Maximum Metal Rating Legend
5 Excellent - Masterpiece. A classic.
4.5-4 Great - Almost perfect records but there's probably a lacking.
3.5 Good - Most of the record is good, but there may be some filler.
3 Average - Some good songs, some bad ones at about a half/half ratio.
2.5-2 Fair - Worth a listen, but best obtained by collectors.
1.5-1 Bad - Major problems with music, lyrics, production, etc.
0 Terrible - Waste of your life and time.

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Band
Hellveto
Title
Neoheresy
Type
LP/EP
Company
Pulverised
YOR
2008
Style
Heavy/Extreme
3/14/2012 - Review by: Etiam

Hellveto
Neoheresy

Company: Pulverised Records
Release: 2008
Genre: Heavy
Reviewer: Etiam

  • Leaves a stronger impression than some of its predecessors



  • In 'Neoheresy', the almost frustratingly prolific Hellveto delivers his 11th LP in a six-year span. Always worth an ear but never yet too surprising, Hellveto can always be counted on to for a dependable slab of martial pagan metal. The trademark of sole member L.O.N.'s writing consists of fairly simple riffs (straight picking rhythms, liberal use of drone notes) bolstered by sweeping orchestration--string synths, intermittent piano, some vocal 'oohs' and 'aahs'--that almost entirely comprise the album's melodic leads. Acoustic interludes, replete with whistle and serviceable vocal patches, lend Hellveto a more Celtic than Slavic vibe, so it is left to the distorted sections and the timbre of L.O.N.'s vocals to reaffirm Hellveto as a Polish entity. Which they do.

    Compared to other recent albums, relatively has changed in terms of songwriting or structure--L.O.N. still sounds as though he's shouting his lyrics to the overcast sky from atop a mist-wreathed knoll--and the running order on this album is completely arbitrary. Perhaps 'Neoheresy' is more straightforwardly aggressive than some of its recent kin, but these are shades of difference along a preexisting spectrum. Altogether, though, Hellveto has always been more about atmosphere than particular standout tracks, and 'Neoheresy' leaves a stronger impression than some of its predecessors. This is in large part due to an improved production; a side by side comparison with, say, 'In the Glory of Heroes', reveals the latter to be terribly muddy and compressed in comparison. 'Neoheresy', on the other hand, has the space to breathe, and a treble register quite absent in some other works.

    Bolstered by this open production, a few passages on 'Neoheresy' do manage to achieve particular distinction, such as the plaintive descending strings in 'Miczace Sumienie' or the swirling fury of 'Gdy Umiera Swit'. But the high that midsection achieves is blunted by the likes of the pedantic opener, 'Taran', which rides a monochromatic riff for seven plodding minutes, and other forgettable slogs through ancient battlefields. As a solo artist, L.O.N. has been able to write, arrange, and record at his sole discretion, which has clearly proved successful. But one has to wonder whether a collaborator (read: editor) would help raise Hellveto from mild distinction to outright celebration. At this point, no one doubts his credentials, nor his passion. Would it really be so bad to slow things down for a couple years and distill one great record out of two--or even three--decent ones?


    • 1 :REVIEW COUNT
      3 :AVE RATING

    ALL REVIEWS FOR: HELLVETO
    TITLE
    DOR
    COMPANY
    REVIEWER DATE MADE RATING
    In The Glory Of Heroes
    2006
    Pulverised
    Etiam6/25/2008
    3
    Neoheresy
    2008
    Pulverised
    Etiam3/14/2012
    3

    ALL INTERVIEWS FOR: HELLVETO
    INTERVIEW INTERVIEWER DATE TAGLINE


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