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:

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: