Oerheks set release date for new demo ‘Valkengebed’

Amor Fati Productions, in conspiracy with Babylon Doom Cult, announces October 28th as the international release date for Oerheks‘ third demo, Valkengebed. Amor Fati will handle the 12″ vinyl version while Babylon Doom Cult will handle the tape version.

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]