ILLT – Urhat
Release Date: 16th September 2021
Label: Indie Recordings
Pre-Order
Genre: Blackened Death Metal, Thrash, Doom.
FFO: Darkthrone, Behemoth, Belphagor.
Review By: Calvin Ryan
Being a solo artist and unleashing a debut album of sickening Extreme Metal is an impressive feat. But to do it with session musicians that are used to the genre, and some who aren’t is impressive in its own right. The mastermind behind ILLT, Roy Westad, has a passionate love for the more extreme and darker sides of metal and he encapsulates them perfectly on Urhat as he tells the story of the ugliness in our world.
Millennial Judas Starts rough and keeps getting rougher and grislier as the opening track goes on with Westads vocals cutting deep through the riffs and cinder block weights of the guitars from Mr.Damage of Chrome Division fame and Karl Sanders of Nile tear through the Death meets Metalcore love affair. Sons Of The Northern Lights is a tender and loving tribute to the old Norwegian Black Metal scene as it’s almost as if Darkthrone & Emperor meet at last.
Scythian King continues the tribute of the old Black Metal scene mixed with more modern Metal elements to produce a mind bending concoction of squealing guitars backed by the furious machine gun drumming by Dirk Verbeuren of former Megadeth fame. Blood Of The Unbeliever is full as Behemoth have entered the studio but kept Westad on vocals to create the astonishing track that’ll make you want to start a ritual in your own living room.
Every Tree A Gallow & album closer The End Of All Things are one in the same where they still have the aggressive yet melodic side to ILLT that creates an oddly eerie atmosphere to the band that you didn’t think you’d hear, yet it’s hauntingly refreshing to end on the somber notes such as these.
It’s easy to get lost in this album for two reasons. If you either love or hate the darker aggressive genres of the underbelly of metal, or if the album encases you into its loving deathlike embrace like it did with me. I’m not normally one for heavier darker noise, but my god, Urhat blows most extreme metal albums away. If you need an introduction then look no further. It’s a disgusting, contorted trip into the mind of Westad and into our own world.
(4 / 5)
