Review: Burnt Lodge + Veytik – Anchors Plunged Off Helluland (Split)
When I first stumbled across the black metal project Burnt Lodge in late 2024 via the album Intergenerational Anamnesis, I was immediately captivated by the project’s focus on historical storytelling and Native North American history. Call me a nerd (and you’d be correct), but I always appreciate when an artist puts care into crafting a cohesive narrative in addition to cool instrumentals.
When I received a request from Burnt Lodge’s creator, Xaaynuunaxre, to review his upcoming split with fellow melodic black metal project Veytik, I was intrigued. This was my first introduction to Veytik, a three-person band that focuses on Bronze Age lore. I wondered how these two bands would manage to reconcile their vastly differently geographic and historical subject matter in a single album.
I am happy to say that they pull it off, and they pull it off well.
Anchors Plunge off Helluland brings together two very different times and places: the North American Arctic during the time of the Beothuk, Taissumanialungmiut, and Tuniit peoples, and Italy and Greece during the Bronze Age. What holds these bands’ distinct foci together is not just the shared genre of melodic black metal, but also a mutual passion for history and storytelling. Together, Burnt Lodge and Veytik highlight their respective interests while coming together to create an epic narrative of war, loss, and cultural encounter spanning continents and the peoples who inhabit them.
The first two tracks belong to Burnt Lodge. “Brumal Premonition” kicks the split off to a powerful start with driving riffs and high pitched screams that contrast with the heaviness and depth of the guitar work. The melodic interlude part-way through the track gives the listener a brief chance to recover, before the energy ramps up again for a raging ending.
“Mother of the Deep” maintains this aggressive energy. The vocals on this track are particularly powerful, and it shocked me to learn that the artist has very limited vocal experience. I want to note the feeling of depth that both this track and the previous one carry, something that is often lacking in one-person black metal projects. I’m also a fan of the juicy guitar solo at 4:09. Unlike the opening track, this one never slows down, crashing straight into the title track that follows.
“Anchors Plunge off Helluland” thematically and musically holds the album together, as Burnt Lodge and Veytik join forces to create the album’s best track. The melodies here feel very maritime, perfectly fitting the album’s nautical themes. The main guitar riff is almost jazzy at points, and I love the runs that come in around 3:35 as the song shifts tempo. The back end of the track also features a lovely guitar solo.
The Veytik half of the album has a different structure, alternating acoustic interludes with the black metal tracks. The interludes, “Palinurus Et Somnus” and “A Feast in the Megaron of Olde Mycena,” situate us in Bronze Age Europe while breaking up the rapid-fire pace of the metal tracks. These interludes also don’t overstay their welcome. Other artists, take note!
“Tears Upon the Tomb of Patroclus” is a truly epic piece of music that accurately conveys the grief of the story from which it takes its name. Lust Hag’s Eleanor Harper was the perfect choice for guest vocals here; her anguished, haunting screech is nearly painful in its intensity. The guitars and drumming on this track are also fantastic.
Final track “Nuragic Walls and Ruthless Lordes” balances aggressive riffs with several quieter, moodier sections perfect for an album closer. The beginning of this track would not be out of place in an epic fantasy film. I want to shout out the musicianship of all three band members, who are all individually technically excellent but also balance nicely with each other. The final 15 seconds of the track leave off on a haunting, pensive note that doesn’t quite feel like an ending. This sense of ambiguity is a fitting close to a record grounded in themes of grief, memory, and the complex cycles of history.
4 out 5 Flaming Toilets ov Hell
I recommend this album for:
-history nerds
-guitar nerds
-melodic black metal fans
-anyone who appreciates thoughtful, well written music with a strong narrative concept
Anchors Plunged off Helluland releases on April 29th. You can purchase the album via the Bandcamp pages for Burnt Lodge and Veytik. You can also purchase the record digitally or in tape format through Fiadh Productions.
