Halve Galg is once again a deliciously filthy, raw and above all grimy little record. Don’t expect top-tier production , nor should you, because this release is all about atmosphere. Atmosphere that drags you rücksichtslos up the Galgenberg only to hang you from the highest beam.
Another one slipped through the cracks , something that happens more and more with the sheer amount of releases this year. This Halve Galg by Gelderland’s Erscheinung actually came out back in May. Only this week, while I was spinning the split 7” with Necromantic Worship again, I decided to look up more of Erscheinung’s material. And suddenly, there it was: Halve Galg.
Erscheinung is the brainchild of former Wederganger and Bezwering guitarist Martijn Reinders, whom we also know from Mondvolland, Gevlerkt and Tannenbart. Since 2021 he has been working on this excellent lo-fi black metal project, and the name is fitting, it truly is an apparition within the genre.
In 2022 he released the full-length Gelderse Nachtsagen, as well as a split with Fir and a handful of other EPs. Halve Galg fits perfectly among them: raw, idiosyncratic, and deeply rooted in the Gelderland atmosphere that makes Reinders’ work so instantly recognisable.
With six tracks, three of which are instrumental, the EP clocks in at just under 34 minutes. Unfortunately, it was released only on tape through New Era , and it’s long sold out. And honestly, this material deserves a vinyl reissue. Maybe as a 10”? Hint, hint.
So if you’re not afraid of a bit of grimy filth and you’re craving something raw, this one is highly recommended. Let the hunt for the tape begin!
90/100
Erscheinung:
Bandcamp