All images by H. Hallberg
 |
| Taakeferd |
 | ||
Nebular Mystic
|
 |
| Aura Noir |
 |
| Aura Noir |
 | ||||||||||||||
Arcturus
|
 |
| Tsjuder |
 |
| Tsjuder |
 |
| Tsjuder |
 |
| Gehenna |
 |
| Gehenna |
 |
| Gehenna |
 |
| Dissection |
 |
| Dissection |
 |
| Dissection |
 |
| Dissection |
 |
| Dissection |
Showing posts with label Norway. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Norway. Show all posts
Thursday, November 24, 2016
The Inferno Festival Live Pics 20050324-26
Monday, November 21, 2016
Trelldom - 1999 - Til Et Annet...
This is Norwegian band Trelldom's second album, and what an album it is! The production is greatly improved from their first album. The songs are better arranged, and everything about this album just feels right. Gaahl, founder and only fulltime member, has really outdone himself here. This is very well executed, rather fast, harsh Black Metal with some even faster parts at times, and good sound to boot. Some similarities can be drawn to Gorgoroth, but that might not be so strange since Gaahl does the vocals in Gorgoroth as well.
I don't think I have heard anything that is really similar to this album. Something about the drums and the repetitive songstructures that work extremely well makes this album stand out from the crowd.
A perfect example of this is the song "Slave Til en Kommende Natt". Mutt, currently in Taake, handles the drums on this album, and his playing reminds me in a way of the drumwork by Fenriz on Darkthrone's Soulside Journey, although not as technical, mainly because the drums are used as a full instrument. Strangely enough this release hasn't been nearly as well circulated as it deserves. This is one of the hidden gems of Black Metal. Gaahl is also a member of Gaahlskagg, Gorgoroth and Sigfader.
Standout tracks are "Slave Til en Kommende Natt", "Min Död til Ende", "Höyt Opp i Dypet" and "Sonar Dreyri".
Friday February 6 2004, by :Vragh:
I don't think I have heard anything that is really similar to this album. Something about the drums and the repetitive songstructures that work extremely well makes this album stand out from the crowd.
A perfect example of this is the song "Slave Til en Kommende Natt". Mutt, currently in Taake, handles the drums on this album, and his playing reminds me in a way of the drumwork by Fenriz on Darkthrone's Soulside Journey, although not as technical, mainly because the drums are used as a full instrument. Strangely enough this release hasn't been nearly as well circulated as it deserves. This is one of the hidden gems of Black Metal. Gaahl is also a member of Gaahlskagg, Gorgoroth and Sigfader.
Standout tracks are "Slave Til en Kommende Natt", "Min Död til Ende", "Höyt Opp i Dypet" and "Sonar Dreyri".
Friday February 6 2004, by :Vragh:
Skaur - 2005 - En Hymne til Dauden
Out of Norway comes this one man Black Metal band with a rerecording of a previous demo bearing the same name. This version has been rearranged to bring together the 4 tracks on the previous release into one long track, which works very well. The music is mid-paced to fast, slightly melodic,
rather epic and very aggressive Black Metal, with quite a few acoustic parts. Earlier Ulver comes to mind, as well as Kampfar and Gorgoroth, but with a big chunk of originality, which is not something you find every day in the Black Metal scene of today.
The vocals mostly remind me of the distorted snarls by Gaahl on the Destroyer album by Gorgoroth, though more raspy than guttural.
The soundquality of the recording is well above the regular demo sound, rather clear and yet comfortingly filthy. The different instruments can be heard in the mix, though the vocals and the guitar are slightly in the front of the mix. The production reminds me of Gorgoroth's earlier efforts, though this has a superior sound. This comes very highly recommended! The original demo is sold out, but this track is also available on the split with Riddle of Meander. I strongly urge you to check
this out.
Thursday November 15 2007, by :Vragh:
rather epic and very aggressive Black Metal, with quite a few acoustic parts. Earlier Ulver comes to mind, as well as Kampfar and Gorgoroth, but with a big chunk of originality, which is not something you find every day in the Black Metal scene of today.
The vocals mostly remind me of the distorted snarls by Gaahl on the Destroyer album by Gorgoroth, though more raspy than guttural.
The soundquality of the recording is well above the regular demo sound, rather clear and yet comfortingly filthy. The different instruments can be heard in the mix, though the vocals and the guitar are slightly in the front of the mix. The production reminds me of Gorgoroth's earlier efforts, though this has a superior sound. This comes very highly recommended! The original demo is sold out, but this track is also available on the split with Riddle of Meander. I strongly urge you to check
this out.
Thursday November 15 2007, by :Vragh:
Sunday, November 20, 2016
Orcustus - 2002 - Demo
Orcustus is a Norwegian Black Metal band with a few rather known names in the ranks. Tormentor (Gorgoroth, Gaahlskagg), Dirge Rep (Gehenna, Enslaved) and Infernus (Gorgoroth) are members of this band, along with newcomer Taipan. This demo is really great, retro Black Metal at its finest.
The soundquality and vocals give a feeling of classic 1992-93 era Black Metal with the vocals sounding reminiscent to those of Emperor on their split with Enslaved and Marduk on their Those of the Unlight album.
The music is midpaced to fast with influences from the Emperor part of the aforementioned Emperor / Enslaved split and early Gorgoroth. The last track, "Lucifuge Damnation", could very well have been from Zyklon-B's Blood Must be Shed MCD. This is very interesting, and the coming fullength, to be released probably towards the end of 2004, certainly is something to look forward to.
Two of the three tracks from this demo, "World Dirtnap" and "Death Becomes You", have also been released on a 7" by Southern Lords in 2003. Unfortunately both of these releases are sold out. Both the demo and the 7" were limited to 1000 copies.
Standout track is "Death Becomes You".
Thursday May 20 2004, by :Vragh:
The soundquality and vocals give a feeling of classic 1992-93 era Black Metal with the vocals sounding reminiscent to those of Emperor on their split with Enslaved and Marduk on their Those of the Unlight album.
The music is midpaced to fast with influences from the Emperor part of the aforementioned Emperor / Enslaved split and early Gorgoroth. The last track, "Lucifuge Damnation", could very well have been from Zyklon-B's Blood Must be Shed MCD. This is very interesting, and the coming fullength, to be released probably towards the end of 2004, certainly is something to look forward to.
Two of the three tracks from this demo, "World Dirtnap" and "Death Becomes You", have also been released on a 7" by Southern Lords in 2003. Unfortunately both of these releases are sold out. Both the demo and the 7" were limited to 1000 copies.
Thursday May 20 2004, by :Vragh:
One Tail, One Head - 2008 - One Tail, One Head
Out of Norway comes this horde with their first demo containing four untitled tracks. Musically this reminds me a lot of the early half of the '90ies. Groovy Black Metal with a very classic sound and feel to it, somewhat reminding me of earlier Deathspell Omega at times.
The vocals mostly sound like a more desperate and guttural version of those by Fenriz on the first Dødheimsgard album and are moving with the music more than I expected. There are also some parts Mannevond of Koldbrann present.
The soundquality is typical demo sound, also reminiscent of the earlier years. This reminds me of the Emperor demo from -92, the music is a bit distant and though you do hear all the instruments, they are distant and some of the nuances of the music might get lost because of this, the first few times you listen to the tape. What can be heard most is the vocals, followed by the guitars and then the drums. This band is part of the Nidaros scene in Norway among such bands as Kaosritual, Selvhat,
Knokkelklang and Min Kniv. Grenjar and Vantro should also be mentioned. A very interesting scene for those of us who miss the raw sound of the earlier days.
The vocals mostly sound like a more desperate and guttural version of those by Fenriz on the first Dødheimsgard album and are moving with the music more than I expected. There are also some parts Mannevond of Koldbrann present.
The soundquality is typical demo sound, also reminiscent of the earlier years. This reminds me of the Emperor demo from -92, the music is a bit distant and though you do hear all the instruments, they are distant and some of the nuances of the music might get lost because of this, the first few times you listen to the tape. What can be heard most is the vocals, followed by the guitars and then the drums. This band is part of the Nidaros scene in Norway among such bands as Kaosritual, Selvhat,
Knokkelklang and Min Kniv. Grenjar and Vantro should also be mentioned. A very interesting scene for those of us who miss the raw sound of the earlier days.
Standout tracks are "I" and "IV".
Sunday August 23 2009, by :Vragh:
Nebular Mystic - 2003 - Serpent
This is Nebular Mystic's fifth release. This Norwegian outfit plays Black Metal in the slightly newer vein reminiscent of Koldbrann and later Satyricon with some slight 1349 references showing up at times.
Four well played tracks are presented on this demo which has really good soundquality, as well. I would say that these guys are something to keep an eye on, their material is really good, a great sound and they certainly can play their instruments well. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they get a record deal in the very near future. This was later rereleased on a split CD with Black Altar.
Four well played tracks are presented on this demo which has really good soundquality, as well. I would say that these guys are something to keep an eye on, their material is really good, a great sound and they certainly can play their instruments well. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they get a record deal in the very near future. This was later rereleased on a split CD with Black Altar.
Standout tracks are "Suspended in Chains" and "Serpent".
Sunday February 8 2004, by :Vragh:
Min Kniv - 2007 - Av Aske
Out of Norway and the Nidaros scene comes this Black Metal band with their first demo. Three rather long, mid-paced to fast, raw untitled tracks are presented on this tape. Musically this reminds me at times of Skaur, due to some folk inspired instrumental parts on the second track, with parts of the monotony of Burzum and a hint of Darkthrone and Isvind, but it all sounds fresh. This is classic Norwegian Black Metal performed now.
The vocals sound like tormented howls, a bit like a muffled version of Woods of Infinity and the
more insane parts of Famine from Peste Noire.
The soundquality is of good demo quality, slightly muffled, with the guitars in the foreground,
followed by the vocals and in the back the drums. The music is well composed and executed, the drums are simplistic but bring just the right energy to the music. The guitars are sharp and metallic. This is another release of Nidaros Black Metal that brings the listener back to the early days of the scene.
Standout tracks are "II" and "III".
Sunday August 23 2009, by :Vragh:
The vocals sound like tormented howls, a bit like a muffled version of Woods of Infinity and the
more insane parts of Famine from Peste Noire.
The soundquality is of good demo quality, slightly muffled, with the guitars in the foreground,
followed by the vocals and in the back the drums. The music is well composed and executed, the drums are simplistic but bring just the right energy to the music. The guitars are sharp and metallic. This is another release of Nidaros Black Metal that brings the listener back to the early days of the scene.
Standout tracks are "II" and "III".
Sunday August 23 2009, by :Vragh:
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Ljå - 2002 - Vedderbaug
This is the Norwegian Black Metal band Ljå's only demo so far, but it is indeed a promising piece. This was originally released under the band name Knøfflihei. Fierce Black Metal with acoustic parts is what they play, and it works very well. Musically it sounds similar to Ulver's Bergtatt, early Borknagar and early Marduk, the latter mostly due to the drumwork, with some folkmusic influences added just for the Hell of it. The vocals sound like those on the first Borknagar album. Not at all a bad mix.
They have managed to get a good production on this demo, it reeks of dirty, old-school Black Metal, and it fits the music just right. These guys handle their instruments very well, all of them have been in other bands since the early '90ies. I suggest you do yourself the favour of getting this demo.
They are going to record a fullength album during 2004, and they released a split 7" with Koldbrann on Aftermath Music in April, with a track from the demo. This demo was rereleased on CD in 2008 with four extra demo tracks.
Standout tracks are "Skamslaadte Engler", "Vind", "Udenomskjaersk Faen" and "Victorinox".
Monday May 24 2004, by :Vragh:
They have managed to get a good production on this demo, it reeks of dirty, old-school Black Metal, and it fits the music just right. These guys handle their instruments very well, all of them have been in other bands since the early '90ies. I suggest you do yourself the favour of getting this demo.
They are going to record a fullength album during 2004, and they released a split 7" with Koldbrann on Aftermath Music in April, with a track from the demo. This demo was rereleased on CD in 2008 with four extra demo tracks.
Standout tracks are "Skamslaadte Engler", "Vind", "Udenomskjaersk Faen" and "Victorinox".
Monday May 24 2004, by :Vragh:
Koldbrann - 2003 - Nekrotisk Inkvisition
Norwegian band Koldbrann really amazed me the first time I heard this, their debut album. They play fast, necro Black Metal, with some mid-paced parts present as well. The soundquality here is really cold and harsh, with a chaotic feel to it, yet it is also rather clear, somehow. The drums and the vocals are what you notice most here, but all the instruments can be heard in the mix.
The very grim vocals are somewhat reminiscent of those in early Dødheimsgard, and this goes for the music as well, at times, although there's more aggression here. The vocals are actually the driving force here, which is a bit unusual. The entire album is very much in your face, with a good roduction, good material, great lyrics and very competent musicians.
This is definitely one of the better Black Metal albums released in years. Quite an achievement to
have released such an album after only a year as a band. Be sure to check this album out!
Standout tracks are "Fortapelse i Svovel og Helvetesild", "Kaosmanifest" and "Phlegetons Bredder".
The very grim vocals are somewhat reminiscent of those in early Dødheimsgard, and this goes for the music as well, at times, although there's more aggression here. The vocals are actually the driving force here, which is a bit unusual. The entire album is very much in your face, with a good roduction, good material, great lyrics and very competent musicians.
This is definitely one of the better Black Metal albums released in years. Quite an achievement to
have released such an album after only a year as a band. Be sure to check this album out!
Standout tracks are "Fortapelse i Svovel og Helvetesild", "Kaosmanifest" and "Phlegetons Bredder".
Monday November 1 2004, by :Vragh:
Interview with Mannevond of Koldbrann 2005
Norwegian Black Metal horde Koldbrann played at the pre-Infernoconcert in Drammen, Norway. :Vragh: caught up with vocalist Mannevond after the concert for a little chat about the past, the present and the future.
:Vragh:: So what's happening with the new material?
Mannevond: What's going on with it? We're currently recording 3 new songs for two seven-inchers,
which have been known for quite some time, too long, but things take time. Everything is coming along now at any rate, we have finished the bass.. No wait! Not the bass, the drums, vocals and the guitars are done. One of them is an EP with two songs, one of which we played here tonite, "Atomvinter" [Nuclearwinter]. The other is a split-seven inch with Faustcoven, quite a good doom-black band from Norway signed to Barbarian Wrath.
:V:: Similar to Furze?
M: No, not at all. Imagine Darkthrone mixed with Pentagram, something like that, very chic.
:V:: When is the new album coming out?
M: No we dare not divulge any date this time, you know what happens when we set one, we're waiting until we've finished a couple of songs, but we're hoping it'll be out by the end of the year, I don't dare be any more specific.
:V:: There was a reprint of your first album, recently. Was that remastered or edited in any way?
M: That's right. There are no bonustracks, or anything new at all, unfortunately. The only difference is probably the addition of lyrics.
:V:: Lyrics for all tracks?
M: No, four tracks only. For collectors it could be mentioned that the cover is slightly different. And I could mention that it'll be out on vinyl finally.
:V:: And is there anything extra on the vinyl?
M: No.
:V:: ...or nothing new there either, no.
M: But at least there will finally be a vinyl!
:V:: On the German label Northern Silence?
M: That's right. We've had a lot of offers about releasing it on vinyl, but we wanted to wait until we found a label that we would keep working with, then they could release both the CD and the vinyl, but as things go, despite everything we licensed it to a label that had previously asked to press it, so it could have been out 18 months ago on the same label.
:V:: As I understand it, you've had good reviews and an overall good response to your album?
M: It's been surprisingly good actually, we really hadn't expected it. It's pretty funny, the album is two years old and we still get reviews as it's reprinted, and it's still getting good critique, and that's
always nice.
:V:: Is the current lineup the same as on the album?
M: No. There's three of us, well we're essentially the core of the band, I guess you could say, there's been problems with bassist and second guitarist, people have come and gone, it's difficult to find people who aren't already involved in a hundred other bands, and that don't have that real feeling and dedication. But now it's working out great, we've had the same lineup for a year.
:V:: Considering sideprojects, is anyone of you involved in any sideprojects?
M: Yeah, the drummer Fordervelse has been playing a bit with Slavia, I'm not sure if you've heard of them.
:V:: Sure, he [Slavia] played on your album.
M: Yeah I've no idea what the fuck is happening there, it's all moving so slowly. He's my roommate that man.
:V:: But he's probably busy with Disiplin. [Note: Disiplin guitarist Drakul Azacain has since kicked out all other bandmembers since they weren't members of MLO.]
M: Yep. That's right. It's been slow with Slavia but he's [Fordervelse] still playing on with his things. There was talk of him playing drums on the next Vulture Lord album. Chic old-school death metal with some members from Urgehal among others. There's not much more to be said really.
:V:: You haven't been at it for long have you?
M: No we started in 2001, so four years now, three years with the old lineups.
:V:: And then an album after two years?
M: Heh, well that's a lot really. Good ole black metal, DHG, Mysticum, those types of bands. Of course it's more norse, oldschool-norse, but Sweden has a fucking copious amount of good bands now, Craft, Arckanum, Watain, I could probably ramble on for half an hour, Grand Belial's Key has to be mentioned. I listen to other genres aswell, crust like Skitsystem and similar, it's just so good. It's important for me to not limit myself within black metal, it quickly becomes boring. Like, metal and extreme-metal as a base, but there's so much else you have to catch on to.
:Vragh:: So what's happening with the new material?
Mannevond: What's going on with it? We're currently recording 3 new songs for two seven-inchers,
which have been known for quite some time, too long, but things take time. Everything is coming along now at any rate, we have finished the bass.. No wait! Not the bass, the drums, vocals and the guitars are done. One of them is an EP with two songs, one of which we played here tonite, "Atomvinter" [Nuclearwinter]. The other is a split-seven inch with Faustcoven, quite a good doom-black band from Norway signed to Barbarian Wrath.
:V:: Similar to Furze?
M: No, not at all. Imagine Darkthrone mixed with Pentagram, something like that, very chic.
:V:: When is the new album coming out?
M: No we dare not divulge any date this time, you know what happens when we set one, we're waiting until we've finished a couple of songs, but we're hoping it'll be out by the end of the year, I don't dare be any more specific.:V:: There was a reprint of your first album, recently. Was that remastered or edited in any way?
M: That's right. There are no bonustracks, or anything new at all, unfortunately. The only difference is probably the addition of lyrics.
:V:: Lyrics for all tracks?
M: No, four tracks only. For collectors it could be mentioned that the cover is slightly different. And I could mention that it'll be out on vinyl finally.
:V:: And is there anything extra on the vinyl?
M: No.
:V:: ...or nothing new there either, no.
M: But at least there will finally be a vinyl!
:V:: On the German label Northern Silence?
M: That's right. We've had a lot of offers about releasing it on vinyl, but we wanted to wait until we found a label that we would keep working with, then they could release both the CD and the vinyl, but as things go, despite everything we licensed it to a label that had previously asked to press it, so it could have been out 18 months ago on the same label.
:V:: As I understand it, you've had good reviews and an overall good response to your album?
M: It's been surprisingly good actually, we really hadn't expected it. It's pretty funny, the album is two years old and we still get reviews as it's reprinted, and it's still getting good critique, and that's
always nice.
:V:: Is the current lineup the same as on the album?
M: No. There's three of us, well we're essentially the core of the band, I guess you could say, there's been problems with bassist and second guitarist, people have come and gone, it's difficult to find people who aren't already involved in a hundred other bands, and that don't have that real feeling and dedication. But now it's working out great, we've had the same lineup for a year.:V:: Considering sideprojects, is anyone of you involved in any sideprojects?
M: Yeah, the drummer Fordervelse has been playing a bit with Slavia, I'm not sure if you've heard of them.
:V:: Sure, he [Slavia] played on your album.
M: Yeah I've no idea what the fuck is happening there, it's all moving so slowly. He's my roommate that man.
:V:: But he's probably busy with Disiplin. [Note: Disiplin guitarist Drakul Azacain has since kicked out all other bandmembers since they weren't members of MLO.]
M: Yep. That's right. It's been slow with Slavia but he's [Fordervelse] still playing on with his things. There was talk of him playing drums on the next Vulture Lord album. Chic old-school death metal with some members from Urgehal among others. There's not much more to be said really.
:V:: You haven't been at it for long have you?M: No we started in 2001, so four years now, three years with the old lineups.
:V:: And then an album after two years?
M: Ah yes, it's gone fast, very rapidly, maybe a little too quick.
:V:: No plans for any extensive touring?
M: Fuck no, we really have to finish recording the new album, there'sbeen far too many concerts lately, but when you get an offer, it's just really hard to say no. There's one more concert planned, in
Fredrikstad with Myrkskog, and there will be some festivals in Germany, but the rest of the time we'll spend concentrating on the new album, it's just about time.
:V:: There's an awful lot of touring in Germany among scandinavian bands it seems, I assume black metal is pretty big there...
M: Ye-ees..
:V:: ...despite them being german.
M: Oh yeah, Watain and Dissection were touring at the same time as us, we almost followed in their footsteps, every place we arrived at there were Watain stickers, it was like, OK! They were here three days ago! Fucking awesome band by the way.
:V:: To finish up, a standard question; What do you listen to?
M: Heh, well that's a lot really. Good ole black metal, DHG, Mysticum, those types of bands. Of course it's more norse, oldschool-norse, but Sweden has a fucking copious amount of good bands now, Craft, Arckanum, Watain, I could probably ramble on for half an hour, Grand Belial's Key has to be mentioned. I listen to other genres aswell, crust like Skitsystem and similar, it's just so good. It's important for me to not limit myself within black metal, it quickly becomes boring. Like, metal and extreme-metal as a base, but there's so much else you have to catch on to.
This concludes the interview. It should be mentioned that halfway through, the proprietor of the establishment wanted to kick us out as he was closing, however, confronting him with an official look of importance and mention of interviewing, quickly shut him up, and kept him coming back for a seemingly small part of this piece. So here it is.
Also, I love germans, you're just so easy to make fun of.
-:Vragh:
Interview conducted Wednesday March 23 2005, by :Vragh:
Translated into English from the Norwegian and Swedish languages.
Isvind - 1994 - Isvind 7"
IThis is Norwegian Black Metal horde Isvind's first official release. Probably their strongest effort as well, with really great material. Presented on this 7" are three tracks, two of which are Black Metal
and one is a folk track. Isvind play harsh, mid-paced to fast and slightly melodic Black Metal in the vein of Darkthrone and Burzum, soundwise, also reminding me of Ulver at times, with vocals reminiscent of very early Emperor and Nattens Madrigal era Ulver. The music is actually very catchy, but without being silly.
The production is quite cold which gives a nice extra touch to the music. What's very refreshing is that Isvind actually has a very unique sound, a special atmosphere somehow, and all of the tracks here are really good. The folk track is the only one like it in their repertoire, but you do notice some folk music influences in the other tracks as well.
This is one of the classic releases in the scene, and not without reason, so be sure to try to get hold of this one. It is limited to 1000 copies, so it might be a bit hard to find, but it is well worth the effort.
Wednesday November 3 2004, by :Vragh:
and one is a folk track. Isvind play harsh, mid-paced to fast and slightly melodic Black Metal in the vein of Darkthrone and Burzum, soundwise, also reminding me of Ulver at times, with vocals reminiscent of very early Emperor and Nattens Madrigal era Ulver. The music is actually very catchy, but without being silly.
The production is quite cold which gives a nice extra touch to the music. What's very refreshing is that Isvind actually has a very unique sound, a special atmosphere somehow, and all of the tracks here are really good. The folk track is the only one like it in their repertoire, but you do notice some folk music influences in the other tracks as well.
This is one of the classic releases in the scene, and not without reason, so be sure to try to get hold of this one. It is limited to 1000 copies, so it might be a bit hard to find, but it is well worth the effort.
Wednesday November 3 2004, by :Vragh:
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:
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:
Grimm - 1993 - Nordisk Vinter 7"
Presented on this 7" by Norwegian Black Metal band Grimm are three tracks, including an intro, of mid-paced, slightly melodic and harsh Black Metal. The production is quite good, this does sound very much early '90ies, both when it comes to the music and the production.
The first track, "The Embrace of the Cold" sounds very similar to Carpathian Forest, which might not be such a big surprise, since Nattefrost handles the vocals here, and most of the bandmembers are in Carpathian Forest now. The second track, "Born in the Hands of Doom" is musically similar to
very early Emperor mixed with My Angel era Arcturus and some Metal influences added to that.
The only annoying thing here is the intro, "Darkest Depth", which unfortunately is too long, and not too good. This is the only thing that was released by Grimm. Well worth checking out. This release is included on the Carpathian Forest DVD We're Going to Hell for This - Live Perversions as bonus audiotracks, and as an added extra bonus the intro is not included here.
Monday November 1 2004, by :Vragh:
The first track, "The Embrace of the Cold" sounds very similar to Carpathian Forest, which might not be such a big surprise, since Nattefrost handles the vocals here, and most of the bandmembers are in Carpathian Forest now. The second track, "Born in the Hands of Doom" is musically similar to
very early Emperor mixed with My Angel era Arcturus and some Metal influences added to that.
The only annoying thing here is the intro, "Darkest Depth", which unfortunately is too long, and not too good. This is the only thing that was released by Grimm. Well worth checking out. This release is included on the Carpathian Forest DVD We're Going to Hell for This - Live Perversions as bonus audiotracks, and as an added extra bonus the intro is not included here.
Monday November 1 2004, by :Vragh:
Friday, November 18, 2016
Furze - 2003 - Necromanzee Cogent
Necromanzee Cogent is Norwegian one-man-band Furze's first fullength album. This is a very interesting album indeed, many an odd influence has found its way into the music of Furze. What strikes me as very surprising, and very interesting is the heavy Black Sabbath influence that shows up at times. In fact the entire second track, "For the Lust of Darkness", is built on Ozzy era Black Sabbath-esque guitarwork. The track following this, "Dødsrikets Fremtred", could very well have been recorded by Darkthrone during their Under a Funeral Moon era. Apart from these influences there are also some Abruptum and early Thorns in this album.
As you probably have guessed by now, this is not fast necro Black Metal, but rather slow, doomy avantgarde Black Metal with some faster and actually even some groovy parts. I must say this is one of the more interesting releases in quite a while. The vocals vary quite a bit, everything from screaming to traditional Black Metal vocals and also whispers, are utilized. Of the 7 tracks on this album, only one is under 6 minutes,and the last track clocks in at 23 minutes.
As you probably have guessed by now, this is not fast necro Black Metal, but rather slow, doomy avantgarde Black Metal with some faster and actually even some groovy parts. I must say this is one of the more interesting releases in quite a while. The vocals vary quite a bit, everything from screaming to traditional Black Metal vocals and also whispers, are utilized. Of the 7 tracks on this album, only one is under 6 minutes,and the last track clocks in at 23 minutes.
Sunday February 8 2004, by :Vragh:
Eikind - 2004 - Vargtime
This mini album is Norwegian Black Metal outfit Eikind's first official release. Eikind started out as a soloproject by the former Khold bassist, and current Winds vocalist with the same name, but has now become a fullfledged band. The music is mid-paced to fast, and musically this does sound similar to Khold, but a bit faster and with some twists of its own. The focus is not as much on the bass, as in Khold, but the drums are what you hear most in the mix.
The soundquality is quite good, and the material presented here is strong. The vocals are also quite good, being somewhat echoed and almost spoken, slightly in the back of the mix, and with an almost desperate sound to them.
This is a good teaser for the upcoming album.
Standout tracks, of the three presented here are "Vargtime" and "Darkness Supreme". Released by Vicious Recordings, what rose out of the ashes of Selbstmord Services.
Tuesday November 2 2004, by :Vragh:
The soundquality is quite good, and the material presented here is strong. The vocals are also quite good, being somewhat echoed and almost spoken, slightly in the back of the mix, and with an almost desperate sound to them.
This is a good teaser for the upcoming album.
Standout tracks, of the three presented here are "Vargtime" and "Darkness Supreme". Released by Vicious Recordings, what rose out of the ashes of Selbstmord Services.
Tuesday November 2 2004, by :Vragh:
Beastcraft - 2005 - Into the Burning Pit of Hell
Out of Norway comes this Black Metal horde with an album that is truly amazing. I haven't heard such raw power in a long time. The music is mid-paced to fast, and aggressive as Hell, reminding me of early Emperor due to the fuzzy sound. Some Urgehal can also be heard here. This has to be heard!
The hatefilled vocals sound like they have been recorded in a huge crypt. This is something that reminds me of the mid '90ies. The vocals have similarities to those by Jon Nödtveidt of Dissection (R.I.P), but with more distortion to them. Most excellent!
The production is abit filthy and dark, rather bassoriented and with such aggression! You hear the guitar and the bass most in the mix, followed by the vocals, and then the drums slightly further back. This is reminiscent of days of yore, when the bands weren't as plentiful, and actually had a message to deliver that wasn't all words and no action. The tracks are usually short and to the point, without being annoyingly short.
Standout tracks are "Enter the Chasm", "Burnt at His Altar", "Black Witchcraft", "Unholy Blood Ritual" and "Into the Burning Pit of Hell", with "Enter the Chasm" being one of the best Black Metal tracks ever recorded, along with Armagedda's "My Eternal Journey", Ildjarn's "Skogssvinet" and a few others.
Saturday October 21 2006, by :Vragh:
The hatefilled vocals sound like they have been recorded in a huge crypt. This is something that reminds me of the mid '90ies. The vocals have similarities to those by Jon Nödtveidt of Dissection (R.I.P), but with more distortion to them. Most excellent!
The production is abit filthy and dark, rather bassoriented and with such aggression! You hear the guitar and the bass most in the mix, followed by the vocals, and then the drums slightly further back. This is reminiscent of days of yore, when the bands weren't as plentiful, and actually had a message to deliver that wasn't all words and no action. The tracks are usually short and to the point, without being annoyingly short.
Standout tracks are "Enter the Chasm", "Burnt at His Altar", "Black Witchcraft", "Unholy Blood Ritual" and "Into the Burning Pit of Hell", with "Enter the Chasm" being one of the best Black Metal tracks ever recorded, along with Armagedda's "My Eternal Journey", Ildjarn's "Skogssvinet" and a few others.
Saturday October 21 2006, by :Vragh:
Bak de Syv Fjell - 1997 - Bak de Syv Fjell 7"
This Norwegian band only released this 7" before calling it quits, which is sad. I would have loved to hear more from these guys. Presented here are two tracks of melancholic progressive Folk/Black Metal. The vocals are clear and a bit operatic, at times reminding me of the vocals on "I Troldskog Faren Vild" off of Ulver's Bergtatt, with some female vocals here and there, which works very well.
The music is slow to midpaced, the production is a bit murky, but not at all bad.
In their music I find some parts early Ulver, although not as harsh, and also some minor parts Storm.
This 7" was released in a limited edition of 1000 copies, but the band is relatively unknown, so you might actually come across a copy. It was rereleased on CD, but the vinyl sounds a lot better.
One of the members later went on to join Hades Almighty.
The better of the two tracks is the second one, "De Siste Tanker", a really haunting track.
Wednesday June 2 2004, by :Vragh:
The music is slow to midpaced, the production is a bit murky, but not at all bad.
In their music I find some parts early Ulver, although not as harsh, and also some minor parts Storm.
This 7" was released in a limited edition of 1000 copies, but the band is relatively unknown, so you might actually come across a copy. It was rereleased on CD, but the vinyl sounds a lot better.
One of the members later went on to join Hades Almighty.
The better of the two tracks is the second one, "De Siste Tanker", a really haunting track.
Wednesday June 2 2004, by :Vragh:
The Inferno Festival 2005 Report
Pre-Inferno Concert
After travelling 500 km by car we arrived in Drammen for the Pre-Inferno concert. Silent Vanquish, Koldbrann and Mayhem were the entertainers for the evening. As always, things take longer than you expect, and this roadtrip was no exception. Things looked a bit bleak there for a while, but we arrived twenty minutes before Koldbrann were to enter the stage, and only missed the first band. Time for a beer and general anticipation, plus checking out the merchandise, of course. General excitement all around. Another beer. And then Koldbrann, one of the two highlights of the evening, entered the stage. Ever since I got my hands on their debutalbum back in 2003 I've wanted to see these guys live, and this show did indeed stand up to all my expectations. Aggression, corpsepaint, spikes and that great sound reminding you of the 1990ies, and the early days of Black Metal. What else could one want after several hours in a car? Mannevond's vocals are almost better live. If you ever have the chance to see these guys perform, there is no excuse not to! Not only are they excellent on stage, they are also really great guys offstage.
After some waiting (and another beer) it was time for Mayhem to take the stage. With Attila back on vocals, this was sure to be something out of the ordinary!
Day 1
After some food (and drink) it was time for one of the highlights of the festival, for me at least, Nebular Mystic entered the small stage at John Dee. Half an hour of aggressive Black Metal, is something you most certainly won't hear me complain about. This up and coming band seemed to be the one that the press was focusing the most on, of all the bands at the festival. Unfortunately I was going to do an interview halfway through their set, but when I got to the appointed place he was keeping busy with other things, and then he disappeared. A bit annoying, but what can you do, eh? The half I did see was most excellent, at least. Be sure to check out their recently released debut, "Necrotic"!
After the Black Metal assault of Nebular Mystic it was time for the old troll himself, Mortiis and his Gothic brand of Metal. Of all the artists, he was probably the one that was most out of place here, but he delivered a good show, despite him throwing the microphone stand around all the time, and he got a good response from the crowd I thought. His show suffered somewhat, because of the industrial elements being less audible, I thought. Still, quite enjoyable. After Mortiis I went to have a chat with Nebular Mystic, who proved to be rather not at all talkative. They had done numerous interviews already, and seemed rather beat. Still, it was an amusing interview to do, though it will never see the light of day, and after practically pulling the answers out of them I went down to John Dee for some serious Death Metal with Gorelord.
Featuring the very busy Frediablo in their ranks, this could have been quite interesting. Unfortunately it got a bit tedious after a few songs. This could be because I am more of a Black Metal person, I don't know, but I do enjoy some Death Metal as well, of course. I would say that Gorelord's fleshy sound is a bit more enjoyable on CD than on stage. However, I did have to check them out, of course. That's what festivals are for! Time to head up the stairs again.
At Rockefeller Lamented Souls were getting ready to go onstage. This Doom outfit has gotten some attention lately, what with finally releaseing their long finished album, The Origins of Misery, featuring all the material they have released so far. Also, since this is a band featuring Simen Hestnæs of Arcturus and Dimmu Borgir fame, that has added to the hype, and this was something I was looking forward to see. However, I must say that this didn't get as interesting as I'd hoped. This isn't really great live music, and since people had been drinking for many an hour at this point, this unfortunately just felt a bit out of place.
Taking over the main stage after Lamented Souls was Swedish Viking/Death Metallers Amon Amarth. After a not too impressive start (did the drummer forget to warm up, or what?!), they eventually got the hang of it and delivered an over all ok show. Though, as with most all of the shows on the Rockefeller stage, I felt that the sound was lacking somewhat. These guys are not entirely my cup of tea though, a bit too melodic at times, and following this performance was this day's headliner Morbid Angel with David Vincent back on vocals.
After having cancelled all interviews earlier, since they were sleeping most of the day away (or just didn't feel like answering a lot of questions, who knows), they entered the stage at 01.00. Much to my surprise they started off the show with "Rapture", their biggest hit. A most excellent beginning. Where do they go from there, you ask? Well, they continued to play all the classic songs, of course. Practically every song you've ever wanted to hear live from their four first albums. These guys still kick ass after all these years. A very good show indeed. David Vincent is back where he belongs, but how he can stand playing in a tight latex shirt is beyond me.
Day 2
On day two there was little activity on my part. I was feeling rather bad (from too much Jack Daniel's in the car before the festival opened for the day, and a bit of a cold), and still rather tired after the previous day as well. I saw the essentials, and slightly more, but that was it. The first band I even considered watching was Grimfist at 19.45. This is yet another band featuring Frediablo. That guy sure is keeping busy, though he has recently removed himself from some of the bands. These guys were not really what I was after, though. Again, Norwegian Death Metal and all that. And since Horgh left for Hypocrisy it wasn't as interesting to see them anymore. Be sure to check out their recent "10 Steps to Hell" album, though. Very good one, that.
It was time for some more Chicken Shwarma instead, before Aura Noir, featuring Blasphemer of Mayhem in their ranks, entered the Rockefeller stage. This was something that I was a bit unsure as to what to expect. I am not so fond of their albums, and the whole Thrashing Black Metal thing just isn't my cup of tea, but I thought I'd give them a try. This proved to be a really good idea, since they absolutely crushed live. Fast and furious, and aggressive as Hell! Just what I needed. Czral's drumming is also always interesting to see. I sure hope he recovers from his fall, and is able to get back on stage and behind the drumkit soon. This is a band that I would love to see again! Still can't stand their albums, though.
Then it was time for another of the many highlights of the festival (after the very unfortunate appearance of the Dirty Sanchez maniacs. What a bunch of sad characters.), Arcturus. Now fronted by Simen Hestnæs, who did some vocals on the "La Masquerade Infernale" album, this was something that I assumed would be very interesting. I had rather high hopes for this, but it exceeded my high est expectations, I must say. They put on an amazing show, played basically all the songs I wanted to hear, with material from all of their albums, as well as the track "Demon Painter" off of their new album "Sideshow Symphonies", and during "Chaos Path" they had the stage full of vaudeville characters. A great show indeed. Simen did an amazing job with the vocals, and it was quite some time since I saw anything that had a show even remotely as memorable as this one.
This evenings headliner Candlemass was up next. These old Doomsters were quite the rage in the late eighties, and I thought I'd watch a song or two, since I listened to them way back when. Sadly, this was not as good as I had hoped. Maybe it was me, I have gone quite a long way since listening to these guys, or maybe some things are just better left in the grave, what do I know. In any case the theatric vocals of Messiah Marcolin, and the slow pace of the music didn't do it for us, so we decided to call it a night after about half a song, and left for the hotel.
Day 3
On day three there was a bit more activity, on my part. I was feeling better than the day before, and so I was a bit more motivated, as well. The first band I saw this day was Nattefrost, and they were probably the most fun of all the bands at the festival. Not too serious (lyric and image wise), crushing Black Metal in the vein of Carpathian Forest (obviously) for half an hour. Who could possibly dislike that? Entering the stage in corpse paint, high heeled boots, fake breasts, string underwear and all smeared in blood was hard to beat for the other bands. What class! Luckily they also played the amazing track "Sluts of Hell", the highlight of any given festival or live event. This was one of the few bands that actually kept their outfit and corpse paint on offstage, after the show. It's always a good thing to not take yourself too seriously.
It was now time for me to interview Gehenna. The interview was a success, and we chatted on a bit after the interview as well. Very nice people, the Gehenna's. (the interview has since been lost, unfortunately.) While I was doing the interview, Swedish Death Metallers Grave had taken the Rockefeller stage, and as I got out into the venue again, they performed the only song I really wanted to hear with them, "Soulless". That's good timing, I must say. This track was about all I could take from these guys, for some reason it seemed that almost all of the Death Metal bands playing here this year just weren't any great livebands. Most of them were just standing there playing their songs. Usually no spikes, and not that aggressive either.
But then again, even Black Metal bands can be rather non aggressive, as Greece's Naer Mataron unfortunately proved to me. I was expecting a bit more from them. I had heard one of their albums a while back, and that was actually quite good, having some aggression in it and all. Live it was quite a different story. Melodic Black Metal seems to be all the rage around the world, these days, but me I've never really understood why, and these guys were rather a bit more melodic than I expected them to be. Sure, they could handle their instruments well, but it just doesn't do it for me, so after a few songs I left for the next disappointment of the evening, namely Green Carnation.
I first heard their "Journey to the End of the Night" album a few years ago, and really enjoyed it. When it comes to progressive Black Metal, I am all ears. Then they did their one hour long, single track album, and had lost the edge in their music that I enjoyed, and after that I pretty much lost track of them. And here they are, playing the festival I'm attending, so I thought I'd see their performance and get something out of it. Unfortunately this was not very impressive at all to see, just rather uninteresting, really, so we went to get some Chicken Shwarma goodness instead, before another one of the highlights of the festival, namely Tsjuder, were to enter the John Dee stage.
 |
| Koldbrann |
After some waiting (and another beer) it was time for Mayhem to take the stage. With Attila back on vocals, this was sure to be something out of the ordinary!
 |
| Attila |
Attila live is a rather strange experience. He does some really weird noises inbetween the songs, but his vocals are excellent. He manages to sound like Maniac on the tracks where he did the vocals, as well as do his own vocals on the De Mysteriis tracks. Very impressive. The highlight of the set, for me at least, was "Life Eternal". Incredible song on the album, and just as good live. Attila seemed to be slightly out of place on the stage for a good part of the show, but after a while he got used to it (or maybe I got used to it, who knows). In the beginning of the second encore Blasphemer's guitar stopped working, which made for an interesting ending of the show. First there was bass, vocals and drums, but after a while it was clear that the guitar was not going to be fixed. Exit Blasphemer. After a few moments Necrobutcher stopped playing and walked off the stage. Now there were only drums and vocals, and then Hellhammer stopped playing, got up and left the stage together with Attila. Quite an odd ending, but also a bit amusing to see. After Mayhem left the stage it was time to do some work. An interview with Mannevond was done, and after this it was time to leave.
Accomodations in Drammen at 3 AM aren't that many, so we decided to give the car a go. Now, three people in a not too big a car is something that is manageable. Not something that is really amazingly comfortable, but it is possible to get some semblance of rest, at least. Our driver repeatedly asked me on the way up "So, where do we sleep in Drammen?" and my answer to this was always "It'll be solved, one way or the other." This was not the answer he wanted to hear, and as he has later stated, he was not in the least bit happy with this vague concept of travelling and accomodations. But it all worked out, after all.
After a rather uncomfortable and not too warm night in the car, we left for Oslo rather early the next day to get our press passes and get ready for three days of beer, interviews and loads of music. And Jack Daniel's. And beer.
Day 1
Driving in Oslo isn't as much fun as one would think. Lots of one way streets and dead ends. This is most likely something they have done just to generally annoy anyone who's not familiar with the
streets in Oslo. We decided to leave the car by the railway station and go by foot in the direction of the venue. This proved to be much easier than we had thought at first (ok, ok, yes we asked for directions), and suddenly, dramatically, we were in the right place. We walked in to get our stuff, and then we went off to get a bite to eat, after which we'd move the car. We had a plan. Food was taken
care of at a place called New Lille Amir, and this was our first encounter with the amazing Chicken Shwarma that they serve there. This was practically the only place we ate at for the entire festival. I could eat myself to death on those things. After this most refreshing and tasty meal, we moved the car closer to Rockefeller, finding a spot just 50 meters from the venue. Excellent! And now it was time for what we went all this way for, in the first place, the Inferno Festival! Rockefeller is a great place to have this indoor festival at. There are actually two stages in the building. There is the big stage at Rockefeller, and there's the smaller stage downstairs at John Dee. What's really great is that you don't have to go outside to go between the two. Most excellent, since Norway is a bit chilly in March. And remember, all pubs and venues are non-smoking, so be prepared to go outside, or up to the roof if you want some nicotine in your bloodstream.
Opening the entire festival down at John Dee was Taakeferd, probably the Black Metal band that is from the farthest north, being from Tromsø on the Norwegian coast. Taakeferd have been playing for a while, and I had heard some of their material before, but this was much better than I remembered, and it worked very well live. Fast Black Metal with a slightly melodic feel to them at times. The great thing about Black Metal live is of course the corpsepaint, and Taakeferd was no disappointment in that respect either.
 |
| Taakeferd |
After about half an hour they left the stage, and it was time to go upstairs to the bigger stage at Rockefeller and one of the three bands I didn't see that day, namely Chton, featuring members of Manes and a former member of Lumsk, play a kind of Death Metal that I'm not too fond of. More often than not I find that Norwegian Death Metal lacks something essential to the mix, just as many American Black Metal bands can't seem to get that Black Metal feeling right, so I skipped this and went for a bite to eat instead.
 |
| Nebular Mystic |
After the Black Metal assault of Nebular Mystic it was time for the old troll himself, Mortiis and his Gothic brand of Metal. Of all the artists, he was probably the one that was most out of place here, but he delivered a good show, despite him throwing the microphone stand around all the time, and he got a good response from the crowd I thought. His show suffered somewhat, because of the industrial elements being less audible, I thought. Still, quite enjoyable. After Mortiis I went to have a chat with Nebular Mystic, who proved to be rather not at all talkative. They had done numerous interviews already, and seemed rather beat. Still, it was an amusing interview to do, though it will never see the light of day, and after practically pulling the answers out of them I went down to John Dee for some serious Death Metal with Gorelord.
Featuring the very busy Frediablo in their ranks, this could have been quite interesting. Unfortunately it got a bit tedious after a few songs. This could be because I am more of a Black Metal person, I don't know, but I do enjoy some Death Metal as well, of course. I would say that Gorelord's fleshy sound is a bit more enjoyable on CD than on stage. However, I did have to check them out, of course. That's what festivals are for! Time to head up the stairs again.
 |
| Lamennted Souls |
Taking over the main stage after Lamented Souls was Swedish Viking/Death Metallers Amon Amarth. After a not too impressive start (did the drummer forget to warm up, or what?!), they eventually got the hang of it and delivered an over all ok show. Though, as with most all of the shows on the Rockefeller stage, I felt that the sound was lacking somewhat. These guys are not entirely my cup of tea though, a bit too melodic at times, and following this performance was this day's headliner Morbid Angel with David Vincent back on vocals.
 |
| Morbid Angel |
After having cancelled all interviews earlier, since they were sleeping most of the day away (or just didn't feel like answering a lot of questions, who knows), they entered the stage at 01.00. Much to my surprise they started off the show with "Rapture", their biggest hit. A most excellent beginning. Where do they go from there, you ask? Well, they continued to play all the classic songs, of course. Practically every song you've ever wanted to hear live from their four first albums. These guys still kick ass after all these years. A very good show indeed. David Vincent is back where he belongs, but how he can stand playing in a tight latex shirt is beyond me.
This was a very tiring day. Morbid Angel left the stage at a bit after 2 AM, and after a night in the car, with not too much sleep it was time to head for the hotel, finally. Luckily, the hotel we stayed at (with the fitting name "Edderkoppen", "The Spider") wasn't far away, so after a short walk we were home. Sleep!
Day 2
On day two there was little activity on my part. I was feeling rather bad (from too much Jack Daniel's in the car before the festival opened for the day, and a bit of a cold), and still rather tired after the previous day as well. I saw the essentials, and slightly more, but that was it. The first band I even considered watching was Grimfist at 19.45. This is yet another band featuring Frediablo. That guy sure is keeping busy, though he has recently removed himself from some of the bands. These guys were not really what I was after, though. Again, Norwegian Death Metal and all that. And since Horgh left for Hypocrisy it wasn't as interesting to see them anymore. Be sure to check out their recent "10 Steps to Hell" album, though. Very good one, that.
 |
| Aura Noir |
 |
| Arcturus |
This evenings headliner Candlemass was up next. These old Doomsters were quite the rage in the late eighties, and I thought I'd watch a song or two, since I listened to them way back when. Sadly, this was not as good as I had hoped. Maybe it was me, I have gone quite a long way since listening to these guys, or maybe some things are just better left in the grave, what do I know. In any case the theatric vocals of Messiah Marcolin, and the slow pace of the music didn't do it for us, so we decided to call it a night after about half a song, and left for the hotel.
Day 3
 |
| Nattefrost |
 |
| Grave |
But then again, even Black Metal bands can be rather non aggressive, as Greece's Naer Mataron unfortunately proved to me. I was expecting a bit more from them. I had heard one of their albums a while back, and that was actually quite good, having some aggression in it and all. Live it was quite a different story. Melodic Black Metal seems to be all the rage around the world, these days, but me I've never really understood why, and these guys were rather a bit more melodic than I expected them to be. Sure, they could handle their instruments well, but it just doesn't do it for me, so after a few songs I left for the next disappointment of the evening, namely Green Carnation.
 |
| Tsjuder |
I saw these guys in Copenhagen when they played there with Carpathian Forest (an interview we conducted back then is also lost to history.) and was looking forward to seeing them again. A really great show, this was. Raging Black Metal in the old vein, just as it should be! Corpse paint, spikes and brutality. These guys sure know how to rip! Also you noticed that they were appreciated, this was the only band that completely filled up the smaller venue, and they had to stop people from going down there, and let people in as people left, it was so full. Not at all bad. The festival's end was now drawing nigh, but there were still a few interesting bands left to see, and the first one out of these was Gehenna, on the Rockefeller stage.
 |
| Gehenna |
This wasn't as great as it could have been, unfortunately. The sound was a bit too unclear (again), but there were definitely a few great moments, like "Deadlights" and "Grenade Prayer". I do quite enjoy their unique, slow and heavy Black Metal. Over all it was great to see them live, despite the sound being what it was. Check out their latest album "WW", featuring the drumming of Frost of Satyricon. A very moody and aggressive album.
After this it was time for the final band of this years festival, and headliner for this evening, namely reactivated Swedish MLO Death / Black Metallers Dissection. They perfomed a very professional show, and of course seeing some of the old classics live wasn't at all bad. They sure knew what they were
doing, and they had a professional air about them, almost as if they were born for performing on stage. As an added bonus Attila joined them on stage to perform the vocals on "Elisabeth Bathory", since it is a Tormentor cover (he kept himself busy with doing vocals for Sunn 0))) as well, but those guys had to wait, they were playing the Roskilde Festival later in the year as well, and seeing a drone band in the small John Dee venue was not something I would do.). These guys are not my absolute favourites, a bit too melodic for my taste, but I did enjoy what I saw before we left for the hotel, this last night in Oslo.
 |
| Dissection |
In conclusion, I must say that this is one Hell of an event. Great fun and great bands. It's great to just walk around in the crowd and see many of the people that are part of the Norwegian scene. I strongly urge anyone with the possibility to go here to do so. And bring lots of cash. Norway is expensive, but oh so fun. And 20 bands in four days is a Hell of a lot of entertainment.
Ann Frestad of Khaoz Productionz should have a standing ovation for her efforts and kindness. And maybe a medal, too. She sure knows her stuff.
By :Vragh:
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Ansur - 2005 - Carved in Flesh
Norwegian Black Metal horde Ansur have just re-released their first demo through Nerbilous Productions. Wellplayed mid-paced and slightly melodic Black Metal is what we get here. Musically this reminds me of a more melodic version of Disiplin with parts Orcustus, Borknagar, Watain and later Satyricon. A nice mix. A drum machine is used on this recording, which sounds ok, apart from the sound of the ride.
The vocals remind me of a harsher version of those by Slavia, formerly of Disiplin, mixed with those by Satyr, Erik of Watain and Taipan of Orcustus.
The soundquality is quite good on this recording. The emphasis is more towards the treble, to get that special, cold feeling. The guitars and the vocals are what stands out in the mix a bit, but you hear all the instruments here. Definitely a band to keep an eye on. Limited to 200 copies.
Standout tracks are "Murder", "Carved in Flesh" and "Through Snowlands".
June 4 by :Vragh:
The vocals remind me of a harsher version of those by Slavia, formerly of Disiplin, mixed with those by Satyr, Erik of Watain and Taipan of Orcustus.
The soundquality is quite good on this recording. The emphasis is more towards the treble, to get that special, cold feeling. The guitars and the vocals are what stands out in the mix a bit, but you hear all the instruments here. Definitely a band to keep an eye on. Limited to 200 copies.
Standout tracks are "Murder", "Carved in Flesh" and "Through Snowlands".
June 4 by :Vragh:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)