A History Of Norwegian Black Metal

Black Hole Generator ‘Black Karma’ MCD 2006
	Blisteringly fast, polished Black industrial metal. The precision and depth of song craft can be likened to Emperors later works, and the technicality of it all does need a few spins to unravel its web of constant fiery time changes. This is bleak industrial black metal from Bergen with members from Taake, Aeternus and Vulture Industries. The intensity and cold atmospheres wrap around a sharp production that allows the maniacal nature of the compositions to be set loose without fear of the end result plunging into a chaotic noise swirl. From the blazing snares and rabid guitar strums slither the more potent slower sections that create the substance and depth of the songs. Speed for speed sake is always
going to become tiresome, so these well timed breaks carve out some quite memorable and highly charged moments. Still, this is a chopping, hyper fast slab of technical Black Metal sliced up into an industrial chill and densely aggravated vocal strains. If you like Anaal Nathrakh twisted into a Dark Funeral style tumult then you’ll enjoy this. This cd is available from www.godreah.com

Burzum - Anthology Best of/Compilation, Cymophane / Allgermanic
	How do you measure the pure genius and awe inspiring elements that make up the very mention of Burzum? This official anthology is as near perfect as you will find, a compilation of tracks spanning the bands entire studio output. First off, Feeble Screams From Forests Unknown, taken from the debut album. Here are the smoking ruins of the Norwegian Black Metal phenomenon incarnate. This track merges with the following, Stemmen fra Tarrmet [from the Aske mcd] as breathing musical moments that were born from a freak chain of events that enabled the Norwegian Black Metal scene to burst from its relatively unknown status. Varg's music became more involved as we can find on the following bleak track,
Lost Wisdom [from the Det Som Engang Var album1993]. Varg's unholy vocal style is like the scratching of a black board at times, a pure enigmatic vocal that just adds to the music’s bone creaking atmospheres. Svart Troner (also from Det Som Engang Var] attaches itself next and showcases the Counts love of ambient keyboard pieces. From the chill of the grave cold earth comes the utterly masterful, Det Som En Gang Var (from Hvis Lyset Tar Oss 1994] a fourteen minute epic that just oozes the very soul of Burzum and lays waste the air with a chilling ghostly arrangement. This is Black Metal emerging from the smoke to crush you with its integrity and purity. The following album, Filosofem [1996] is regarded by some as Burzums finest. The vigorously up-beat track, Jesus Tod , is certainly one of the finest tracks to sit amongst a fine back catalogue, and the following, Gebrechlichkeit II ( also from Filosofem] can be credited as one of the most haunting and emotionally charged Burzum tracks. Balferd Baldrs [from Dauði Baldrs 1997] follows and is a keyboard piece created in the twilight of Burzums short lived existence. The likewise, Ansuzgardaraiwo [from Hliðskjálf 1999] reflects the lonely, disturbed entity that is Varg Vikernes. This is a collection of songs that represent the golden ere of Norwegian Black Metal. There is no fairytale ending, no major label Satyricon style end, no Nuclear Blast showered, Immortal glory, no Emperor mainstream heights to scale. This is Burzum, a band of authentic evil and pure musical vision. I wonder if the rest of the scene really appreciates that through one mans sacrifice of liberty [no matter the reasons] they reap the profits by living the dream? For we must remember, without Varg's violent deeds, neither Satyricon, nor Immortal [and the other likewise acts] would not be enjoying the privilege of notoriety and fame they no doubt take for granted today.

Celestial Bloodshed ‘Cursed, Scarred and Forever Possessed’ Debemur-Morti
	Norwegian Black Metal has many faces, and yet the one true face is that of Mayhem, Thorns and Burzum. Within these bands alone resides the TRUE icy ethos of the genre, an ethos much replicated, much respected. Celestial Season are of the old school style of raw primitive aural bombardment. There are no keyboards to temper the rabid jaws of the satanic hunger, no palette of colour, just black and white, flesh crawling Black Metal. Like Throne of Katarsis and LJA, the guitars rip into the air like sharpened battle horns impaling the splintered shields of angels. The sound has a thicker core than the more fuzzy Darkthrone primitivisms, and yet both caustic styles share the same corpse painted, forest
dwelling panoramic visions. The music here is a journey into Hell with fast and slow songs, both merging to form a chilling aural plague. This band are bursting with energy, ideas and blazing songs that are both melodic and bile dripping. There is not much originality, but that is not the music’s purpose. The purpose is to create the near perfect Black Metal sound, and that is something very nearly grasped here.

Hat ‘Livet ebber ut’ demo cd
	The band used to be called Ravner back in 1993, but were put on hold from 1996 to 2006, only to return as Hat. This demo contains three tracks of fast, blazing Norwegian Black Metal. The sound can be likened to early Gorgoroth and Graveland with the same gravel dusted vocal snarl. The music does not stray form its orthodox roots and deliverers some solid bone splitting music. The first track, Tortur, reveals the more polished guitar sound, thick and razor sharp that weaves its baneful spell from a surprisingly clear production. The sound here is far more venomous than the more low-fi fuzz emanating from the multitude of Darkthrone clones scattered across the globe. Here we have a more
substantial aural primitivism. Hyll Satan follows and livens the tempo with its hypnotic chorus line and overall fluent arrangement. This is a track that will melt into the mind after a few spins. The demo ends with Livet ebber ut, a lumbering hymn to the night. Here the band bring the boiling atmosphere to a simmering mid paced beginning to blast off into a faster mode when required. The vicious vocal presence keeps the whole sound firmly in the icy realms of dark Black Metal. Overall not a genre changing release and the band do not pretend to be anything other than the desolate Black Metal, the music most definitely on offer here. A fine debut. www.myspace.com/Evighat

Krypt ‘Preludes to Death’ Agonia Records
	Melodic Norwegian Black Metal with riffs that fall out of the mix like molten rocks blistering down from a magma flow. This is high velocity melodic Black Metal of the highest calibre. This band was born from the ashes of the masterful Tsjuder, having vocalist Nag, and drummer Desecrator forming the main hub of Krypt. Nag has a long history within the Norwegian scene having also been a member of cult bands Isvind, and Gehenna. Krypt are of a similar calibre to Gorgoroth in that both acts utilize thick guitars and raw spite to power their music forward. Neither do these acts shy from injecting melody and purpose into the songs. From the rabid opener, Worthless, the band reign in the speed for the following,
Krypt. Here we find a brooding, remorseless track that crawls through its own piss stained riffs and blood oozing vocal malaise. The rousing, I Am God [already ousted on the previous ep] is a rampaging Black Metal paint by numbers offering. Quite bold in its rolling malign, and yet ignited by great riffs and a spitting percussion. The pace again taken of the accelerator for the gloom drenched, Misfits, a track that explodes into a thrashing frenzy midway through. The album is at its conclusion well balanced and Krypt show they are more than capable of holding their own against any unavoidable comparisons with Tsjuder, and the more established Gorgoroth.

Myrkgrav - Trollskau, Skrømt og Kølabrenning’ Det Germanske Folket
	This album appeared in 2006, not a recent release but one that deserves your attention. This is one of those numerous obscure acts that appear and disappear without most of us having any clue they existed in the first place. The music is a fusion of Nordic Black Metal and Scandinavian Folk with a lyrical deployment of old Nordic dialogue. Like all the Viking Metal affiliated acts, there is a strong clean vocal presence along side the more harsh vociferous elements. The sound is pretty thin, preferring a light metal atmosphere as opposed to a thick wall of savage guitars and no nonsense battery. Not striving to become anything other than the band they are, Myrkgrav, indeed revel in their self imposed identity.
There is a traditional folk song thrown into the extremely varied musical melee of fast/ slow/ acoustic/ synth/ emotive/ aggressive/ u-beat/ sombre and many other levels of mood and pace. This is a fine album that derives its source material from a specific genre and then makes it their own. Viking Metal can at times prove rather laborious and uneventful. That rule does not apply here. www.myrkgrav.com

Nordvrede ‘Northern Frontlines’ Hexenhammer Records
	Originally recorded in 2006 and released as a demo, Hexenhammer Records re-released the songs on this MCD in 2007. Featuring members of other Norwegian acts, Taakeferd, Antaios, and Sultedod. There is more than a hint of NS Black Metal going on here. The cover has a WWII theme with the obvious German imagery [the cd featuring Stukas] that goes hand in hand with this NS theme. I couldn’t give a toss about the Nazi connotations, as the music is all that concerns me. You can take the lyrical content what ever way you like. Musically this mcd is surprisingly good. From the initial air sirens, Crowned in Entrails, awakens its anger. the guitars and snares explode into life and an instant early demo era
Emperor can be absorbed. Norwegian Black Metal this most certainly is and it is of the highest quality. The following, Trone, is like an Enslaved romp across battlefields of Slain. Up-beat and driven by a rousing guitar arrangement. There are also hints of Emperors, Nightside Eclipse as the guitars here rip though the air in bursts of activity. There are no keyboards so the senses are constantly under a severe axe attack. This is a definite lost jewel in the modern Norwegian Black Metal genre, so seek it out. www.nordvrede.com This cd is available from www.godreah.com

SorgSvart ‘Vikingtid Og AnArki’ Einheit Produktionen
	Norwegian Black Metal With the phrase ‘Norsk Anarkistisk Svart Metall’, wording that sets the music into the vicious blood letting fury of Mayhem or Darkthrone. The cover and over all imagery is black and white, and the first track all point to a raw TRUE Black Metal experience, but how wrong can first impressions be. The misleading packaging detracts from the quite wonderful Viking/Black Metal atmosphere generated by main man Sorg. For here is an album of such quality and depth that I am aghast to the far from raw primitivism generated by the cover. Here we have up-beat keyboards, clean vocals, rousing choral chants, flutes and obligatory mouth harp, all cementing the main drive of this album.
There is also the icy guitars, harsh vocals and Black Metal framework the music is built round. You can cite the wonderful Viking mastery of Windir and Enslaved, both bands having their brazen longboat heroics replicated here. At times the music rolls into a post black metal camp fire atmosphere of jolly vocal chants and even more jolly keyboards. The pagan battle metal of Finntroll and Moonsorrow are also bands that simmer in the background, worthy citations for any band. SorgSvart take their Black Metal above the constraints of mere primitivism, and into a far more accessible and rousing level of ice mantled Norse Viking metal.

Taake ‘Svartekunst’ 7” EP Dark Essence
	Here’s a raw as an open wound live EP featuring four kick ass Taake tracks. The sound is taken from a dodgy soundboard recording of a very low key gig, and you can just taste the beer and hair sweat of the small audience present. The EP starts with a typical melodic Taake track, Eismalsott [originally found on the 1995 demo], and this track reveals much of what this band are about. Thoughtful, melodic Heavy Metal charged with a Blackened angst. Next up, Tykjes Fele, originally found on the 2004 split with Amok. This is a basic Taake number, as is the flip sides Darkthrone cover, Over Fjell og Gjennom Torner. [originally found on the awe striking, Transylvanian Hunger album] It is with the last track,
Voldtekt [found on the 2006 split with Gigantomachy] that this Ep really melts into the ears. With a great guitar finale that is also very much part of the Taake ethos, the magnificent primitivism set to stark enjoyable music sets this slab of plastic ablaze. A true, Black Metal with attitude release, from a band who are just oozing quality and cult individualism