Ildjarn - 2002 - 1992-1995

Out of Norway comes Ildjarn, the essence of aggression put to tape. The music hardly has an equal, and can't really be compared to much else. Here we are presented with a mix between the simplicity of Punk and the aggression of Black Metal. The only band that Ildjarn himself was not involved with sounding anything similar would be Ødelegger on the End of Tides album, and to some extent Bone Awl, though there is more variation in their music. 28 tracks and 72 minutes is what we get here, all recorded, to everyones surprise, during the years 1992-1995. This is somewhat of a best of from this productive era, with a few previously unreleased tracks thrown in for good measure. The thing with this one man band is the genious simplicity and repetition that makes out the tracks. Two to three different riffs repeated for about as many minutes, with monotonous yet oh so effective minimalistic drums and hate filled vocals. The music is, more often than not, mid-paced to fast.

The production is filthy and raw, adding to the hate emanating from this album. Despite this you can hear all the instruments. The guitars and the drums are the driving force, with the vocals also being in the front. This is extreme in its aggression and simplicity, certainly not music for everyone, but if you understand it you will cherish it, and return to it again and again. If you haven't really heard any Ildjarn before this is a good album to start with, along with Det Frysende Nordariket, both being compilations of tracks from different recordings. Many of the compositions on this album are pure genious. As with all Ildjarn releases this is limited.

Standout tracks are "Dark December", "Kronet", "Whispering Breeze", "Inanimate", "Taakeheim",
"Skogssvinet", "Utsyn 3" and "Krigere", with "Skogssvinet" and "Krigere" being essential Ildjarn.

Wednesday January 18 2006, by :Vragh:

Bone Awl - 2003 - Bog Bodies

Out of the US comes this quite prolific Black Metal duo. This is their third release of so far 19 tapes and vinyls, presenting us with four tracks of Lo-Fi Black Metal, the last one being an instrumental outro. What really makes this band stand out from the crowd is the aggression that seems to boil just under the surface, becoming visible from time to time, a feeling of barely controlled rage.

The vocals are mostly raspy guttural shrieks, reminiscent of a more guttural version of Ildjarn and perhaps even of Varg Vikernes earlier vocals, though on the opposite side of the spectrum, being not shrieky but lower and darker, somewhat towards the vocal approach found in some of the depressive Black Metal acts or even in grindcore bands.

Musically the closest thing to Bone Awl would again be Ildjarn but with a bit more Punk in the mix and with a bit more variation. This takes the concept of minimalistic Black Metal a bit further, actually making good music and presenting it in a rougher and less polished way, rather than not being able to handle their instruments as many other bands today, that present their music very stripped down just because they can not play properly.

The soundquality on the different Bone Awl releases varies a lot, but this release actually has quite good sound. What you hear most in the mix are the drums, followed by the guitar and vocals. The bass can be heard as well, which is not the most common thing in this genre. This is above regular demoquality, but still quite rough. The original tape was limited to 300 copies, but there is a vinyl out that collects this and the first demo, which most likely is more readily available, simply called Bog Bodies/Magnetism of War. Highly recommended!

Standout tracks are "Lindow Man" and the outro "Virvatulet", a track I greatly appreciate. A slow, repetitive and crushing eleven minute beast.

Sunday October 12 2008, by :Vragh:

Ancestors - 2006 - Ancestors

Out of the US comes another very interesting horde with five intense tracks of aggression. Filthy, hateful and noisy, this band fills the gap left by Ildjarn. The simplicity is there, as is the hatred. The sound is also rather similar of Ildjarn's later releases, just slightly more chaotic. Many bands have tried to reach the sound that Vidar Vaaer had on his classic output before he declared Ildjarn dead, however the simplicity of Ildjarn seems to be rather hard to copy as there are few who succeed. Some have made their own interpretation to much greater success. Bone Awl for one, Ancestors and Vordr are other good examples.

As with Ildjarn, the vocals are high pitched shrieks, though the vocals presented here have a distinct sound of despair which I don't find in Ildjarn.

The sound is set very high on this release, which makes for a very chaotic experience. You mainly
hear the guitars in the mix, followed by the drums and the vocals. This is pure audial aggression!

Released as a tape twice and then as a 12", all released in very limited quantities. I would suggest you buy it if you find it!

Stand out tracks are "III" and "IV".

Saturday August 22 2009, by :Vragh: