

It’s a great album way before The Horned Forest King takes hold and then…it becomes something else. So heavy, so brutalising and so rage filled, it really is something special.

One of the best traditional black metal releases in years ends as strongly as it begun with the intense Inst I tanken. The longest track on the album, it’s layered with hard-hitting riffing, crunching percussion and wonderful dark vocals. A sublime finish to a sublime album.

Ovate – Ovate Full Track Listing:

1. Morgenstjerne
2. Song til ein orm
3. Illhug
4. The Horned Forest King
5. Inst I tanken

You can order the album now via Bandcamp and find out more by checking out Ovate on Facebook.