Matricide - 2004 - Blasphemic Fire

Swedish Black Metal act Matricide has offered us seven tracks on this cassette, which is a re-release of their 2002 demo with three bonustracks added, including a Von cover. The music is mid-paced to fast and the first four tracks remind me of a tighter version of early Emperor and Sorhin. The vocals on this part sound very much like the vocals of Sorhin.

The bonus material shows some progress toward the newer Swedish Black Metal sound similar to the likes of Watain, Ondskapt and Funeral Mist, with the vocals sounding reminiscent of those of
Ondskapt. The first four tracks have a considerably worse soundquality than the bonustracks, the music can be heard somewhere in the distance, but the feeling in these tracks is just amazing.

Be sure to check out their recently released debut album Black Mass Gathering.

Standout tracks are "Blasphemic Fire" and "Seven Daemons".

Friday October 29 2004, by :Vragh:

The Inferno Festival Live Pics 20050324-26

All images by H. Hallberg

Taakeferd

Nebular Mystic

Morbid Angel

Aura Noir

Aura Noir

Arcturus

Arcturus

Arcturus

Nattefrost

Nattefrost

Nattefrost

Nattefrost

Nattefrost

Tsjuder

Tsjuder

Tsjuder

Gehenna

Gehenna

Gehenna

Dissection

Dissection

Dissection

Dissection

Dissection

Pain Live @ KB, Malmö 20050127

Watain - 2004 - Casus Luciferi

Another one of the Swedish bands that have emerged from the dark depths have released their second album, the follow up to Rabid Death's Curse, and they have made great progress. The opening of this album is as much De Mysteriis as is possible, almost to the point of plagiarism. This does not last, but there are many De Mysteriis moments throughout this album, the bass in "Opus Dei (The Morbid Angel)" is another example. Some Shining moments are present on this album too, and the intro to the title track is very much Black Sabbath.

The soundquality has been greatly improved since their last album, and the heavy Death Metal influence that was prevalent on their debut isn't as much in your face here. Greatly improved soundquality doesn't mean perfect, since it was rather bad on Rabid Death's Curse, but it is rather good here, more treble oriented, with the guitars slightly in the foreground.

Overall this album is a lot more listenable than their first, mainly because of the improved soundquality and also a lot better material. They have also rerecorded "Puzzlez ov Flesh" for the album.  Watain plays fast Black Metal, just the way I like it.

Standout tracks are "Black Salvation", "I Am the Earth" and "The Golden Horns of Darash".

On a sidenote I find it strange that both Watain and Abruptum release an album with the exact same title only a few months apart.

Thursday May 20 2004, by :Vragh:

Valkyrja - 2005 - Funeral Voices

Out of Sweden comes this Black Metal band with their first demo. Three tracks of mid-paced to fast Black Metal are presented to us on this release, plus an intro and an instrumental interlude. The material here is actually quite good. Slightly melodic Black Metal which reminds me a bit of Marduk, Satyricon and Borknagar, but mostly of a more varied Dark Funeral.

The vocals sound similar to those done by Legion when in Marduk, with a slight touch of those from early Borknagar.

This demo has a really good production. The instruments and the vocals can all be heard clearly. The material presented on this demo shows that there are still new bands out there worth checking out. This is a band to keep your eyes on. Limited to only 50 copies, so act fast!


Standout track is "Another Prophet to the Wolves".

Sunday July 10 2005, by :Vragh:

Rimthurs - 2004 - Demo 2004

Swedish Black Metal act Rimthurs has released this, their first demo upon the world. Presented here are six tracks of mid-paced to fast, slightly melodic Black Metal with a touch of heathenism. Musically this mostly has similarities to Allegiance, with some Thrash here and there. The track "Vitekrist" even has some parts that remind me of early Ophthalamia. Very well executed, this. The instruments are handled very well, and the material is quite good.

The vocals are mostly more towards being growled, and at times screamed. They sound similar to those done on the Allegiance albums as well, but being a bit deeper.

The soundquality here is well above average demosound, but still slightly murky, which is just the way I like it. The production sounds very much early '90ies Black Metal. Can't go wrong with that.

Standout tracks are "Krigvind", "Vitekrist" and "Må Du Bli Till Is".

January 30 2005, by :Vragh:

Pest - 2005 - In Total Contempt

Swedish Black Metal horde Pest are back, and with a vengeance! Their slightly delayed third fullength album is out, and I have to say that this album is, next to their amazing Blasphemy is My Throne minialbum, their best material to date. They have progressed somewhat since their last
release, while still maintaining the essence of Pest, and they even have songs here with a serious
groove to them. Their music is still mid-paced to fast, with mostly fast tracks, but with a slightly new approach at times. Musically they have some slight similarities to latter day Darkthrone and Armagedda on this release mixed with their own sound, which has become a bit angrier.

The vocals are a bit clearer, somehow, but still keeping their hateful aggression and harshness.

The instruments and the vocals are at the same level in the mix, so the production has been improved
 since their last album. Very nice. Also they seem to have worked a bit more on the  material here. After a while I got a bit tired of their last effort, but this album just keeps spinning in my player. Be sure to check this album out!

Standout tracks are "Thrones Ablaze", "A Vengeance Rising", "Slaves of Celestial Bounds" and "Dreams of Life Seem Morbid".

Tuesday July 5 2005, by :Vragh:

Pest - 2002 - Blasphemy Is My Throne

This is the first official release from this promising Swedish Black Metal band, not to be confused with the Finnish or German bands with the same name. This is in-your-face Black Metal as it should be, cold and aggressive. Presented here are six tracks, of which the last two are taken from their last demo. Influences are mainly classic Darkthrone and Satyricon, but they also have a nice extra edge of their own in their sound. This is necro Black Metal and could very well have been released in the mid 1990ies.

The music is mid-paced to fast, and the production is harsh, as it should be. The vocals are slightly reminiscent of Nocturno Culto's on Under a Funeral Moon, but they sound distinctly as Pest, no better way to describe it. Yet another really good Swedish Black Metal album in the new wave of Black Metal.

The vinyl versions of most of Pest's albums differ from the CD versions, and this album is no exception; the vinyl recording of this album is actually even harsher than the CD version. Pure hatred! Both versions of this album are limited, 300 on vinyl and 500 on CD. Act fast before they are sold out. You have been warned!

Standout tracks are "Blasphemy is my Throne" and "Along the Path of the Fallen".

Monday May 31 2004, by :Vragh:

Pandemonium - 2006 - The Autumn Enigma

Out of Sweden comes this band, presenting us with their second fullength. What we get here are 8 tracks, including an outro, of rather melodic, progressive Death/Black Metal. Musically this reminds me of Embraced and Amorphis.

The main vocals are rather deep but still quite clear growls, slightly towards those by Dan Swanö in early Edge of Sanity, with clean sung passages that remind me of Amorphis, as well as vocals sounding similar to those by Kalle Johansson of Embraced, and somewhat towards the Cradle of Filth kind of vocals. Perhaps also a bit of Chuck Schuldiner in them.

The soundquality is very good. The vocals are ever so slightly in the front, with the drums close behind, but you hear all the instruments in the mix. A keyboard is used throughout the album, but this is done very well. It is not used, as in many symphonic Black Metal bands, too excessively and in the front of all the other instruments, but as one of the instruments, and that is just the way to do it. The keyboards mostly remind me of those on Amorphis' Tales from the Thousand Lakes album, but varies from track to track.

Standout tracks are "The Fire", "The Nameless Season", "Autumn Enigma" and "Reflecting Mirrors".

Monday November 27 2006, by :Vragh:

Overlord Industries - 2005 - Pissingonanazi.com

This Swedish outfit is back with more of their special brand of Metal. This time around we are presented with six tracks an intro and two interludes. The material on this demo has progressed a bit since last, yet you clearly hear who we're dealing with here. The trademark soundquality and guitar sound is present. The same Thrashy Metal, with some Death- and Black Metal in it. All seems to be as before, until we get to the third track, "Something in Common". This took me by surprise the first time around, and it still amazes me after a bunch of listens. It works amazingly well. They have added a trombone to this track, it actually begins with it, and then the song proceeds with the rest of the instruments, and the trombone joining in here and there. This is very good indeed! The trombone shows up here and there during most of the other songs here, but on "Something in Common" it is best by far. Such an amazing groove! The influences here are still from all over the place, and a bit hard to pinpoint. They remind me of Cadaver Inc. and latter day Sepultura, with some really slow, old school Black Metal in there as well, but there's lots more to be discovered here.

The vocals are as before. They remind me a bit of a less extreme and Thrashier version of those on the early Burzum records. Hard to explain, really, but still good.

The soundquality is as good as before, being well above the average for a demo recording, and the music is still mostly mid-paced, but feels a bit more varied and innovative this time around. This demo feels a bit more complete than their last effort. A bit more even. Some really good riffing on this demo. I like that. I like when bands have something unexpected in their music, when I can't predict what's next, and this is a good example of that. I want more, but skip the interludes next time. 

Standout tracks are "Something in Common", "Goodmorning Cruel World" and "KEL", the faster track on this demo.

Wednesday January 4 2006, by :Vragh:

Overlord Industries - 2004 - Superunderground Vehicle

Here we have the third demo by the Swedish Metal outfit Overlord Industries. We are presented with five tracks with influences from all over the place. Very interesting, that. I find some small parts Black Metal here and there, but this is mainly Death Metal with Thrash and Metal parts.

The vocals consist of either growls or screamed growls, mostly the latter.

The soundquality is quite good, and they handle their instruments well. The music is mostly mid-paced and is extremely catchy, somehow. The guitars on the track "CFF" are just so extremely good!
This is without a doubt the best track on the demo, which is well worth buying just for this one track. A good demo from a promising band walking their own way. I am looking forward to hearing more from these guys.

Standout tracks are "Illness", "CFF" and "Depopulation".

Monday March 7 2005, by :Vragh:

Ondskapt - 2004 - Draco Sit Mihi Dux

Out of the Swedish Black Metal scene comes Ondskapt with their first fullength album, following their debut mini lp Slave Under His Immortal Will. It took me a few listens to get into this album, but it is a very good one. Here are many an influence. The soundquality is a little dark and the sound is more bassoriented than is common in Black Metal.

The vocals remind me of a slightly less bizarre De Mysteriis era Attila Csihar, operatic and with a sound of desperation. On this album are both moments that could have been taken from De Mysteriis era Mayhem as well as from Angst era Shining. Mostly this is not an album that is built upon fast double bass drums, the tempo is more towards the midpaced with tracks around 6-10 minutes long.

The allover sound on the recording and the vocals creates a very dark mood. Some truly amazing riffing on this album. If you enjoy Mayhem, Attila Csihar and Shining you are going to enjoy this album. This is a well executed, very professional piece of Black Metal Art.

Standout tracks are "III" and "VI".

Thursday May 20 2004, by :Vragh:

Niden Div. 187 - 1997 - Impergium

Out of Sweden comes this Black Metal project, featuring members from other well known acts in the scene (Dawn, Thy Primordial and A Canorous Quintet). Presented on this album are ten tracks of blasting Black Metal Art at a total running time of just above 26 minutes. The hatred on this disc can almost be compared to the feeling of extreme hatred which permeates all Ildjarn releases. There the similarities stop, however. Musically this reminds me slightly of early Immortal, due to the speed, and Antaeus, though they have a slight Death Metal vibe in their music as well. Some sort of groove that isn't quite typical for Black Metal. Some samples are used, but not in a conventional way.

The vocals are typical for Henke Forss, rather high pitched raspy shrieks, quite like his performance
on later Dawn albums. A mix of Abbath and early Varg Vikernes, perhaps would describe them best.

The soundquality is slightly muffled, however all instruments are heard in the mix. Main focus is

shared between the drums, vocals and guitars. My only complaint would be that this album, as with many albums from the later '90ies, has the volume set rather low, so you need to turn up the volume when you play this album. This is, however, one of my favourite Swedish Black Metal albums. Rereleased together with the bands first MCD in 2004. Well worth checking out!

Stand out tracks are "Genocide", "The Execution" and "Hate".

Saturday August 22 2009, by :Vragh:

Nex Perpetui Regis - 2007 - Void Worship

Out of southern Sweden comes this Black Metal horde with their third demo. Five tracks of mid-paced to fast Black Metal is what we get. Musically this reminds me of early Armagedda, earlier Darkthrone and somewhat of Craft and even a hint of Morbid in one track.

The vocals remind me mostly of Gallhammer, a less high pitched Dim of Туман as well as Mikael Nox' performance on Craft's demo.

The soundquality is as one would expect of a demo recording. The drums are in the foreground, followed by the guitars and vocals. The tracks have been recorded at different times, as the
soundquality gets clearer on the third track. The cymbals do annoy at times, though.

Stand out tracks are "Void Worship" and "Culling the Weak".

Saturday August 22 2009, by :Vragh:

Mordgrim - 2004 - Pestens År

Swedish Black Metal outfit Mordgrim have unleashed their first four track demo upon the world.
The music presented on this demo is mostly midpaced, but here are also some faster parts. The music reminds me mostly of Thornium, but some Burzum and early Satyricon is also present in their music, mixed with some regular Metal parts here and there. The intro actually reminded me a bit of early Ulver.

The songs on this demo are rather repetitive, a good riff is used throughout the entire song, which I really like, not many bands of today does this with a good result. The vocals here sound similar to Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism era Immortal.

The soundquality on this demo is quite good, a clear sound with all the instruments audible.

They have since changed the name to Old Bones.

Standout tracks are "In i Det Dunkle Mørke" and "Blood of Satan"

Friday October 29 2004, by :Vragh:

Lönndom - 2007 - Fälen från Norr

Out of Sweden comes Lönndom, the latest incarnation featuring the essence of what once was the mighty Armagedda and Lik. We get eight tracks contemplating nature and old folk tales of the north
and a journey through dark forests at night, with the intro and outro tracks tying the journey together nicely.

The vocals range from clean to spoken or whispered, with parts being growled, setting different moods throughout the journey.

Musically this is a mix of Isengard and Lik, with some parts of Armagedda's Ond Spiritism and some Swedish folk influences. Earlier Ulver comes to mind, mainly because of the concept. It is also something completely different and unique.

The soundquality of this recording is quite good. This music should not be presented with crisp, crystal clear sound, and they have avoided doing just that. This is rather presented with a slightly darker sound, yet everything can be heard clearly here. This is quite different in many ways, there are sounds of nature mixed in with the music, and the music has a distinct Black Metal sound, yet there are factors that are not. A very intriguing album. My biggest complaint is that the album feels too short. This is, however, a masterpiece.

Standout tracks are "Ripeluokte", "Himlalågor", "Stállo" and "På Fjället"

Sunday May 31 2009, by :Vragh:

Lik - 2005 - Besvärtade Strofer - Toner från Gammelbyns Fäbodar

Out of Sweden comes this one man project by Graav of Armagedda fame, with a second fullength album. The music on this release has matured since the previous album, and the Isengard influence that was present on the previous release has all but disappeared. Now we are presented with an album that has an incredibly dark aura surrounding it. I would say that this has progressed away from Black Metal, to a certain extent, and evolved into some sort of Dark Eerie Metal with a slight Rock thing to it. In the music I find some dark and melancholic moods I haven't heard since the Wongraven album that was released in the '90ies, especially in the track "Syner". The music is not really fast, but more towards the slower with parts that are faster here and there.

The vocals are for the most part clean and a bit towards the deeper spectrum and are  spoken at times. They are slightly theatrical, if you will. Typical for Graav, really.

The soundquality on this recording is amazing. It is clear, yet dark, somehow. You hear the instruments clearly, and the sound  is clean. The bass sound is prominent in the mix, but not too much so. This is an absolutely amazing release. I would say this album is slightly better and darker if you understand Swedish, but not speaking or understanding Swedish is not an excuse to miss this release. This is music that you play out in the woods in the darkest hours of the night. This is one of the darkest albums I have ever heard. Get this album!

Of the six tracks presented here, the ones that stand out slightly more than the others are "Prolog", "Varulvsvals" and "Begravd (Epilog)".

Saturday October 21 2006, by :Vragh:

Lik - 2004 - Må Ljuset Aldrig Nå Oss Mer

Swedish band Lik is the sideproject of Graav from the old school Black Metal band Armagedda. Presented on this album are seven tracks of well executed, and rather catchy at times, Black Metal with some Folk influences, mainky in the lyrics. Rather a mix of Armagedda and Isengard. This album actually sounds a lot like Isengard's Vinterskugge album, both musically and vocally. The only exception is the second track, "Hate to be Human", which stands out from the rest of the album with its slow, dark, eerie and almost hypnotic melody and whispered vocals. The mood in this track reminds me of Carpathian Forest's cover of The Cure's "A Forest", off of their Black Shining Leather album.

This album has a clear production, but still maintaining the underground feel in the sound. There are some synth parts present, but these arrangement are only there to add more depth to the music, just as the ones on Vinterskugge. The drums are very basic, which really fits the concept of this band.

This album has a nice Black Metal feel of days of yore, and if you feel like reliving the early magic you could do far worse than buying this album.

Thursday May 20 2004, by :Vragh:

Kill - 2003 - Horned Holocaust

Swedish Black Metal act Kill have, after some delays, released their first fullength album, presenting 7 tracks and 30 minutes of necro Black Metal. Treble is the first thing you notice with this recording.
The second thing you notice is the killer melodies. The last track in particular stands out from the rest. The production on this album sounds somewhat like Von and Nifelheim, and also slightly like Ulver's Nattens Madrigal, if you will.

Musicwise they remind me a bit of Craft from their Total Soul Rape era and also some Under a Funeral Moon era Darkthrone at times (and some early Bathory thrown in for good measure),
with vocals sounding mostly like a mix of Legion formerly of Marduk, and Nocturno Culto of Darkthrone. This is necro Black Metal, just the way it should be - grim, yet catchy.

Standout tracks are "Virgin Sacrificed", "The Devil" and "Fields of Devastation".

Thursday February 5 2004, by :Vragh:

Kallbrand - 2005 - Bedrövelse

Swedish outfit Kallbrand present us with a five track demo. The material presented here ranges from a piano intro (of 4 minutes) via Ambient and Neo-Classical moods to mid-paced Black Metal with tasteful keyboards added to the melodies. The Black Metal part reminds me of some of the Heathen Black Metal bands out there, using some Folk inspired melodies. I get reminded of Wyrd as well as Wongraven and the soundtrack to Twin Peaks here. The overall feel on this demo is despair.

The vocals are dark and a bit in the back of the mix, and they are more spoken than sung. They remind me somewhat of those in Wallachia and Hate Forest, but deeper and darker. You can just make them out, which gives the music an extra touch of melancholy. They suit the music and the mood very well.

The soundquality and production on this release are excellent, I must say. A drum machine is utilized for the Black Metal parts, but not one with an annoyingly mechanical sound. It doesn't sound as unnatural as many of these machines can.

This is a release that has been well planned. The different styles fit together nicely, building the mood of the demo. Limited to a 100 copies. Act fast, you should not miss this!

Standout tracks are "Det Svarta Hav" and "Förtvivlan".

Sunday January 15 2006, by :Vragh: