You may know Algol from his tenure as the bassist of depressive black metal giants Forgotten Tomb, but chances are you’re unfamiliar with his solo black metal band Hiems. Despite two decent albums in the 2000s, it seemed Hiems’ destiny was to remain obscure, as Algol chose instead to focus on Forgotten Tomb. Now, after a whopping 14 years of dormancy, Hiems is poised to release Stranger in a Wasteland. Algol has pulled out all the stops to reinvent Hiems: the sound is far removed from the early days, he’s found a new label in Agonia Records, and there’s been a stronger marketing push than ever before. The stage is set for Hiems to make an explosive return, but will Stranger in a Wasteland be enough to finally land Hiems in the spotlight?
One of the most surprising things about Stranger in a Wasteland is the production. For a one-man black metal band—a phrase that carries no small amount of venom in the crypts of AMG—this is some uncharacteristically listenable black metal. Algol eschews the dissonant vitriol of previous Hiems releases here, instead emulating the black n’ roll of Satyricon, and it really works. The riffs are groovy, the growls are nasty, and the mix places them both front and center exactly where they should be. The opener “A Night on the Bare Mountain” foreshadows exactly what to expect for the duration of Stranger in a Wasteland: catchy, deliberate guitar riffs accentuated with an oh-so-satisfying crunch, and Algol’s unmistakably Abbath-esque vocal delivery complementing the dark rock vibes. This is an easy album to listen to, and the filthy Satyricon tone is an excellent evolution of Hiems’ sound.
Algol’s ability to craft great riffs and choruses is the strongest part of Stranger in a Wasteland. Between the death march of a core riff in the conveniently titled “March!” and the blackened flailing of “Master of Lies,” the music is full of endearing black n’ roll grime. You really feel it in your bones when things slow down and Algol belches out the chorus of “The Rites of Terror.” Everything in Stranger in a Wasteland is written with immediacy in mind, and it makes for an album that’s easy to just pick up and listen to. Algol’s more dynamic side does shine through with the moody darkwave of “Quietus” and the gothic Type O Negative energy of “Bereavement.” While it’s easy to wonder about the type of album Algol could make if he leaned further into these dynamic sensibilities, the straightforward appeal of Stranger in a Wasteland’s riff factory is undeniable.
Alas, all the best parts of Stranger in a Wasteland are deflated by lackluster editing. The riffs have nowhere near enough variety to sustain a 54-minute runtime, and they quickly begin to feel overwrought. Songs will start with an excellent hook and then slowly wear you down, with riffs sounding aimless in rockers like “Better off Dead” or stretched out way too thin in the longer “March!” and “Death Unites Us.” Even a slight trim would keep the album from dragging the way it does. Songs should not continue for over a full minute after reaching their logical conclusion, and tracks like “Bereavement” and “Master of Lies” suffer for it. As it stands, there’s not a single song where the skip button doesn’t begin to tempt by the end. It’s so frustrating because Algol’s riff-crafting is excellent, and it’s obvious that there’s a great album hidden somewhere within Stranger in a Wasteland. It’s simply buried beneath a crushing layer of padding.
What a loss that Hiems’ first release in 14 years is little more than, well, just another Hiems album. While Stranger in a Wasteland is an excellent-sounding album full of dark, catchy riffs, the excessive padding guts the overall impact. This should’ve been an album that put Hiems back on the map, but the foundation is laid for that to happen in the future. For now, Algol has at least successfully reinvented Hiems, and for the next release, I hope that he delivers on that potential. Ideally before 2037.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Agonia Records
Websites: facebook.com/hiemsofficial | hiemsofficial.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: September 8th, 2023
