Pyrrhula

Henrik Björkk has various musical personalities. In Mz.412, he unleashes scorching industrial electronics. As Vargr, he dissolves black metal into roiling dark ambience. His Nordvargr guise combines aspects of Mz.412 and Vargr. Pyrrhula is based on an old Swedish folktale, but that's hardly obvious from its ambient soundscapes. While the record lacks lyrics, it has plenty of vocals. These help make it more than just a foreboding video game soundtrack. Distant moans line the subterranean rumblings of "Another Weeping Doomlord Lost." Anguished cries erupt from the labyrinthine haze of "Hascimh Reborn." "Stripped of All But My Loyalty I Serve" reaches a fever pitch thanks to choral vocals that recall the soundtrack to The Omen. Cavernous reverbs and detailed sound design create an otherworldly atmosphere. "Pyrrhula One" is like a giant, buzzing electric lamp, while "Inwards to Salvation" is so astral, one can practically see space ships moving slowly overhead. The darkness here is free of histrionics, which only makes it more unsettling.