Stream the single and preorder the album here.

Releases on January 26th, 2024 via Naturmacht Productions

On the about section of this website, I wrote how this site is an embrace of the jarring juxtaposition and the weird, and BOARHAMMER’s debut LP, BOARHAMMER II: Chemognosis – A Shortcut to Mushrooms, certainly fits the bill. The German duo of The Vessel and Wodwoz describe themselves as ritualistic black metal, but I think this overly concise definition does not do BOARHAMMER justice.

BOARHAMMER’s first release, a demo tape entitled I: Cutting Wood for Magickal Purposes, made some waves in 2021, selling out of the tape pressing and laying the foundation for their sound: a grimey blend of black metal, psychedelia, epic heavy metal, doom, and punk that makes you feel like you’re being stalked in the woods by an ancient evil. II builds on this, further showcasing elements that set BOARHAMMER apart, such as the prominent, filthy bass and The Vessel’s semi-clean vocals that, somehow, feel more unsettling than nearly any more traditional black metal shrieks.

The opening track, “Entering Forest Twylite”, brings you into the world of BOARHAMMER, immersing the listener in a dark forest of doom and haunting dual vocal lines from The Vessel before jumping headfirst into a chaotic black metal riff. The high point of the track, ironically the dynamic low, comes around midway through, as the vocals take on a near narration quality over a subdued psychedelic passage that builds with pummeling rhythm hits, a trick BOARHAMMER is happy to revisit again and again throughout II, most prominently on “Tree Transvection,” which features a venomous narration of a ritual before erupting into a propulsive riff.

“Arboreal Portal Ritual,” which is available for your listening pleasure at the time of this article’s publication, showcases the range of BOARHAMMER, opening with a riff driven by powerful percussion and syncopated unison rhythms before sliding into a frenetic black metal section, which is then immediately followed by a percussion driven black and roll groove. Throughout all of its twists and turns, the vocals never cease soaring over and around the riffs. BOARHAMMER was clever to release this track early as a single, because if you like “Aroboreal Portal Ritual,” chances are that you’ll love the entire record.

The next track, “Behold Those Fell Candles,” is my personal favorite of the record, picking up where “Arboreal Portal Ritual” left off before kicking into the song proper with a disorienting, in terms of note choice, pickup riff. For my tastes, this track is the most successful marriage of the band’s doom and proto-black metal vibes, with some of the cleanest and most successful transitions between the two as well as some of the best riffs. The outro alone makes this one a standout.

While most bands opt to close a record with the heaviest or longest track on the record, BOARHAMMER, once again, zigs rather than zags by closing with the most psychadelic track on the record, “Lysovik – Midnight Conjuring at the Crossroads.” The track finds BOARHAMMER at its most harmonically adventurous, exploring chord progressions I would never expect to hear from a black metal band. Wodwoz’s guitarwork is prominently featured, building tension until the last breath of the album.

In less skilled hands, BOARHAMMER’s BOARHAMMER II: Chemognosis – A Shortcut to Mushrooms would be a confused mess, a stew of flavors that simply will not coalesce. Instead, the band takes these components and builds a compelling sonic world where a psychedelic break with spoken word vocals does not sound out of place next to doom and black metal riffs. I highly recommend this one to adventurous listeners.

Streaming for “Arboreal Portal Ritual” and preorders for the album are available at BOARHAMMER’s Bandcamp.

Note: There’s a ninth track, a cover, included on the physical release. I did not include it in this review.

For fans of: Black metal with strong psychedelic and doom influences

Perfect for: Walking alone at night through the woods

Favorite Track: “Behold Those Fell Candles”

Rating: 8.5/10