Trhä - the most mysterious band in black metal - a discography review.
There isn't much known about the elusive black metal band Trhä, most likely on purpose: their mystery is part of the band's appeal. When it comes to Trhä's public appearance, darkness is their home, and they only leave ever so briefly to release their punishing albums before retreating once again.
Of course, this approach sparked the intrigue of a small community of loyal followers, who somehow revel in the comfort of never being able to fully understand what they are listening to. Trhä was not able to find a widespread audience for their music... and that's okay; it's unlikely they ever expected much success.
Since Trhä uses an unknown language for their lyrics, it is very difficult to comprehend any lyrical content, especially since there are no translations. This adds a further level of complexity to comprehending their already inconceivable music.
In Trhä's fantastical world of sound, they hold the key to the entrance, and the rest of us are simply left to imagine what could be on the other side.
Nvenlanëg: The Power of Noise
Trhä's debut came in 2020, with the gargantuan Nvenlanëg. While Nvenlanëg is clearly derivative of many black metal classics such as Darkthrone's brilliant Transylvanian Hunger, with its hypnotic riffs, toaster oven production, and unintelligible vocal performances, Trhä immediately introduced themselves as a mind of their own.
The album opens with Ilhelhen Majlan: a stunning 24-minute behemoth that feels larger than life. A haunting synth ambience lulls the listener into a dream-like stupor, as though you were a ghost floating through the treetops of an ancient forest... only to have any remaining life force drained from your body as the pummeling riffs kick in only a minute into the track.
The drumming here is one of the main draws of the album, as it progresses forward with enough momentum to bring the music to a startling speed. The production is raw but drowned in a sinister ambience as though the guitars are being dissolved in acid. And it is almost impossible to make out frontman Thét Älëf's vocals, as they are easily overcome by the weight of the album, which threatens to drag him under into oblivion.
Despite all of this, it is rather easy to latch onto Nvenlanëg, as the ambience allows the heaviness to be manageable on the ears, and the various riffs that appear every now and then can only be best described as catchy. This keeps the listener on their toes, even while Nvenlanëg begins to lure them into hypnosis. At the end of the album, the noise fades away into a bliss similar to the start, though this time it's as if you've died twice and made it beyond heaven.
lhum Jolhduc: A Slow Death
Later in the year, Trhä released Novej Kalhnjënno, which carried a more vibrant life force instilled with punk-rock energy. Ultimately, Novej Kalhnjënno would be overshadowed by Ihum Jolhduc in 2021, which adequately introduced listeners to the softer side of their sound.
While it was clear from the beginning that Trhä's music was not for the faint of heart, it certainly wasn't for the vicious and hateful. The album cover depicting a garden, the somber ambience, and the slow but cinematic riffs established that Trhä's music was an illustration of beauty, not evil. Ihum Jolhduc is more of an exploration of desperation, and carries with it the fury of a voice that wants to be heard at all costs.
Ihum Jolhduc begins as the first track, Dolh, takes off at breakneck speed, only rarely sacrificing its intensity for brief moments of mournful respite. However, while Ihum Jolhduc starts with a bang, it ends with a whisper: the final cries of a mind succumbing to its own anarchy.
Ihum Jolhduc is a concise and heartfelt representation of Trhä's skill as an artist, but their full potential would not be fully realized until later that year.
Endlhëtonëg: The End of An Era
Trhä's 5th release is titled Endlhëtonëg, released in 2021. If you thought that Nvenlanëg was a revelation: think again. At first, it didn't seem possible that Trhä would be able to take their sound and evolve it even further, but that's exactly what they achieved on Endlhëtonëg. Though it's probably best to describe the album as a devolution: as the structure, sound, and vocals feel even more disjointed and deconstructed than ever before.
Gone are the catchy riffs and heavy production; instead replaced with an ambient-driven experience that blurs the line of what counts as music. And while the beauty of their previous records still remains, it has been tainted by an entity with more nefarious intentions. The instruments feel like puppets, attached by strings to the puppet master who screams at them to keep playing, even as their world begins to burn around them. It's a war of epic proportions, and as the bells toll, the ambience fades into an ominous single droning tone... then all hell breaks loose on the final track, which is appropriately the title track. This is Trhä's magnum opus, and easily one of, if not, the greatest black metal track of all time. The instruments swell to a fever pitch, only to fall back to silence over and over again. Each time they come back stronger, fiercer, and determined to make a breakthrough. The screams give way to a stronger voice; a Gregorian chant of rhythmic beauty. It is a revolution of the many against the one, and as the final agonizing screams of the oppressor buckle under the immense pressure of the onslaught, the clock strikes midnight.
New beginnings, both for Trhä and for black metal as a whole. Endlhëtonëg is visceral, it's painful, but above all it's liberating.
Tálcunnana and Mã Héshiva: Two Colliding Worlds
At this point, Trhä has already developed a discography worthy of being mentioned next to black metal staples such as Burzum and Ulver, but even after the unyielding force of nature that was Endlhëtonëg, Trhä still had more to revolutionize.
While at the end of 2021 Trhä released the amazing Inagape, their next musical leap came in the form of their first two 2022 outputs, "tálcunnana dëhajma tun dejl bënatsë abcul’han dlhenisë ëlh inagat, jahadlhë adrhasha...", and "mã Héshiva õn dahh Khata trhândlha vand ëfd datnen Aghen Ecíës drhãtdlhan savd", respectively. For such complex titles, Tálcunnana and Mã Héshiva were focused on striking simplicity.
There is only one track in each respective album: the title track, albeit they are both 45 minutes long. Because of this, Tálcunnana and Mã Héshiva are Trhä's least accessible projects, as the concept of a singular song full of so much depth can be overwhelming.
However, the light and playful melodies of Tálcunnana, which are fit with the gentleness of an early spring day, make Tálcunnana unlike anything Trhä had produced. In many ways, Tálcunnana could be seen as a continuation of Endlhëtonëg, reflecting on the aftermath of the violence that plagued its soundscape.
Instead, Tálcunnana feels akin to a celebration of life, and demonstrates Trhä's first exploration of genuine happiness. Imagine a lively festival in the center of a fantastical city; fit with fireworks, fairies, and the fresh flavors of fine food: that is the adventure that is Tálcunnana.
In contrast, Mã Héshiva is soaring and punishing, full of spiraling guitar solos that circle through the jagged peaks of its soundscape. Mã Héshiva swaps out the synths of Tálcunnana for some acoustic instrumentation of complex piano melodies and calming guitar strumming segments, anchoring the album as though it were an ancient relic.
Trhä wields strong classical influences on Mã Héshiva like a sword: bringing its impressive counterpoint and cinematic authority to a climax.
In Tálcunnana and Mã Héshiva, Trhä dials into a specific world theme, fleshing them out completely while never straying far from the core ideals of each.
Vat Gëlénva!!!: Triumph Over Identity
Trhä has continued to release albums well into 2022 and 2023, but there's only one more that truly counts. The final act in the saga, and the last good album Trhä has released is Vat Gëlénva!!!. This album has officially cemented, in my mind, Trhä's rank as the greatest black metal band of all time.
In the constantly evolving world of Trhä's music, Vat Gëlénva!!! is as close of a conclusion to the saga as we are going to get. Vat Gëlénva!!! is a perfect culmination of Trhä's work up to this point, from the absolute power of Nvenlanëg, the grief of Ihum Jolhduc, the sinister ambience of Endlhëtonëg, and the potent simplicity of Tálcunnana and Mã Héshiva.
Compared to any of Trhä's other releases, Vat Gëlénva!!! is the most direct, structured, and easily understood. This is immediately obvious from the louder production, heavy riffs, and clear vocals (finally). Trhä is in control, and is finally ready to show themselves in true form. The melodies are immediately catchy, and while it's easy to nod your head along to Vat Gëlénva!!!, it's difficult not to be shocked by the raw energy that feels refined to a sharp point.
The opening track, Ijushtaeshrhenlhe jecan glezma, is a perfect example of this. In this track, the ambience takes a backseat, allowing the guitarwork to shine through. The initial speedy riffs give way to stuttering jabs, which give way again to a slower, majestic march. In other tracks such as Odenthandela von la gonmetwa, synths play a jubilant dance over the chaos of the guitars, introducing a beautiful dichotomy that eventually yields halfway through to what sounds like circus music.
To categorize Vat Gëlénva!!! into a singular theme like Tálcunnana or Mã Héshiva would be to ignore what makes Vat Gëlénva!!! Trhä's best work. Vat Gëlénva!!! thrives in its ability to feel like a true journey that is vastly different by the end than it was at the beginning. Every track has something new to offer, and whether you want to listen to some fantastic instrumentation, or zone out to some brilliant soundscapes, Vat Gëlénva!!! will serve you with pleasure.
In 10 years' time, I do not know if Trhä will be recognized as the genre-defining band that they are, or if they will be forgotten and left as a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered. It certainly does not matter, as Trhä's music does not care about recognition, or any of its listeners. It only cares for itself, and it's hard not to feel as though I am intruding on something I should never have found when I listen to their music.
My interpretations of each of these albums will surely wildly differ from others' opinions, but that is part of the draw of Trhä: everyone can find something. It's not easy to listen to music that has no rules, but for those who can take the time to immerse themselves in the world of Trhä's music, they will surely discover something that is unforgettable.
Album Rankings and Links:
Nvenlanëg
Novej Kalhnjënno
Amazon Music
Ihum Jolhduc
Endlhëtonëg
Inagape
Tálcunnana
Mã Héshiva
Vat Gëlénva!!!
Thank you for reading!!! This is my first blog post, I would love to hear your thoughts.