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Hellveto > In the Glory of Heroes... > Reviews
Hellveto - In the Glory of Heroes...

More Hellveto - 94%

Noktorn, March 2nd, 2009

This is Hellveto's first release on Singaporean label Pulverised Records, and as such feels like something of a transitional album for the project. Feeling a bit more like an extended EP than a full-length album (it weighs in at a bit over half an hour minus two acoustic interlude tracks, though they're certainly as significant as compositions as any others), it's something of an odd duck in Hellveto's catalog, certainly signaling something of a shift in direction for the long-running project. It comes right in the middle of the pack as far as quality goes among Hellveto's other enormously well composed pieces, so while it's not necessarily the first thing a new Hellveto fan needs to acquire, it shouldn't be by any means ignored.

'In The Glory Of Heroes' sounds closer to 'Zmierzch' than anything, but minus many of the folky overtones of that release, favoring a more epic and neoclassical sound. The usage of extended interlude tracks is appropriate for Hellveto (probably the first time interludes have been appropriate on any metal release), providing a natural ebb and flow for the music where some might be intimidated by the sudden bursts of orchestral and metallic fire. These acoustic interludes, while being excellent pieces in and of themselves, are well used to pace the album and split it into more manageable chunks. It seems that the orchestral compositions, on the other hand, have become more bombastic than ever, with an occasional choir effect popping up here and there as well as clean vocals, presumably provided by L.O.N.; they weren't totally unknown before, but they take a much more prominent role on this release.

The fiery and neoclassical sound of this release makes for a very immediate and intense album from Hellveto, aggressive without the outward signs of it such as blast beats and tremolo riffing. Musically, this is structured just as previous material: intricate power chord riffing strummed underneath winding and clashing synthestra with tense vocals occasionally appearing for commentary. The neoclassicality of this release, though, pushes the vocals even further into the background of the compositions, making for a distinctly different Hellveto sound, particularly taking into account the excision of most folk elements. While the pagan elements of Hellveto's music are still at work, this is still much more classically inclined than usual, and in many ways seems like a simplified and extended form of the orchestrated barbarism found on 'Visions From The Past'.

Perhaps the weakest element of this release, surprisingly enough, is the production. It lacks some of the depth and grandeur of other Hellveto releases; not so much due to playing with the structure of the stringed and keyed instruments as much as the drums. The kit is in this case pushed much further forward in the mix, a big departure from Hellveto's typical drum production where the rhythms are low and kept obscured in the background as though heard distantly. In this case, the drums are actually perhaps the loudest thing in the mix, and while it does bring some added immediacy and aggression, it also diminishes the epic atmosphere that the rest of the instruments work so hard to create. Chalk it up to a failed experiment in mixing, I suppose.

'In The Glory Of Heroes', while not Hellveto's strongest release, is of course one that fans of the project will want to purchase at the soonest opportunity. Presented in a beautifully designed digipak and featuring perhaps one of Hellveto's best songs ever in the form of 'In The Depth Of Red Sky', this is certainly a production that no fan of the project will want to mix. While newer fans should seek out one of Hellveto's more accessible and typical (and available, I had to get mine imported from Singapore) releases, this is still a worthwhile album that could never be an inadvised purchase.