Nattverd - Tidloes Naadesloes

Angry Metal Guy 60

Receiving the tag “workman-like” is one of the great “damned with faint praise” phrases in all of musicdom. Implying, as it does, that a band is competent and hard-working without being especially noteworthy or innovative. Yet “workman-like” is precisely the tag that Norwegian black metal band Nattverd have attracted, pushing out 3 respectable, if fairly standard, albums since 2020 (and 4 in total since their debut in 2017). I’ve enjoyed most of their releases, even if they didn’t stay in rotation at Castle Doom for very long. Now they’re back with another album, Tidloes Naadesloes. Promising more icy, black metal goodness from the place that invented, packaged, and patented icy, black metal goodness, is Tidloes Naadesloes the album that will see them shed their working man label?

If you’re new here, or unfamiliar with Nattverd, these Norwegians play a brand of uncomplicated, frill-free black metal heavily inspired by their second-wave forebears. Think Immortal, Emperor, Taake, etc, etc. Early albums were too long and meandering, but they’ve tightened the sound significantly, while dialling up the aggression. The main problem Nattverd had was differentiating themselves from dozens of similar outfits, all with a similar vibe. It’s clear the band is trying to up their game and Tidloes Naadesloes does not rest on the group’s laurels, incorporating some serious guest vocalists (Taake’s Hoest contributes to 3 tracks while Slagmaur’s Dr. Von Hellreich also adds flavor), improved production, and a varied pace and temperament.

When Nattverd get things right, they produce extremely high-quality black metal. And Tidloes Naadesloes often gets things very right, especially when the guests are involved. Opener “Iskalde Horn” tears out of the speakers, combining just the right amount of ferocity, riffage, and icy bleakness. The tremolo work throughout Tidloes Naadesloes is absolutely top-notch – check “Hvisk Dekk Vekk” which incorporates its tremolos atop pounding riffs and some surprisingly gentle passages towards the song’s end. “De Sviande Ord Vaager Ikje For Sitt Liv” continues the trend, providing blast beat support that works beautifully. This slightly gentler tone is new for Nattverd, yet when they embrace it, as on the aforementioned tracks and “Udyr,” the results are surprisingly compelling and heartfelt. It’s a welcome new direction, and Tidloes Naadesloes is not afraid to try new ideas.

The problem with all of this is something that has bedeviled Nattverd for years: too often, they fall back into a slightly predictable pattern when the material is crying out for them to explore. Some tracks, like “Raate Og Raatt” and “For Aa Kunne Bli Doedt” are so paint-by-numbers that they threaten to derail the goodness that has come before. Stand and deliver black metal with few chords and fewer melodies that just bash out for a few doleful minutes before disappearing from the speakers and the listener’s brain. Any band could churn these out, and if Nattverd hadn’t demonstrated that they were capable of so much more on the song before, it wouldn’t be so frustrating. As it is, we have these fairly dull, filler tracks from time to time that don’t move the needle in any discernible direction. It’s maddening.

Tidloes Naadesloes demonstrates a black metal band that’s not content to rest on its laurels. Importantly, during its best moments, it proves that these guys have the chops to expand outward and create something beyond routine second-wave stuff. But those great moments are too frequently dulled by a retreat to the well-trodden. Nattverd have improved in so many ways from their early material: they’re tighter, meaner, and more disciplined. Now it’s time to abandon the second-wave safety blanket and forge their own sound. Tidloes Naadesloes is the sound of a transition; let’s hope they keep moving forward rather than retreating, or else the “workman-like” tag is one, like a bad odor that won’t go away.



Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: soulsellerrecords.com
Website: facebook.com/nattverdofficial
Releases Worldwide: March 21st, 2025

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