Pakkt - Official Website


To Brocken Heights Where Witches Dance

Germany Country of Origin: Germany

To Brocken Heights Where Witches Dance
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Buy on: Bandcamp
Type: Full-Length
Release Date: December 24th, 2021
Genre: Black
1. Three Desecrated Hosts
2. To Brocken Heights Where Witches Dance
3. Grasp The Crown Of Horns
4. Circle Of Nameless Souls
5. Beyond The Bleeding Tide
6. Untitled


Review by Fernando on September 10, 2024.

One of the most interesting aspects of the Finnish black metal scene is how it embraces its elder statesmen as well as hungry newcomers, provided they show the same level of devotion and dedication mandatory of black metal. Today we have an interesting case of the former in the form of Förgjord. The band had developed a reputation as “your favorite Finnish black metal band’s favorite Finnish black metal band”, and they'll unleash their new record Perkeleen Weri, through the infamous cult-favorite label, Werewolf Records on September 9th, 2024.

Förgjord (at least according to Metallum) seems to have existed for as long as mainstays of the country’s luminaries like Horna and Behexen, but for whatever reason, and some name changes, didn’t release anything until the turn of the century, and since then, they have steadily released music at a relatively consistent pace. Throughout that time, the band was releasing albums, EPs, and splits where they carefully and meticulously crafted their sound, and Perkeleen Weri is another step forward for the band, that also hearkens back to the glory days of black metal.

The album opens with the raucous ‘Silmäinkääntäjä’ which starts with an eerie guitar melody accompanied by some equally ominous spoken word and dripping water, perfectly setting the tone of the album, and then the band bursts into some aggressive doomy riffs and rapacious growling vocals, followed by some classic Finnish black metal; fast, melodic and raw. And from there, the band kept building upon that start and never let up.

The whole album plays like some bizarre greatest hits record in the sense that each song feels distinct and unique from the last, but at the same time, the music as a whole flows organically and with cohesion from beginning to end. The band doesn’t waste a single second and tries their hand at every styling of black metal they can within their own unique brand of raw and melodic Finn black metal, from groove and riff-oriented rock bangers to punkish thrash, depressive and atmospheric dirges, and even combining them all in a single song, all the while keeping a tight and concise runtime of 35 minutes, there isn’t an ounce of filler or a wasted track. More impressively the band achieves this while keeping a minimalistic approach to the instrumentation, and a raw sound that perfectly elevates the music while being just crisp enough that you can hear each instrument and even some subtle flourishes of complexity in the guitar work, and subdued synths to reinforce the dark atmosphere.

Overall, the whole album is an excellent display of classic yet refreshing black metal, and while the band is still playing to their strengths and giving due reverence to the stylings of the early 90s, they do so with so much personality and confidence that you can’t help but just jam with it. This is a bit weird considering the lyrical content deals with the darkest and most violent chapters of the Savo region where the band is from, presented very matter-of-factly, so as to document those horrors, and the music is a perfect soundtrack for them.

Rating: 9 out of 10

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Review by Felix on June 15, 2022.

The Brocken is located in the Harz Mountains, a low mountain range in Germany. It has an eventful history and, among other things, served the Eastern Bloc for espionage purposes during the unfortunate German division thanks to a listening station fortified on it. Most mystical, however, is its significance as a witches' meeting place. That's probably what Pakkt thought when it came to recording their debut.

Three dudes run this band, but Mengamar is the mastermind and responsible for the vocals and all strings. He likes weird harmonies, he cannot deny a certain influence of Hellhammer / early Celtic Frost and he does not shy away from high velocity outbursts. Some parts sound pretty sick and they lack atmosphere. That’s a pity, because I thought that an album with the name To Brocken Heights Where Witches Dance would conjure up a coven in my mind's eye. Instead, the rather noisy, pretty blurred and unorthodox production gives one a constant feeling of uneasiness. But that’s not bad either. Pakkt wallow in pain, desperation and fury. Their songs do not follow conventional patterns, but the band does not fall victim to confusing structures. Thus, the first half of the album works pretty good, although I miss some sections that try to take possession of me. Nothing keeps sticking in my brain, which is a bit of a shame.

'Circle Of Nameless Souls', the first track of the album’s second half, suffers from an aimless and overlong intro section, but as soon as the song really begins, it is another pretty intensive, slightly dissonant attack. Mengamar plays the little brother of Attila, but it goes without saying that nobody will ever reach the perfection of the vocals of this living legend. The little brother takes another run-up in 'Beyond The Bleeding Tide' and this time also contributes obsessed-melodic vocals, but here Attila floats in other spheres as well. Anyhow, this song is an exciting mix of rumbling yet almost meditative sections and surprisingly soft elements in the second half. Finally, an “Ugh!” is also not missing – I think we cannot expect much more from a Pakkt song.

For the fact that the band came down to us from the Brocken out of the blue, it all makes for a good listen. At times, the individual instruments seem to be fighting with each other rather than coming together to form a piece of music. This sometimes makes it a bit exhausting to enjoy the album to the fullest. Apart from this detail, this works marks a solid start for this formation. If the protagonists are able to define their songs more clearly, they can become another serious force in the Teutonic underground. Dudes with a weakness for very variable but more or less always psycho-like vocals and totally uncommercial black metal should give this debut a try. And, by the way, the Brocken, which is developed for tourism today, is worth visiting.

Rating: 7.1 out of 10

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