Black Metal Spotlight with Helgardh

What’s in a Black Metal Name?

By M. A. Rivera

I’m not a real big fan of Black Metal, but as far as the genre goes, Helgardh is more listenable than most. The music is solid, muscular metal without being so extreme that it’s annoying, and the vocals are gorilla-y enough but not overdone.

What really caught my attention with Helgardh, was the name of the singer, Famine. Which as far as metal names goes, is darker, creepier and more memorable than say, Geoff. And less convoluted than some faux Scandanavian-mythical names floating about, like Thamuz, Mortifer, or some such, which in metal speak would be Sumszuuch. But Famine is strong, solid name. Famine evokes want, need and suffering.

It makes you think of barren deserts and war ravaged countrysides, cities under siege, pestilence, and a never ending, needful yearning. And the singer, while not a big boy by any stretch of the imagination, isn’t really in the size 28 waist band, just out of Andersonville, advertising for an Ethiopian getaway category either. He seems to not be missing any meals and is about a healthy one-seventy-five. So I was thinking, maybe it’s time for a name change.

Post-famine. Relief center. Munchies. Food drop. Buffet. Picnic. Abundance. Harvest time.

I don’t know what would be a good fit for this guy or the band, but Famine seems disingenuous. When everything else about them seems real. From their pointy, pointy letters in their name to their true to form black and white make-up, aggressive riffs and kick ass double bass drumming.

I think maybe Famine was once thin and solid as the neck on his ax. He’s not Meatloaf, not even close, but might want to consider hyphenating to Famine-Relief.

Be sure you Bang your head in earnest when you visit Helgardh at: www.facebook.com/helgardhlegion