Wurdulak was originally formed in the year 2000 as a project of the Americans Fug, Frediablo and the infamous Killjoy but the project also features prominent Norwegian black metal members like Maniac from Mayhem, Iscariah from Immortal and Jehmod from Bloodthorn. Given the huge geographical differences, back then it seemed almost impossible to make a serious band out of Wurdulak. However, now, almost two years after their debut Ceremony In Flames, the band is taking their mission more serious than ever before and are delivering their newest piece of blasphemous black metal upon the masses.

The front cover outdoes its predecessor in vileness; a decomposing nun with severed eyes dangling from empty and bloody sockets, a wooden stake smashed into her mouth and a raven feasting on one of the dangling eyeballs portrayed with a perverted reality. It might seem overdone, however, anyone who knows Killjoy also knows he is a true addict of the horror genre, and in that light the cover does not refer so much to Satanism as it does to horror itself. Add to that the meaning of the word Wurdulak, a blood-drinking corpse, taken from Mario Bava’s horror movie “Black Sabbath”, and one can only conclude that indeed the whole concept refers more to horror than to Satanism.

However none of this is remotely important, what is important is the fact that Severed Eyes Of Possession is the best old school influenced black metal album I have heard in years. Wurdulak manages to walk the perilous path between originality and ideology where many others have failed and comes with an album that is both refreshing yet still utterly vile and dark. Whether true black metal fans will appreciate this album is very hard to say but one must acknowledge the fact that Wurdulak is certainly not selling out.

True, you will hear some acoustic guitars and yes, the album has a very good production but it is all done in such a truly dark and atmospheric manner, that sometimes reminds of old Bathory.

The music on Severed Eyes Of Possession is a mix of old school black, death and even thrash metal and influences are plenty but most dominate are the aforementioned Bathory, Mayhem, Immortal and Celtic Frost. While a song like “Perpetual Domination” strongly reminds of Mayhem’s legendary De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas album, a song like “The Exquisite Taste Of Selfishness” awakens memories of old Bathory. The level of variation on this album is very high and all the songs have compact and powerful song structuring with plenty of lead breaks and speed changes. Maniac and Killjoy opted this time to do the vo-kills (to say it in their own words) on different tracks, compared to the predecessor Ceremony In Flames on which they screamed and howled together in each and every song, resulting in an even more diverse sound.

Severed Eyes Of Possession ends the black metal onslaught in a magnificently wicked and atmospheric way. Demonic grunts, dark whisperings, wolf howls and pig squeals break the monotonous and tranquil melody that reminds of a lullaby and then, before you truly realize it, the album is done. An unfortunate premature ending of a 37 minute long album that could have played at least for another half hour. In a time that many black metal bands are turning their backs on true black metal and a whole new post black metal era has started, Wurdulak comes with an album that shows that old school black metal still lives!