They’ll be celebrating in the streets of Llansanfrith or something like that but one man band Iselder or should that read Golfid has seen fit to release his debut EP mini album call it what you wish again this summer and to be fair it’s a welcome addition to my collection of acrid Black Celtic Metal.

I first came across Iselder when I heard ‘Metel Du Gwir’ during lockdown and was fascinated by his bilingual approach to the Black Metal genre. Sure, it’s not for everyone but it will appeal to those who love a bit of blackest Metal and those who have a passing interest in Wales for me being interested in both it was a no-brainer. So, I applied the corpse paint went down into the basement, and supped from the chalice as Beelzebub was summoned by some bone crunchingly loud Black Fucking Metal.

The album kicks off with a bleak Sabbath-inspired low end of ‘08.54’ where Golfid explains he is not a terrorist but I’m already in as he dabbles in the darker side of independence and for the next five minutes this indy-inspired blackness washes over me. ‘Freedom’ it’s a no-brainer lyrically as the solid thumping pounding song rides off into the sunset.

The songs pretty much hover around the four-minute mark and whilst Golfid has the bestial growl – it’s not the cookie monster of a lot of the scenes indecipherable which serves his lyrical imagery well, especially on the previously mentioned ‘Metal Du Gwir’ album. The titles are in welsh but the lyrics aren’t which in itself is interesting. It’s the early Mayhem slay on the heavily distorted guitar riffs that twist and turn. The pace might well be slightly one-dimensional but it doesn’t detract from the songs.

‘Butchers Apron’ lays out his feelings on the lie of the land in the UK and if you weren’t aware that there was indeed a Black Metal scene here in Wales you can now rectify that. It’s a fine line to treat when dealing with Black Metal and its politics and sure this is a heavily political artist we’re dealing with. Pride in where you come from is one thing and Iselder lays his cards on the table on album closer ‘Cymru Am Byth’ Whilst I can’t see him taking the stage at the World Cup or being involved with the Countries song for the World Cup and there are no ‘Yma Oh Hyd’ songs here I like what Iselder do and its another fine addition to a scene that needed representing from these shores.

We have a wonderful history every bit as mysterious as the Norwegians who rule this scene and when Golfid gets a band together I’m windmilling down the street of Llansanfrith and punching the air to ‘Fe godwn ni eto’ and the whole of this Red, White and Green Black Metal Massacre. Di Yawn Iselder

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