Album Review: Häxär – Teufelskult

Band: Häxär
Title: Teufelskult
Label: Purify Through Fire
Release date: October 31, 2025
Country: Switzerland
Format reviewed:High-quality digital recording

Album Review: Häxär – Teufelskult via Purify Through Fire by Consanguineus

Despite its Scandinavian-sounding name, Häxär does not emerge from Norway’s frozen fjords but from the Swiss Alps. The project is the work of Valentin Schwarz — also known as V. Noir — whom many will recognize from Ernte, a band that released an album through Vendetta last year. This time, on October 31st, he returns via Purity Through Fire with his latest offering, Teufelskult.

Where last year’s Ich Bin die Schwärze felt like a fairly standard Black Metal record, Teufelskult begins to carve out a much sharper vision of where V. Noir intends to take Häxär. The production marks a noticeable improvement: raw yet precise, built upon razor-edged riffs, a hammering rhythm section, and Schwarz’s piercing vocal delivery.

One important shift is the absence of cover tracks, which appeared somewhat awkwardly on the debut. While covers can work well as bonus material or curiosities, their inclusion on Ich Bin die Schwärze felt unnecessary. Their omission here suggests greater confidence in his own songwriting — and Teufelskult certainly benefits from it.

The album represents a clear step forward, and if Häxär continues down this relentless path, we can expect increasingly striking work in the future. The foundation is firmly rooted in the second wave of Black Metal: the coldness, the raw riffing, and the uncompromising atmosphere are all present. Yet Schwarz manages to inject his own voice into the soundscape, preventing the music from being just a nostalgic echo. Instead, Teufelskult becomes a vivid and modern interpretation of a genre that still thrives on evolution.

Highlights include the crushing “Bastardis” and the slower, almost epic “Prozession der Wölfe”, which even opens with a surprising fragment of the classic Lili Marleen by Lale Andersen. These moments showcase Häxär’s ability to balance fury with atmosphere, and aggression with subtlety.

With Teufelskult, Häxär delivers a compelling record that demonstrates significant growth. It honors Black Metal’s traditions while confidently pushing forward, leaving listeners eager to see how this project will continue to develop in the years ahead. 8/10

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