Although Kharon only appeared as a bassist on Covenant‘s demo tape “From The Storm of Shadows” in 1994, he left the band immediately after recording, so there aren’t any similarities in the music between the two bands. Musically, Ekrom is beyond doubt one of those that plays black metal music in the old-fashioned way, and this is because the duo genuinely understand how to create the classic feeling.

Kicking off with dense guitar riffs on the album’s opener “Bell Witch” Ekrom displays its unique sound of mixing grim black metal with such professionalism thus making a great start for the album. Kharon utilizes blackened thrash metal riffs which give the music a raw character sound, the scorching tremolos are backed by blast beats. And however the following track “The Black Flame of Seth” begins with the cozy ambiance of the synth arrangement, creating a chilly dark aura, the mystique, and majesty of the musical setting reveal the splendor of Norwegian black metal.

Ekrom combines plenty of atmospheres, chilly tremolos, haunting croaking vocals, and imposing nostalgic melodies of sheer beauty. The juxtaposition of the raw guitar riffs serves as a grimmer contrast to the pounding drums although nothing groundbreaking, the music is simply great. While the synth sounds otherworldly and profuse, it brims with eeriness and serves as a counterpoint to the rest of the songs. Meanwhile, “The Black Hearted Ragana” is one of the grimmest tracks with a unique mystical feel, it contains slow-paced tempos and the guitars contrast the dark atmospheric synth.

“Uten Nådigst Formildelse” holds the essence of 90s black metal, the duo draws on the Norwegian aesthetic of bands like Emperor, Gehenna, and Carpathian Forest. The buzzing sound of the guitars from the melodic tremolo chords including the textured synth and the drumming is wonderful. Ekrom presents a superb slab of atmospheric/grim black metal, the tempos on the album are mostly mid-paced with some slower and chilly passages. Albeit, the majority of the songs contain tons of melodic tremolo riffs, the grim-sounding vocals maintain the raw evil quality. “Abyss of Eternity” then begins with a focused slab of blast beats and while the mid-paced section is full of cold icy rhythms, there is a sense of primitivism in these sharp tremolo riffs.

Ekrom perfectly managed to capture the atmospheric essence by achieving a classic sound, but most importantly the music evokes a mystical feel by unfolding the grim spirit of black metal. The songwriting goes for a traditional sound on the first full-length album, there are some moments that are blisteringly fast and often some slower sections that give off a dark, majestic atmosphere. The vocals are just amazing, capturing the creeping style of black metal screeches, every song swirl in with a powerful tremolo surging through the cold freezing atmosphere. The slow acoustic intro of the song “Misanthropy Void” creates some moments of clarity before the guitar launches into a menacing tremolo riffing. The harsh rattling drums stir the tempo and the rasping of croaking growls sends shrills down your spine.

“I Djevelens Skygge” shows the diversity of the drums in the musical approach, we have some up-tempo sections that offer some gloomy ambient synth. Ekrom perfectly compiles the melodic lines and presents some interesting riff patterns, the integration of the synth passages emphasizes the aura of the music and invites you to enter into a trance state. As veterans of the Norwegian black metal scene, Kharon and Thomas Ødegaard truly understand how to use these hypnotic effects and for this reason “Uten Nådigst Formildelse” has ancient characteristics.

Even darker riffs are used in the song “My End” but this time the duo reinforces the composition by providing powerful percussion and aggressive guitar insertions. The uncanny synth in the ending section of this track imbues an epic quality, with the tremolo riffing serving as a perfect backdrop to the drums. The album ends with one of my favorite songs “When I Enter The World Of Unknown” which effectively portrays the sonic composition from the rhythmic sound of the bass guitar, in addition, the guitar’s emphasis of tremolo picked riffs. Ekrom never loses the focus, even in the final moments, the duo honors the authenticity of Norwegian black metal.

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