OERHEKS

On October 28th, Amor Fati Productions, in conspiracy with Babylon Doom Cult, will release Oerheks‘ third demo, Valkengebed; Amor Fati will handle the 12″ vinyl version while Babylon Doom Cult will handle the tape version. And today, we stream the demo in its entirety. Hear Oerheks‘ Valkengebed in its entirety here:

In seemingly swift succession, Belgium’s Oerheks have invigorated ancient Flemish black metal – pagan in approach, recalling stories as olde as the Hageland – across two demos, 2022’s Cagghenvinna and Landschapsanachronismen earlier this year. Perhaps it should come as no surprise that this newcomer has displayed so much mastery early on: Oerheks is another, keenly focused creative guise of the ever-prolific Hans Cools, renowned for labelmates Silver Knife as well as Hypothermia among many others. But, on evidence of the forthcoming Valkengebed demo, the band is very much set to be held in as high regard as Cools’ myriad other works.

Set to be released on October 28th – the night of the Hunting Moon, as an ode to the two hunters on which its lyrics focus – Valkengebed is a startling expansion of the Oerheks sound. Impossibly ethereal, almost sensually so, Valkengebed is an epic, two-song/27-minute work of dynamic songwriting and dense-yet-spacious layers. Valkengebed translates to “Falcon’s prayer,” the Dutch word for the moment falcons/kestrels hover in the air, searching for prey on the fields below, which is an apt metaphor for the sonic approach of the demo as a whole and its opening title track. Second track “Blauwe Vleugels” translates to “Blue Wings,” referring to the blue herons roaming the fields and marshes of Kaggevinne. Both birds serve as silent witnesses of the Kaggevinne area throughout the ages; their hegemony over the skies, the grandeur of their flight, and the inner peace they bring over the fields and forests of Kaggevinne are encapsulated by Oerheks‘ continually cresting black metal here, indeed imparting a levitational aspect that’s liberating despite the deeply traditional approach. The synth work alone is staggering, but the manner in which Cools incorporates it into the whole of the demo makes Valkengebed the band’s most awe-inspiring recording yet.

Completed by stunningly sympathetic artwork courtesy of Business for Satan, Valkengebed marks an undeniable apex for Oerheks. To commemorate this ascent, Amor Fati and Babylon Doom Cult will concurrently compile all three Oerheks demos onto a double-CD set titled Grondslagen.

Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Oerheks’ Valkengebed

1. Valkengebed [11:24]
2. Blauwe Vleugels [15:07]


MORE INFO:
www.oerheks.bandcamp.com

www.amor-fati-productions.de 
www.amorfatiproductions.bandcamp.com

Today, Amor Fati Productions announces February 22nd as the international release date for  the second demo from Oerheks, Landschapsanachronismen, on 12″ vinyl format.

It was but the late summer of 2022 when Oerheks made its public debut with Cagghenvinna, released on vinyl by Amor Fati. At the time of the demo’s release, Oerheks was a shadow-shrouded newcomer who concurrently made its debut alongside kindred spirits Aerdryk. Yet, despite this seeming newness, Cagghenvinna exhibited a truly ancient spirit: black metal from the deep heart of the Flemish Hageland, recalling stories as olde as the woods it spiritually roamed.

Now, emerging with the two-song/25-minute demo Landschapsanachronismen, Oerheks is revealed as the latest work of the prolific Hans Cools, renowned for labelmates Silver Knife as well as Hypothermia among many others. Remarkably, this epic short-length sees Cools exhibiting a raw desperation and urgency that’s blanching to behold. Yes, the black metal is still ancient as ever – arguably more so, in fact, firmly situating itself among the pagan touchstones of the mid ’90s – but what Oerheks imparts across Landschapsanachronismen is roiling melancholy merging with understated triumph. Both 12-minute tracks are as massive and majestic as the other, and the record’s flat-yet-full soundscape seems perfectly suited to these misty ruminations. Most remarkable of all, perhaps, is that this demo sounds even older and newer than its not-inconsiderable predecessor: truly, a timeless path well worth embarking upon. Cover and tracklisting are as follows: