Origin:	San Francisco, California, USA
Genres:	Black Metal

Page online:	May 6, 2015
Last update/review:	November 2, 2015

Vhöl

Whenever folks from different bands come together in a new project, the term "supergroup" is bandied about, and that's going to be the case here, though in a different manner. Bands like Agalloch, Yob, Ludicra and Hammers Of Misfortune may not be mainstream household names, but they all carry serious underground metal cred, and the fact that four members culled from these bands have come together and produced something that really sounds like none of the aforementioned groups is commendable indeed. The style on the self-titled debut is quite original, somewhat in the blackened hardcore thrash realm if genres must be named, a sound that is pummelling and relentless yet also nuanced. All four players shine here, with Mike Scheidt's distant roars a contrast from his Yob work and John Cobbett throwing riff after riff into the mix with ease. Not sure if this is a long-term project or a one-off, but Vhol is a seriously accomplished underground metal album that ranks with the best of 2013.