Full Album Premiere: Heltekvad – ‘Morgenrødens Helvedesherre’

Heltekvad

Danes Heltekvan aren’t plying the plainchant on new album, Morgenrødens Helvedesherre, but rather a potent form of Medieval black metal. Sharing a cappelli di turchi with the likes of Véhémence, Obsequiae, Evol, and Stille Volk, Heltekvan have perfected despondent yet aggressive maypole music.

While Satyricon may’ve been one of the first to blend second-stage black metal with Medieval musical themes on Dark Medieval Times, the genre quickly morphed and splintered as the ages have moved forward. Heltekvad are the great-great grandson of the nihilistic jongleur style on Morgenrødens Helvedesherre. With tracks like “Morgenrødens åbenbaring,” “Ved sværdets klinge skal du forgå,” and “Døden står ved himmelens port,” Heltekvad are the newly crowned kings of the black metal Minnesinger.

Say Heltekvan: “A new dawn has risen. A hero is beginning his journey to cleanse the world from evil. Accompanied by trembling drums, shrieking screams and the sound of burning villages, he shall conquer all kingdoms and prove that he truly is ‘Morgenrødens Helvedesherre’.”

The Ars Nova may’ve been popular during Medieval Europe, but it’s now musica non grata, replaced herewith Heltekvad’s scorching, high-strung lute ‘n’ flute black metal. Dance with death and darkness on Morgenrødens Helvedesherre!

** Heltekvad’s new album, Morgenrødens Helvedesherre, is out March 25 on Eisenwald. Or LP, CD, cassette HERE or face the Pear of Anguish. Trust us, not the Pear of Anguish.