Khold

Khold - Til endes
Peaceville Records, 2014
Genre: Black Metal

1. Myr
2. Skogens øye
3. Ravnestrupe
4. Dommens armé (Sepultura cover)
5. Til endes
6. Det dunkle dyp
7. Avund
8. Bengitt







It's actually been so long since we've heard from Khold that I, honestly, thought the project was done. But then a couple years ago a new Tulus surfaced and then a couple years later a new Khold was announced. Being a fan of the project I naturally picked up my copy as soon as it was released. When I first put this on, I don't think I gave it the appreciation it really deserved. "Til endes" is very much a Khold album through and through, but their are some subtle differences that make this album really stand out for me.

"Til endes" is the album I wanted "Hundre år gammal" to be. Those freezing Black Metal riffs are back in force on this album! They certainly haven't lost their groove at all and this album is more akin to their early releases. One of the major differences between this album and the earlier is how much harder it seems to hit. The songwriting hasn't changed for the most part, so I think a lot of that hard hitting feel has more to do with the production this time around. That being said, "Til endes" is, basically, the perfect production quality for a Khold album. The drum mix alone is astonishing. Everything things is so punchy and clear that it just makes those groovier riffs hit so much harder. I feel like this studio did a much better job of dealing with the bass guitar mix, which also stands out and just hits a lot harder. They've always had some interesting bass sections show up, but the bass tone feels so much heavier and clear this time around. So, if you've been following the project for a while, you're in for a real treat this time around, because the overall listening experience is simply excellent. For the first time they've also done a cover song and if you recognized "Dommens armé" as "Troops of Doom" by Sepultura you are correct. Khold have recast the song in their style a little bit, while still staying fairly true to the original, but it is no doubt a Black Metal version of that song.

"Til endes" is by far the heaviest Khold album out there and I enjoyed every song on here. They kept an excellent balance of fast Black Metal riffs blended with groove just like the good old days. The song "Det dunkle dyp" is by far one of the stand out tracks for me. It has a catchiness that is unrivaled on the album. It's a shame I didn't give this album the time it really deserved when it came out, but a few years later I really took the time to listen to this and it really stands out in their discography as far as I'm concerned.

Khold - Hundre år gammal
Tabu Recordings, 2008
Genre: Black Metal

1. Der kulden rår
2. Kor
3. Hundre år gammal
4. Troløs
5. Forrykt
6. Rekvim
7. Villfaren
8. Sann ditt svik
9. Mester og trell
10. Straff
11. Bønn





It's actually been quite a while since we've heard from Khold, some of that probably has to do with the fact that the members have also resurrected Tulus from the ashes and put out an album last year. However, this year we have a new Khold and after my lackluster experience with "Krek" I was hoping for something a little better.

"Hundre år gammal" is actually pretty similar in approach to "Krek", but the compositions work way more this time around. They finally figured out how to write more slow and plodding songs with groove and atmosphere. A lot of the songs on "Krek" felt disjointed or just fell flat, but "Hundre år gammal" has that atmosphere and power that I've come to expect from Khold. Personally, I prefer their faster material over this, but I can't deny the fact that they've figured out how to write material that sounds more cohesive this time around. I think they wanted to create a far heavier album and you can really create that kind of crushing feel with slower songs and the problems on "Krek" were probably related to the fact that they were an over productive band and writing material too much. With the space and a Tulus album in between I think it gave them the time to refocus Khold and put out the album they really were intending with the way "Krek" sounded.

In the end "Hundre år gammal" is a good album, but it's not a great album and is probably going to be somewhat low on the Khold rotation. I preferred more of a blend between their faster riffing and the slow grooves, but this album is heavily dominated by the slow groove and only a few moments here and there speed up. I'm just rarely in the mood for that type of music, thus I don't even listen to Doom Metal, but if what I've described sounds intriguing to you then this is an album worth checking out because it is well written and very well performed.

Khold - Krek
Tuba Records, 2005
Genre: Black Metal

1. Innestengt i eikekiste
2. Oskorei
3. Byrde
4. Lysets Flukt
5. Grepet om kniven
6. Midvinterblot
7. Varde
8. Silur wie
9. Krek
10. Blod og blek






I remember when "Krek" originally came out and I really felt like the prior album had just come out and I had barely even begun to delve into it. This is how I usually wind up feeling when listening to highly productive bands, it's hard to keep up with them and everything else that gets released. So, that being said, I think "Krek" is the Khold album that I've barely ever listened to, so re-listening to it again is an interesting journey.

If you've been following Khold so far, then "Krek" doesn't really change things up that much. "Krek" is a little different compared to the prior albums in the sense that most of the album is much more focused on groove. The first two songs, for example, have almost none of your standard Black Metal passages, just really intense grooving riffs cast in a Black Metal atmosphere. I'm not sure how "Krek" will measure up in the grand scheme of things, while I do enjoy their groovier ideas, I do also like how they switch into blasting moments to create this really interesting listening experience. In some ways it makes sense that they would want to switch things up a little bit at this point, but they've  dropped a lot of the traditional Black Metal that made their blend a more exciting listen. Instead this feels like a far more mid-paced release and has a sort of droning groove effect. What I mean, is that they sort of set this groove and just stick with it for the majority of the album, so the groove starts to fade into the background more. They do switch things up a little bit with songs like "Lysets Flukt" which features this really awesome opening riff with blasting under it, but the rest of the riffs groove and the middle outright slows down to Doom Metal levels.

"Krek" is also probably the shortest of the Khold albums so far with it only being about a half hour in length. So, even though the album doesn't seem to command as much attention as prior albums, the riffs switch up often enough so things don't drag on for too long. I feel like they were really focused on groove and heavy riffs this time around. Some of the riffs are outright excellent in their catchiness, but sometimes I'm not sure the surrounding riffs pull the song together. Consider "Midvinterblot", which is sort of a Doomy and heavy song, but there's this killer groove section in there that I just wish was in a different song. I don't feel like their groove complements the heavy crushing riffs. However, I will say the title track and "Blod og blek" are awesome songs. They definitely stand out as being excellent songs all the way through.

In the end, even though this album is far shorter, I'm not sure this one held up to the test of time or the rest of their discography so far. I understand doing something a little different from before, but the slow heavy riffing just made the songs feel more boring to me. The attempt to switch the energy around in their writing didn't work for me and I think some of these superb riffs may have been sacrificed when they could have appeared in better songs. Maybe at this point the band had been over-writing and the solid ideas aren't hitting as hard. For a Khold album I would say this is only okay, but I'll probably be choosing other albums over this in the future.

Khold - Mørke Gravers Kammer
Candlelight Records, 2004
Genre: Black Metal

1. Åtselgraver
2. Død
3. Niflheimr
4. Hevenerske
5. Med Nebb og Klør
6. Mørke Gravers Kammer
7. Opera Seria
8. Sjeleskjender
9. Vardøger
10. Kamp





I was surprised to see that Khold was no longer working with Moonfog for their releases and is instead being picked up by Candlelight for their albums. However, it was shortly after this that Moonfog would stop putting out new releases altogether, so maybe the bands on the roster started looking a lot earlier. Well either way, when I saw new Khold released I was looking forward to another heavily groove laden Black Metal album.

If you've been following Khold so far then "Mørke Gravers Kammer" is just another step along that journey. At this point some people may find Khold's approach to repetitive, but to me these people also go listen to bands like Marduk and Dark Funeral who have been releasing the same album style over and over for quite some time. I'll be honest, Khold isn't something I have in constant rotation, but sometimes I really enjoy listening to it for what it is. It's always been a really different take on Black Metal, so even though this new album is similar to the prior albums, I still quite enjoy it. They write new enough riffs to not feel overwhelmingly the same as prior releases. They are stuck in a rut a bit when it comes to some of their open chord riffs where they then single pick the strings, similar to a "Freezing Moon" idea. However, I think all Black Metal bands are basically re-hashing that at this point, so no big deal. Khold excels at putting their listener in a very specific space with their music and it's so well done that other bands who often try to pull this often fail. Khold is one of those bands that are unlikely to ever be reproduced, so I'll revel in the continued style album after album.

In the end Khold continue to put out a high quality product with great atmosphere. The production just gets better each album, which further enhances the experience. Gard's vocals still stand as perfection within the framework of this band. If you've been a fan already, you know what to expect.

Khold - Phantom
Moonfog Productions, 2002
Genre: Black Metal

1. Dødens grøde
2. Skjebnevette
3. Hekseformular i vev
4. Phantom
5. Fra grav til mørke
6. Døde fuglers sang
7. Slaktereika
8. Ord i flammer
9. Vandring







Right on the heels of "Masterpiss of Pain" Khold return with their second album "Phantom". Sometimes when you crank albums out this fast things can begin to stagnate. Is this just a "Masterpiss of Pain" part two? Or something entirely different. Was the band just sitting on a ton of unreleased material? The latter might be the case, but I think there's an argument for that not being true. Either way time to delve into "Phantom."

With the first album Khold set a pretty impressive precedent for their sound and "Phantom" certainly continues that concept and journey. So, for the quick assessment, if you enjoyed "Masterpiss of Pain" there's no reason you wouldn't enjoy "Phantom". Now we just have more music from a great project. However, "Phantom" is a little bit of a different animal. The signature groove laden riffing is certainly the main focus of the project and that's everything in "Phantom", but the overall structure and atmosphere feels a little different. With the release of the self titled Thorns album in 2001, I think it had a lot of bands reminiscing about that project and "Phantom" really borrows a lot of influence from the way Ruch approaches guitar and bass. So, this feels like a much groovier version of Thorns, especially the opener "Dødens grøde". Not every song sounds like this, but you'll hear hints of those Thorns inspired chords or progressions throughout this album. It's interesting that amidst this mid-paced groove laden album we'll come across a song like "Fra grav til mørke", which is a much faster song complete with blasting and having a far more traditional Norwegian Black Metal approach and feel. However, it's not long before we are back to the heavy grooves of before.

It's interesting to note that even though Khold changed studios for this album, they still managed to capture that incredible organic, untouched feel to their music. Amidst all the new digital tricks coming into the norm for extreme metal, Khold manages to record some of the most organic, yet fullest and heaviest sounding material around. Their music feels like it has real weight behind it, not because they are writing crushing riffs, but because the production and the way they layer their songs just sounds huge.

"Phantom" is largely another march down the path of amazing things you can do by keeping things simple. Some people might find this as a rather derivative journey in the face of the first album, but the songs do sound quite different, even though the core sound is here. I can see why some people would say Khold sounds boring, but I find their music exciting and it just pulls me in every time I put this great band on. I'll be pretty surprised if we get another release in 2003, but taking some time to write might be a good thing for the project. Either way, even if their next album is similar to these two, I'll still be happy with them and look forward to whatever is coming next.

Khold - Masterpiss of Pain
Moonfog Productions, 2001
Genre: Black Metal

1. Nattpyre
2. Den store allianse
3. Norne
4. Svart helligdom
5. Rovnatt
6. Kaldbleke Hender
7. Bortvandring
8. Mesterverk av smerte
9. Jol
10. Øyne i arv






By the time 2001 rolled around I was already a pretty loyal follower of Moonfog Productions as Satyr had established himself as having quite a discerning ear for great Black Metal. So, before I even knew who was behind Khold I had run out and got my hands on a copy of this CD, I didn't really have any expectations going in and aside from the album title, "Masterpiss of Pain", being kind of stupid I was immediately taken in by this project.

Now, to really get a good idea of what Khold would sound like, you just need to look up where the members are from. Tulus. Tulus released some of the grooviest and most simplistic Black Metal around and "Pure Black Energy" will forever be a timeless recording in my eyes. However, after "Evil 1999" maybe Tulus was being put to rest and so a new project was formed featuring the Vocalist/Guitarist and Drummer from Tulus working with two other musicians. Eikind on bass, who has been in a number of projects, but guitarist Rinn hasn't been involved in much. Blodstrup, now calling himself Gard, teaming up with Rinn on guitar has created something that truly advances the Tulus sound as far as I'm concerned. It's slowed down quite a bit by comparison and they are now playing on guitars that are tuned far lower, but the focus of this project is generate an extremely catchy groove. The songwriting also stays on the very simple side, but I find that while the songs' challenge level is very low in terms of performance, they do manage to create some really excellent layering between all the instruments. The bass guitar stands out quite a bit compared to, well... just about any other Black Metal release out there and, in fact, the bass ends up being quite the driving instrument in this project. Within this extremely groovy approach they still manage to harness that more atmospheric quality of Black Metal and it's vastly different from anything else out there at the time of the albums release.  In similar Tulus fashion these songs are quite short, varying around three minutes each, so the album is actually fairly short. I don't think I need to mention this, but I love Gard's vocals. I've always loved his vocals and they are a massive asset to this project.

So, if you're looking for something that sort of carries the Tulus torch, but in a slightly different direction then I highly recommend checking out Khold. "Masterpiss of Pain" is an instant success performed by veteran musicians and they've really enhanced their songwriting to a point where this album has always stood out to me and no one has ever really been able to perform something in a similar vein as far as I'm concerned.

Djevel

Djevel - Blant svarte graner
Aftermath Music, 2018
Genre: Black Metal

1. Saa begynner det
2. Her er ikke spor af mennensker
3. De danser rundt soperlimet som om den var deres mor
4. Paa vintersti skal hun synge en gravsang som aldrig ender
5. Naa er hele livet paa ravnens bord
6. Det svartner paa likbleik hud
7. I denne gamle falne kirke
8. Banker som doedningeknoker
9. Alt som her var er naa borte




The new Djevel has finally reached my hands from across the ocean and, naturally, I was really looking forward to this. This album is, once again, published by Aftermath Music and there were two editions of the CD released. One was a limited box edition, but I decided to opt for the standard edition. It's more like an elaborate cardboard sleeve edition called a "digisleeve" rather than a proper digipak release. Inside one sleeve you find the CD and in the other the booklet. The booklet is quite the minimalistic design, but it really does work splendidly with the overall design. Inside you'll find the lyrics over a white background and that's it. When you open the digisleeve it has a picture of the band members with an informational section.

If you've listened to Djevel before you know what to expect, but if this is your first experience with the project you're in for a real treat. However, some people may be disappointed to find there have been some line-up changes. Their long time vocalist Hjelvik has decided to leave the band and Mannevond will add vocals to his duties alongside bass. Dirg Rep has also given up the drum throne and now Faust is sitting behind it. The album starts with a beautiful acoustic folk styled intro, which really sets the atmospheric tone for the album. I've always said Djevel was a like a blend of Ulver, old Gorgoroth, and old Satyricon and "Blant svarte graner" really holds that torch higher than any of their other albums. As before they take that old style Black Metal from the heart of the 90's and curate it perfectly. It's not exactly modernized, but it just sounds so much more full. A lot of that might have to do with modern production value, but "Blant svarte graner" holds the old guard spirit at its heart and just sounds exquisite overall.

If you grew up with the early 90's Norwegian Black Metal scene then this will feel like quite the homecoming. T. Ciekals really outdid himself with the guitar compositions this time around. I'm sure this album will land somewhere in my top 10 this year, because it really is that glorious. The real question is going to be where could the project possibly go from here? Personally, I'd be pretty happy with a string of albums similar to this to sit comfortably given how outstanding this riff work is. Absolute must by for Black Metal fans!

Djevel - Norske Ritualer
Aftermath Music, 2016
Genre: Black Metal

1. Vi slakter den foerste og den andre, den tredje lar vi gaa mot nord
2. Jeg maner eder alle
3. Doedskraft og tri nagler
4. Med christi legeme og blod under hoeire fod
5. Til mitt kjaere Norge
6. Med tornespiger var han haengt
7. Maatte vetter rase som aldrig foer
8. Afgrunds Engle




After just one year Djevel return with a brand new album. Usually when the turn around for a new album is this quick I'd worry that the material might be too quickly written, but "Norske Ritualer" puts those worries to rest upon hitting play immediately. "Norske Ritualer" comes packaged as a sort of digi-sleeve package. While the packaging is nice and the layout is well designed, I hate this kind of packaging. It may be cost effective, but have the CD in a slip case instead of a tray is, frankly, annoying to deal with. So, I'm hoping the packaging will be a bit better for the next album.

In any event, the music on here is extremely good. It's an immediate attention grabber and opens with an absolutely wonderful song. While the prior Djevel's felt a lot like a celebration of the best Norwegian Black Metal ever created, "Norske Ritualer" seems to actually build on those ideas and push things a little more. This album sees Djevel sort of coming into their own and building on their influences. The opening track reminds me a bit of a continuation of "Nattens Madrigal", which made for an excellent listen! Not to be forgotten, the second track delves into more of their Folk inspired Black Metal, hearkening to a bit of old Satyricon/Storm, but with some groove thrown in similar to what Isvind has pulled off in their music. "Norske Ritualer" tends to meander around these two main focal points, but none of it feels like it's a complete re-hash of what we've all been listening to for the past few decades. I think this album leans more heavily in the Ulver direction, especially with the beautifully played acoustic interludes.

If you've been following Djevel for a while then I doubt you will ever be disappointed with how excellent this album is. If you're new to the band, you're really in for a treat. This is a real monster of an album and so wonderfully executed. Unless Djevel puts out something better, this is probably going to be my "go to" Djevel album when I want to listen to this band. Every songs is an excellent journey and feels more than just a reconstitution of the old material. Definitely an amazing job and I really look forward to wherever else this project takes their style.

Djevel - Saa Raa og Kald
Aftermath Music, 2015
Genre: Black Metal

1. Skritt for skritt mot mareritt
2. Vaar forbannede jord
3. Hode og hals i doedsvals
4. Om prest og pest
5. Norges land og rike
6. I en iskald grav
7. De som  hadde onde oeyne
8. Salmesang og knokkelklang
9. Saa raa og kald
10. I vaar herres navn...






After improving a bit with the second effort, I'm not surprised to say things have stayed quite good with "Saa raa og kald". I don't think there has been much improvement, but rather a consistent excellence that persisted throughout the last album. This time we get a bit more of an elaborate booklet with some extra pictures that compliment the listening experience. It's really beautifully made even if it is quite simple.

At first glance this album feels a bit more raw than the prior releases, and that's more of a production observation than anything else. It sort of makes this album feel older than the prior two in that regard. This album also intro's a little strange with a meandering bass line for the first song before launching into the usual Black Metal style for the next song. It's pretty rare to find anything intro with just the bass, usually we hear that as a break in the middle of a song. Either way, the songs maintain that usual feel of Norwegian Black Metal, being sometimes folky, most of the time being standard Black Metal. I notice they try to include some clean guitar sections a lot more than compared to the prior albums. Some of the riffs are way catchier than before, such as in the song "Norges land og rike" and reminds me a bit of the old Taake days to some degree. The guitar tone has shifted a little bit, as far as I can tell. The guitar tone sounds quite a bit more like a Gorgoroth of Dødheimsgard feeling to the guitar. I think this makes the Gorgoroth influence stand out quite a bit more when it happens.

In the end Djevel continue their signature celebration of all things classic Black Metal, but this time I feel like there is a distinct infusion of the Dødheimsgard sound a little bit with a further more heavy dose of Gorgoroth. All the songs are quite enjoyable and I don't think there is a bad track on this release, so if you want to hear an updated version of the early Black Metal years with an extremely solid performance then this album will not disappoint.

Djevel - Besatt av Maane og Natt
Aftermath Music, 2013
Genre: Black Metal

1. Besatt av maane og natt
2. Aapne graver og tomme kister
3. Marefar
4. Tornekroner og geitehorn
5. Blant fjell og falne
6. Stjernesluker
7. ...Og englene dinglet fra galgene
8. Saa tok alt slutt






After a very good debut Djevel return with their second album. There was a demo 7" released on vinyl between the two, but I'm skipping out on that since both songs on the vinyl appear on here. This comes as a digipac with a very minimalist booklet, but it really does work well for the whole layout of this release.

Already Djevel has had a slight change in the line-up and the drums are now being handled by Dirge Rep. Naturally, given his experience, the drums are done masterfully on the album and his arrangements compliment the guitars wonderfully. Djevel, pretty much, pick up where Dødssanger left us, playing really well made Norwegian styled Black Metal. I think there has been a bit of refinement in the overall writing, because the songs feel even more compelling than before. All the major influences I referenced on the first album are still present on this recording as well, but they're a little less blatant, instead the influences are combined far more cohesively in the writing. This makes Djevel sound a lot more as being on their own and the influences are a more subtle ever present feel in the music. The songs manage to have a bit more of an epic feel at times, such as "Stjernesluker" and I've noticed this element show up in a couple other areas. Not like the Ulver more sorrowful feel, but something akin to what Enslaved would pull off or Keep of Kalessin, which makes for a very excellent element to put into the mix.

Once again Djevel is like a celebration of everything I grew up with in the Norwegian Black Metal scene, but distilled into a single band and playing only the best of the genre. It's surprising that they manage to improve on this approach, but somehow they've managed to work it out. I'm looking forward to even more from this project at this point, because if they manage to keep doing this it will make for a really pleasant journey.

Djevel - Dødssanger
Aftermath Music, 2011
Genre: Black Metal

1. Ingen vei tilbake
2. Djevelheim
3. Mørkerfødt
4. Da kvinnene brant
5. Djevelslått
6. Paakallelsen
7. Vi malte verden i sort
8. Paktens ende - i Satans eie








Even though I listen to quite a few projects from all the musicians behind Djevel, I was really late to this project for some reason. I think I wound up listening to Djevel when I was looking something up about Koldbrann, which is a band I like quite a bit as well, so I took a chance and looked them up. I was immediately taken with their material an I swiftly tracked down and purchased everything I could from the project.

Djevel waste no time with demos and immediately dive right into the full-length territory. Given the caliber of musicians behind the project it makes sense for them to take this route, because I would be shocked if they produced something uninteresting. Some may find Djevel to perform fairly standard fair Norwegian Black Metal, but there's just something special about this material for to me. There's a quality, a higher caliber of writing and musicianship carved out through the years of playing Black Metal by all those involved. The end result is an immediate and mature effort that really celebrates the years of Black Metal. This works for a solid debut album for Djevel, as if the musicians gathered together to work on music that reminded of what influenced them in the past and put it down to permanence. Perhaps Djevel will further refine their sound and influences and meander into something more unique, but for now I will merely enjoy the time spent delving into the old times of Black Metal. This is like a more well recorded version of some of my favorite albums growing up in the mid-90's era of Black Metal. Each song has remnants of Enslaved, Darkthrone, Gorgoroth, and, I'm sure, others that have been lost to obscurity over the years. Or at least buried in my demo tape collections from that bygone era! Blended in with that it has a lot of old Satyricon, even moments that remind me of Storm a little bit and probably a decent dose of early Ulver.

In the end I think Djevel created an excellent debut that really covers the gamut of an older tier of Black Metal. The major complaint, I would imagine, from people would be that it doesn't sound like anything new. But this is wishful thinking for debut albums these in the overwhelming majority of cases. Frankly, I think Djevel write very good songs and compose with a masterful atmosphere for the genre. Djevel is certainly a band worth checking out and I'm eager to hear what might be next from this project.

Immortal

Immortal - Immortal
Self-Released, 1991
Genre: Death Metal

1. Suffocate the Masses
2. Left on the Stake
3. Enslaved in Rot













Before Black Metal really took off in Norway, most of the bands were performing some form of Death Metal. Darkthrone's earliest material was Death Metal, pre-Emperor Thou Shalt Suffer also did some Death Metal, and Immortal was no exception to this. Now I don't have the original demo or anything, instead quite a few years ago I picked up this bootleg 7". I didn't see any other way for me to hear the Immortal demo, so I immediately picked it up, because this was before the mp3 craze had really taken off.

Unlike Sweden, the Death Metal Norway was producing never really took off. After hearing some of these old demos you can kind of understand why. Darkthrone was the only one really doing anything decent in that regard, but in retrospect of Black Metal you do kind of get the impression these bands aren't playing the right genre for them. It's more like people interested in heavier music trying to find their niche. Most of the Death Metal is poorly produced, but that aside, the riffing is typically very mid-paced with some very bizarre solo ideas from time to time.

It's tough to say if I had heard this back in '91 if I would have found merit in it. But in 2016 delving that far back, the early Death Metal being produced by Norway is more of a historical curiosity for me. Norway would go on to create some pretty good Death Metal bands, but the early inception of the style was never something that interested me as far as I can remember. Thankfully, Black Metal production would ramp up and as soon as these bands found Black Metal, they immediately switched to the genre and the rest is the history of a music genre I've enjoyed almost my entire life at this point.

Isvind

Isvind & The Stone - Necrotic God
Folter Records, 2016
Genre: Black Metal

Isvind:
1. Opplagt Krass
The Stone:
2. Antiutopija











Side The Stone: ...coming eventually...
Side Isvind:

For some reason I missed out on this when it first came out, but I'm happy I was able to still get a copy before they were all gone. This split teams up two really excellent Black Metal bands and for that alone its going to be worth getting.

What I would normally expect from Isvind their usually catchy and groovy Black Metal way is kind of nonexistent for this song, instead we get something very surprising. It starts with a very dissonant and disturbing style, but then eventually develops into this really beautiful passage that is one of the most arresting elements in a song I've heard in quite a while. They try to push some groovier sections into the midst of the song, but I think this composition shines more for it's ability to blend together disturbing elements and then rather beautiful sections all in a single track. If this is going to wind up being the direction of "Gud's" follow-up, I am certainly not going to be complaining about that! I highly recommend checking this out.

Isvind - Gud
Folter Records, 2015
Genre: Black Metal

1. Flommen
2. Ordet
3. Himmelen
4. Dåren
5. Tronen
6. Boken
7. Giften
8. Hyrden
9. Spiret





When I saw Isvind announce the new album I approached it with a bit more caution, since I wasn't immediately enamored with "Daumyra". However, when I finally heard a sample off it I was immediately interested! I thought the new track sounded really good, so I planned to definitely pick this album up. I was also surprised to see that it looks like Isvind has rounded out the ranks and no longer approaches the band as a two piece.

The catchier riffs I lamented missing during "Daumyra's" straight forward approach are back in force for "Gud". This is more of what I was expecting as a follow-up to "Intet Lever". That stark Darkthrone influence, which has been ever present is certainly back, but I feel like there's a bit of Tulus in the mix, especially with the female vocals showing up in a few tracks. The opening song had a surprising intro that sounded almost uplifting, until we get to the real meat of the song and then that ravishing grimness in Isvind's sound came out loud and clear. If you're lamenting this change from "Daumyra", there is still a presence of the Kampfar/Immortal blend throughout the album. It's just been further blended with their original sound. I think this blending of styles is what makes Isvind great, because Isvind has always had a very strong writing style, so I usually find listening to the band quite enjoyable. The fact that we've got a really strong blend of bands I really like makes Isvind stand all the stronger and sets Isvind apart from their influences.

So, if you were slightly disappointed in "Daumyra's" sound, then I recommend paying a visit to "Gud", which, I think, most people were expecting the follow-up to sound like. It's a wonderfully cold and majestic album. At this point, I am happily looking forward to what Isvind will produce next.

Isvind - 1993-1994
Kyrck Productions, 2014
Genre: Black Metal

Nivelheimen 1993:
1. Intro
2. Over Blaamyra Steg Kongen
3. Dauingene ut av Underverden Steg
4. Om Natten Flyr Fanden
5. Nivelheimen
6. Lysningen i Skogen
7. Nattens Vingeslag Bryter Stillheten
8. Skyggeskogen
Herskerinnen 1994:
9. Intro
10. Herskerinnen
11. Aasgaardsreien
12. Vinteren, Min Herre
13. Kvite Ætt's Seier
The Call of the Icewind 1992:
14. Falling Down Into the Heat
15. Haunted by Demons
16. Eit skrik i ei kald natt under ein morbid, kjølig og sølvglittrande måne

If you missed out on the Isvind demo material like most people then in usual Kyrck fashion, you're in for quite a treat. I really like Kyrck re-visiting the past with their demo re-releases. I would also venture that getting the material direct from the band is better than any of our 20+ year old tapes at this point! So, for me, the sound quality alone makes this compilation worth getting. You get some of that tape hiss feel in some songs, but overall it's a lot better than my old tapes. The only rather strange thing is that the last track on "Herskerinne" "Lyset Flakker..." is not on this re-release. The real bonus to this release is the material from 1992 when the band was originally called Ice Wind. I was rather interested in hearing this material, but could never really find it anywhere. Now that I've heard a few songs off that original demo, I can see why the band wasn't interested in re-releasing all of it. The material is pretty and still sounds rather poor in quality. However, "Nivelheimen" and "Herskerinnen" still stand as strong demos for the band. I still wish some of these songs had been re-recorded for their studio album... ah well.

Isvind - Daumyra
Folter Records, 2013
Genre: Black Metal

1. Kast Loss, Brenn Alt!
2. Burn the Kings
3. Blodstorm
4. The Dark Traverse
5. Djevelens Svær
6. Myra
7. Speculum
8. Klabautermann






When I saw Isvind was entering the ranks of Folter Records, I was immediately pleased. I usually quite enjoy the material Folter publishes, and I assumed Isvind is a band I would continue enjoying. So, imagine my surprise that upon getting "Daumyra" on my desk, I really didn't enjoy it immediately.

Upon re-listening in more detail, I think it's because this album doesn't have the same level of hooks "Intet Lever" had built into it. "Daumyra" is strangely absent of this kind of riffing. Except when Darkthrone takes over in the song "The Dark Traverse", but for the most part the album takes on a more standard Norwegian Black Metal feel. For some reason I get the impression that a lot of Immortal has been infused into the bands sound. This certainly isn't a bad thing and upon second listen I'm finding "Daumyra" a lot more enjoyable than I did in my initial experience. "Myra" has some really good moments that catch me, but for the most part the album didn't really grab or demand my attention as starkly as "Intet Lever" really did.

I  think the problem with "Daumyra" is that a lot of people may write the album off as something they've heard a million times. In quite a few ways, that's rather true, but that doesn't change the fact that "Daumyra" is still a well written album. In fact, it's probably a lot closer to the "Dark Waters Stir" style than what appeared on "Intet Lever". In many ways this is a colder and more chilling release, which might coincide with the water and ship concept art. Unfortunately, I think people might write it off too quickly. I did wind up enjoying it, but I think I still like "Intet Lever" a bit more.

Isvind - Intet Lever
Self Released, 2011
Genre: Black Metal

1. Intet Lever
2. Kjølhalt
3. De Dødes Maskerade af Synd
4. Pisslunka Kjøtt
5. Vaginamaria
6. Dommedags Grimmtunge Slegge
7. Hjemsøkt
8. Himmelfjell







Based on the track I heard with the split, I would say "Intet Lever" is a rather pleasant surprise. Even more surprising is that this was self-released by the band. However, this is a professional release through and through, so don't think this is a demo of any kind. The musicians behind Isvind have been around for a while and they clearly know how to record a quality product.

There are a lot of things I really love about "Intet Lever" and a lot of that stems from their ability to create some really killer catchy sounding riffs while still maintaining an incredibly cold atmosphere. Since Darkthrone has really moved away from playing their brand of Black Metal, I feel like Isvind is really continuing their saga and not in a copycat/re-hash fashion as most bands perform, but due to Isvind's age, I think they understand how to move the methods forward. Just listen to that opening riff on the title track that really hooks you in. It's so incredibly perfect. This kind of excellent riffing shows up all over the album as in tracks like "Pisslunka Kjøtt". To show that their earlier folkier elements aren't lost to the raging Black Metal the majority of the album exhibits we come across "Dommedags Grimmtunge Slegge" which bears a distinct Satyricon/Kampfar vibe. So, there are some decent variations and elements thrown into the mix, which really makes "Intet Lever" a very powerful sounding release.

I had the pleasure of seeing this band live in Montreal and it was wonderful. They played a lot of material off this album as well as some of their earlier stuff. I was truly hooked on this project when I got to see the title track performed and they've probably solidified a fan for life if they can really keep producing music of this quality! Cold Norwegian Black Metal still breathes strong within the realms of Isvind!

Orcrist / Isvind Split
Hearse Records, 2003
Genre: Black Metal

Orcrist:
1. Intro
2. Det Hedenske Norge
Isvind:
3. Entropi











Side Orcrist: ...coming eventually... maybe...
Side Isvind:

After a massive hiatus with Isvind since 1997 the band finally returns with this split with Orcrist. Sometimes a break for a band can be a much needed endeavor, but with strength of "Dark Waters Stir" it was kind of sad to see the project come to a close with such a strong debut. I wasn't really expecting the band to pick up where they left off, but this is also a sort of unexpected direction for Isvind. The Black Metal has a lot more "rock" elements in there a la Darkthrone or maybe even some Khold, but not nearly as groovy as Khold, much closer to Darkthrone. I thought the song turned out okay for the first foray into the world of Isvind again, but it's rather different from the "Dark Waters Stir" style. I'll be interested to hear where the band goes with this return.

Isvind - Dark Waters Stir
Solistitium Records, 1996
Genre: Black Metal

1. Intro
2. Ulv! Ulv!
3. En Gjennområtnet Hytte
4. Stille Sjel
5. Lysningen i Skogen
6. Dark Waters Stir
7. As Rane Comes Down
8. Bankeånd/Poltergeiste






"Dark Waters Stir" finally brings us the debut full-length from Isvind. As I mentioned earlier, I missed out on the earliest Isvind releases as they were coming out, so the copy of "Dark Waters Stir" that I own is the re-release in 2012 by Kyrck Productions. The re-release has the cover from the 7" along with the 7" as a bonus track. It even has a song from the "Herskerinnen" demo tape. This is definitely a bonus, because having the EP on a CD is totally worth it.

As I explore Isvind's back catalog I conjure up all kinds of nostalgic memories of enjoying the first Dødheimsgard, early Gorgoroth, Satyricon and more. If this had been released in 1994 Isvind probably would have been a name typically found amidst the legends since it is not markedly different in style from the second demo. Further making Isvind's career a little more unknown was the inactivity after this album was released. After this album we don't hear anything from the project for many years. Considering Solistitium releases weren't the easiest to get in the U.S. in the 90's, it's no wonder I wound up missing out on this excellent project. On this release we get mostly new songs, with Isvind not conjuring up too much from their early demos. However, I was excited to see them give studio treatment to "Lysningen i Skogen" from the "Nivelheimen" demo tape, since that was one of the stronger songs on that tape.

So, if you're looking for a very authentic Norwegian Black Metal release straight out of the early 90's style, then "Dark Waters Stir" might be an album you missed out on as well. It really is on par with the great projects I referenced above and if you liked their albums, there is no doubt you will find merit in this as well.

Isvind - Isvind
Solistitium Records, 1994
Genre: Black Metal

1. Isvind
2. Herskerinnen
3. Et Slag mot de Veike...













Here Isvind finally brings us some studio recordings released by the now legendary Solistitium Records. This is released on 7" vinyl and I'm sure its limited, but my copy doesn't list anything about it.

Isvind brings us two songs, one brand new and one re-recorded from the "Herskerinnen" tape. The new song is very good and very much in line with what we heard on the previous demo. In fact hearing the studio version of "Herskerinnen" only emphasizes how much I'd like to hear the entire demo get studio treatment. Alas, we only get one, but it's very well done. While this approach to Black Metal had been well established over the past few years, Isvind certainly do the genre justice and show their writing to be on par with the already established great bands. Definitely worth hearing.

Isvind - Herskerinnen
Yggdrasil Productions, 1994
Genre: Black Metal

1. Rittet fra Muspellheimen
2. Herskerinnen
3. Aasgaardsreien
4. Vinteren, Min Herre
5. Kvite Ætt's Seier
6. Lyset Flakker...










Isvind return with their second demo tape in 1994. While I'm sure this tape is limited, there is no limitation disclosed anywhere on my copy. The booklet is printed on glossy paper and there isn't much to it.

"Herskerinnen" has lost some of that relation to the Viking Metal bands I mentioned before, but it seems to have taken on a blend of old Satyricon and Emperor, which is making this a really interesting and quite a wonderful listen. If this is a direction Isvind is going to be moving for the future, I think we are in for some wildly wonderful Black Metal based on the material we're hearing on this release. The Viking style comes back in a traditional sounding folk song with "Kvite Ætt's Seier". It then proceeds into "Lyset Flakker", which was only an alright song. The demo seems to end on this strange not with songs like "Aasgaardsreien" being a real high mark for this release.

I really liked the direction of some of these new songs and I hope to hear more of that in the future. It sounds like Isvind is a ready for some studio treatment, so hopefully that will be coming our way real soon. They've certainly come a long way since the Ice Wind days already.

Isvind - Nivelheimen
Self-Released, 1993
Genre: Black Metal

1. Intro
2. Over Blaamyra Steg Kongen
3. Dauingene ut av Underverden Steg
4. Om Natten Flyr Fanden
5. Nivelheimen
6. Lysningen i Skogen
7. Nattens Vingeslag Bryter Stillheten
8. Skyggeskogen








I, for some reason, never heard about Isvind until after the year 2000, which is weird to me considering the legendary status the band seemed to hold when they put out "Intet Lever". Either way, I was immediately smitten with the project and I've tracked down everything I could find by this band, whom has quite a long history. I was never able to locate the demo before this one called "The Call of the Ice Wind", which was also released under the name Ice Wind. The only material I've ever heard was on the recent release "1993-1994" which features three songs off the 1992 demo.

So, here we arrive at "Nivelheimen" the bands second demo and heralds in the name change to Isvind. This comes as a cassette only and there were two pressings, one in 1993 and one in 1994. Both pressings seem to have been hand-numbered and I have the repress from 1994 with #138. The opening track "Over Blaamyra Steg Kongen" is an interesting piece and has a bit more of a folky feel to it and features vocals that are sort of chanted. This is similar to what Enslaved has done and what bands like Storm or Isengard would put out. However, after this we delve into Black Metal that shifts its pacing between slow and melodic with some faster paced material. Some parts remind of what Mithotyn would later put together, but at a slower pace. Since Mithotyn and Isvind were operating at around the same time I imagine each bands demo work probably found its way into each band.  I also feel Helheim and Einherjer were drawing influences from all these bands around the same time. While, I'm relating Isvind to a lot of Viking Metal, I'm not sure "Nivelheimen" would rate as on the same level. The music is very raw and there are Black Metal sections that I feel would be more closely related to something like Darkthrone, which I'm sure is an influence! The opening riff of "Lysningen i Skogen" make that pretty apparent.

In the end its a very solid demo from a promising young band. If you missed those raw years of the Norwegian spirit checking out Isvind demo material will bring you back to those early days real fast. I remember when the vast majority of Black Metal being released was in this vein and it really brings back some fond memories of finding new bands when I was younger.

Ulver

Ulver - Trolsk Sortmetall (1993 - 1997)
Century Media, 2014
Genre: Black Metal

Disc 1: Vargnatt:
1. Her Begynner Mine Arr
2. Tragediens Trone
3. Trollskogen
4. Ulverytternes Kamp
5. Nattens Madrigal
6. Vargnatt

Disc 2: Bergtatt - Et Eeventyr i 5 Capitler:
1. I Troldskog faren vild
2. Soelen gaaer ba Aase need
3. Graablick blev hun vaer
4. Een Stemme locker
5. Bergtatt - ind i Fjeldkamrene

Disc 3: Kveldssanger:
1. Østenfor Sol Og Vestenfor Maane
2. Ord
3. Høyfjeldsbilde
4. Nattleite
5. Kveldssang
6. Naturmystikk
7. A Cappella (Sielens Sang)
8. Hiertets Vee
9. Kledt I Nattens Farger
10. Halling
11. Utreise
12. Søfn-ør Paa Alfers Lund
13. Ulvsblakk
14. Synen

Disc 4: Nattens Madrigal - Natte Hymne til Ulven i Wanden
1. I
2. II
3. III
4. IV
5. V
6. VI
7. VII
8. VIII

Disc 5: Nattens Madrigal - 4 track rehearsal, summer 1995
1. I
2. III
3. V
4. VI

This box set is really what prompted me to revisit Ulver's original recordings before even delving into this release. I had fond memories of a lot of Ulver's material and it really must have been nearly ten years or more since I had listened to "Bergtatt". Being prompted to revisit these old classics was quite enjoyable for me, which is probably one of the major points behind this box set.

Now, I could never get into Ulver's career after "Nattens Madrigal". I'm not a huge aficionado of electronic music, but I don't think it is poor music overall. I just listen to very little of it and what I look for isn't what Ulver plays. So, for me, this box set is  the definitive Ulver discography. Here Ulver's entire Black Metal career is compiled onto five discs. It's not enough to just re-release the material, it has also been entirely remastered and there are a few extras.

You'll notice that "Kveldssanger" features an extra track, "Synen", compared to the original pressing. This was originally released for the "Souvenirs from Hell" compilation and I had never heard this track before. It's a very wonderful track and fits on this release perfectly. Everything on the original "Kveldssanger" was so cleanly recorded, naturally, that the remastering doesn't really add a whole other layer to it, but adding the bonus track certainly makes it worthwhile. The second extra we get is disc five. This is a rehearsal of some "Nattens Madrigal" material. It's all instrumental, so it looks like this was just to get down song ideas. You find out why this was never immediately recorded, because one of the members was leaving for military duty, so the band had to hold off recording the album for a full year. The 4-track recordings are actually pretty well done and they're not nearly as ear-piercing as the original recording and I think they should have just recorded it this way!

Now, if other peoples experiences with "Vargnatt" were like that horribly noisy bootleg I referenced in my review, then this is a massive improvement. First off, we have all the tracks from "Vargnatt" here and the quality is very clear. So, while "Vargnatt" wasn't my favorite from Ulver, I really did appreciate have a decent quality version of their demo finally. The remastered version of "Bergtatt" is simply stunning. I felt like this was a wonderful new way to experience the depths of "Bergtatt" and if you enjoyed that release as much as I did, then I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with how well this turned out. One of the major things I was interested in hearing was a revisiting of the "Nattens Madrigal" recording. I feel like they managed to fix a major problem I had with the album, it doesn't feel as ear shattering as the original. The recording feels a lot more in balance and, thus, a far more enjoyable experience on my end. It really makes the beautiful aspects of "Nattens Madrigal" all that much more appealing. All of this just made experiencing their trilogy all that more satisfying. I still think the album is a bit overrated by the major fanatics out there, but I think I managed to find a bit more merit in it with this version.

If that wasn't enough, this came in a beautiful box set with a 104 page booklet! This is beautifully done, complete with lyrics and rare pictures of the band from that era. On thing that I found interesting is that rather than just give a band history, they have two, basically, essays from Jon "Metalion" Kristiansen and Mark Pilkington. Mark Pilkington's essay reads more as an historical overview, but Jon Kristiansen's was far more personal. Kristiansen was the creator of Head Not Found, which was the first label to release Ulver material, and a lot of other good material over the years as well. So, his writing is very interesting and for more a retrospect of what he remembers from those early days. Both essays point out how Ulver was never really involved with the major Norwegian Black Metal scene. They were never really involved with the inner circle activities, so the band always felt as if they were outsiders. Indeed some of their approaches, musically, were a bit different, thus their influential status over the years, so I can see where some of those feelings came from. Strangely, by '97 the band felt that the scene was offering nothing new and thus they seem to have left the Metal world altogether. I assume to forge out new territory... but I just find it's awfully strange to say this about the Metal scene and then delve into the electronic scene. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but some of their criticisms of Black Metal seem painfully silly given the fact they transitioned to electronic music. Granted you probably have more unlimited creative possibilities, given you can make just about any sound and thus less boundaries... but still, I hear a lot of the same sounding material get released out of that genre too. Hence, I think this is a common trappings of genres and people just need to get over that...

In the end, this is a wonderful Ulver collection. I think this is, absolutely, worth having if you enjoyed the early years of Ulver. A lot of care went into the creation of this set, which I fully appreciate. This is more than just a collection of their early material, which is why I found a lot more enjoyment out of it than I normally would have.

Ulver - Nattens Madrigal
Century Media Records, 1997
Genre: Black Metal

1. I
2. II
3. III
4. IV
5. V
6. VI
7. VII
8. VIII








Sometimes I look back on "Nattens Madrigal" and find it to be a bit overrated. Oh, it is certainly a fine album, but I'm not sure it really beats out listening to "Bergtatt" for me. I feel like part of my problem is how overboard a lot of people can get when they talk about this album. People herald this as an iconic album of the genre, but it came out in 1997 and I feel much of the genre was very well established by this point in time. Ulver's general musical approach hasn't deviated that much since "Bergtatt", the only major change is in the quality of production, which is far more primitive than their debut. The other changes a general lack of acoustic passages and clean haunting vocals, which sort of makes sense considering this follows an entire album of that style.

In many ways, I understand why this is done this way. However, we've seen a lot of these bands shift into Black Metal being more of a global phenomenon with labels growing in size. Here we see Ulver enter into working with Century Media as Century Media seeks to grow its metal label and joining in on the Black Metal phenomenon. Indeed, many albums were licensed to the U.S. via Century Black, which is how I got a lot of Black Metal in the late 90's and even saw a lot of releases appear in many music store chains. Part of me feels like "Nattens Madrigal" is sort of a mockery to this commercialization and given Ulver's massive shift away from all things Metal after this release, I feel like that's more and more true. The Black Metal on here is quite good and very old sounding, and the album claims writing an arrangement occurred in 1995, where recording happened in 1996. The mockery part of the scene, I think, comes in with the production values. It's noisy and at times nearly ear piercing with the guitar tone. It's messy sounding and not very refined. The opening song starts with what sounds like an error in the second guitar, before it comes in with the blazing lead line (I think the blazing guitar solos on here sound terrible, by the way). As more and more bands shift their sound into crisper and more clear production, Ulver throw all that aside and seem to re-create a demo-tape quality release for the masses. A giant middle finger to the changing scene perhaps? While many bands seek to balance well produced music with a raw and harsh sound, Ulver just seek out as raw as possible and run with it. It could be all in the name of the art, for their concept is a primal one and thus engaging the listener to something that is difficult to hear.

While "Nattens Madrigal" is very good Black Metal, with guitar work that is, at times, quite wonderful, some of it is lost in the mix. The guitars are often not well balanced and the recording feels more like a rehearsal of the band performing each track once. Around the time of release, there were all kinds of rumors about how they recorded the album out in the woods or something like that... kind of more of the reason I feel like they started disengaging with the scene as time went on. This "rehearsal" feel to the recording quality has its own charms, but it is hardly an icon of the scene or the genre, which is why I feel like this is a bit overrated. "Bergtatt" felt more groundbreaking, but "Nattens Madrigal" offers a solid album, but it hardly molded the future of the genre. A large amount of bands had already done this before Ulver. Another thing that grates is the drum line. There's only one drum beat and I can't remember ever hearing a tom fill happen. It just grates on you after a while and really does a disservice to some of the guitar lines. "VII" just drags on forever and never really goes anywhere... it just seems I can say this is objectively a bad song.

While "Nattens Madrigal" may not be as iconic, to me, as many would like me to think it is, I believe it is iconic for a decent amount of US musicians out there. If you weren't involved in the early realms of the scene, then hearing something this primal and vicious might have taken you aback, especially if you hadn't quite gotten to the demo history yet. I once encountered an Ulver fan who's engagement with Black Metal seemed to be based on whether he thought a band was better than "Nattens Madrigal" and he would often ignore the rest of their discography for this one album. This is what I mean when I say the album is over hyped by some fans out there. I think the album gets better as it progresses, and I will not deny that it is certainly worth hearing, especially if you love the older sounding Black Metal. This is where Ulver's discography really ends for me. I really don't care what they put out after this. It all sounds entirely boring and disinterests me.

Ulver - Kveldssanger
Head Not Found, 1996
Genre: Folk

1. Østenfor Sol Og Vestenfor Maane
2. Ord
3. Høyfjeldsbilde
4. Nattleite
5. Kveldssang
6. Naturmystikk
7. A Cappella (Sielens Sang)
8. Hiertets Vee
9. Kledt I Nattens Farger
10. Halling
11. Utreise
12. Søfn-ør Paa Alfers Lund
13. Ulvsblakk


I'm not sure the world was really expecting this as the follow-up to "Bergatt". After such an iconic Black Metal release, Ulver have turned to an acoustic driven Folk sort-of album. I'm not sure how much real "folk" is behind this, as the guitar work feels very modern in composition and I feel like people default to labeling something as "folk" as soon as acoustic guitars show up.

"Kveldssanger", which means "Evening Songs" is quite a beautiful release. While, I was semi-disappointed there was no Black Metal on here, I've embraced what "Kveldssanger" is and that is a dark, yet very relaxing journey. It is rather clear that you can capture the idea of a woodland evening in the rural lands of Norway from this release. The appearance of cello and flute only stand to enhance this imagery as we wander through this album. This album shows off some of Garm's clean ranges with elaborate vocal layering and at times have a rather Gregorian Chant feel to sections of the album. It's an impressive piece of vocal work, but I think Garm was still young with some of this and I feel his later vocal performances were even stronger. Regardless, his work on this certainly fits the feel and expression of the album and at the time it was quite a different idea for the scene to engage. It's a beautiful journey and had these guitar lines been translated to distortion this would have certainly been a wonderful Black Metal experience, and this really is what a lot of well written Black Metal would often sound like in an acoustic setting.

This is probably the Ulver album I listen to the least over the years, mainly because it's pretty rare for me to listen to instrumental or acoustic material in general when not blended with Black Metal. This is still a beautiful piece and has certainly influenced many acoustic only songs by bands over the years, along with the acoustic work of early Satyricon and Old Man's Child, it would become a rather major part of the genre showing up for years and years to come. I think most bands have the good sense that not everyone can sing like Garm, so most bands don't even try to emulate this, not that many ever could for that matter...

Ulver - Bergtatt
Head Not Found, 1995
Genre: Black Metal

1. I Troldskog faren vild
2. Soelen gaaer ba Aase need
3. Graablick blev hun vaer
4. Een Stemme locker
5. Bergtatt - ind i Fjeldkamrene











I've been trying to go back and review some of the classic and influential bands to the Black Metal scene and since my earliest engagement was mainly through the Norwegian scene I've been trying to prioritize various bands from time to time that are considered absolute must hear classics by most fans of the genre. When people reference Ulver, for me, I think of "Bergtatt" and I was surprised going back to "Vargnatt" that I did not like the demo that much. It's rather surprising how much of a difference "Bergtatt" is compared to "Vargnatt". Just the sheer amount of musical growth between the two releases is extremely impressive. I think I picked this album up around 1996 or 1997 or so and this was one of my earliest experiences with Ulver, which is really what captured my interest in the band.

"Bergtatt" boasts some major line-up changes in the world of Ulver. Only Garm and Haavard have continued on with the project, so the beautiful acoustic pieces on "Vargnatt" are still quite present here. However, the massive line-up shift and style growth means nothing from "Vargnatt" would be re-recorded. I'm almost thankful for this, because nothing on "Vargnatt" would fit with the majestic and wondrous "Bergtatt" release. "Bergtatt" is a truly wonderful album and I feel like Ulver draw a lot of influence from the world of Enslaved. However, Ulver's style feels a lot more beautiful and wondrous, whereas Enslaved come off as far more aggressive. Garm's clean vocals have an ethereal sheen to them that make the album a very interesting experience. He's certainly a stronger clean vocalist than Grutle, but I think I like Grutle's harsh vocals even more than Garm's at this stage. Garm would go on to be an extremely versatile vocalist performing some of the most iconic vocal performances in Black Metal with the likes of Arcturus and Borknagar. Now "Bergtatt" certainly has its aggressive moments and I think back in the early 90's like this they were still just piecing those styles together. So the shift between ethereal beauty can shift harshly into vicious and intense Black Metal. I think the modern scene that is built off of these origins is trying to be more conscious on blending the elements more seamlessly, but its something I've noticed quite a bit when revisiting these old releases.

To this day, "Bergtatt" is really my "go to" album when I listen to Ulver, which has tapered off over the years. One of the reasons I'm trying to revisit the classics. It's probably been ten years since I last heard "Bergtatt", so its really a wonderful thing to be able to revisit the album today and still find enjoyment in it. It really says something about how "Bergtatt" has stood the test of time with it's writing and style. Naturally, it would influence a host of future Black Metal bands and Ulver's blend was a bit of a shift from what was being performed in the early scene. I always felt bands like Einherjer, Enslaved, and Helheim were performing a similar style, but Ulver's style, at the time, was always a little different in feel in some respects, but not in a way you could outright call them Viking Metal.

"Bergtatt" is such a refined album compared to the demo and I think that shift in quality was wholly unexpected. Truly a classic to be remembered.

Ulver - Vargnatt
Self-Released, 1993
Genre: Black Metal

1. Her Begynner Mine Arr
2. Tragediens Trone
3. Trollskogen
4. Ulverytternes Kamp
5. Nattens Madrigal
6. Vargnatt










Ulver has certainly grown to legendary status over the years, albeit their career in Black Metal has been extremely brief. Prior to"Vargnatt" there was also a rehearsal released the same year, which I've never heard and am not that interested in tracking down at the moment. The only version of "Vargnatt" I had been able to acquire is the one pictured below and it's a very poorly made bootleg.

The transfers are extremely noisy and loud and I would think the recording is actually a rehearsal rather than the actual demo. It seemed like a decent idea at the time because it also featured Immortal's demo material. So, I've found a better version elsewhere and am listening to that in order to capture the actual music performed on "Vargnatt". The bootleg doesn't even have the full track listing, so it is quite the rip off in the grand scheme of things.

The way this band starts is quite strange in the grand scheme of things. Ulver's career has boasted some of the major players in Black Metal, but during the "Vargnatt" days only Garm and Carl-Michael would go on to be involved in the genre more, until Garm changed genres and seems to have backed off from Black Metal for the later part of his music career. Carl-Michael (drums on "Vargnatt") is still heavily involved with Metal performing in bands like Aura Noir still. Jørgensen would go on to play guitar in Ulver, but after that he seems to go onto other things after Ulver, but he only performed acoustic guitars on "Vargnatt".

So, it's kind of clear that Ulver's "Vargnatt" would have a bit of a different feel compared to their later works. There are a lot of elements on here that feel outright awkward and some of the guitar work feels similar to what Ved Buens Ende would later produce. Garm's vocal work on here is simply strange, at best. He has some standard rasps, but at other times he has this sort of whiny clean voice similar to what Misanthrope's vocalist is fairly known for. He also invokes some weird falsetto parts, which sound terrible, but they are very few on this release, thankfully. The guitar works ranges from mid-paced Black Metal, but with a lot of acoustic material blended in. At this point it doesn't sound so much like a Folk/Black Metal band at all really... it just sounds like a Black Metal band with acoustic guitars. The title track, however, is actually very good and they close the demo on a very strong note. There are a lot of good sections here and I can see why the band was picked up to release a full-length next.

In the end, there wasn't a lot I found appealing with "Vargnatt". I think people laud over this more as a novelty item than anything else these days. In the modern era, I feel like it's really in vogue to be an Ulver maniac, and while I like Ulver's material, I have to say I did not like "Vargnatt" very much. The only aspect of "Vargnatt" that I found remotely enjoyable was the acoustic guitar work and some of the Black Metal riffs here and there. But when Garm comes in with that falsetto he just drowns out all the guitars... it's just no good when that happens. Certainly, a novelty in Ulver's career and certainly different than the rest of Black Metal being produced in the same years, but not nearly as strong as what Ulver would eventually become on later releases.

Burzum

Burzum - Umskiptar
Byelobog Productions, 2012
Genre: Black Metal

1. Blóðstokkinn
2. Jóln
3. Alfadanz
4. Hit helga Tré
5. Æra
6. Heiðr
7. Valgaldr
8. Galgviðr
9. Surtr Sunnan
10. Níðhöggr






I was a little late when it came to purchasing a copy of "Umskiptar". I got a little confused and for some reason I thought this is where Varg switched back to playing strictly Ambient, but that is not true and when I finally figured out this was a Black Metal album I picked a copy up. Naturally, everything is captured in Grieghallen by Pytten again. Strangely, this the only Burzum I have in a jewel case format! It comes with a large booklet, but the booklet is a little basic compared to the prior two albums. The color of the font is a little hard to read and that's major complaint I have about the layout.

I'm not sure I will continue with the Burzum discography after this. I'm not very interested in his modern Ambient material. If he was playing the Dungeon Synth style of the 90's, then I'd probably be more interested, but the Ambient elements I hear him including in the modern Burzum albums is not very good at all. So, I'm not too keen on discovering what a full album would be in that vein.

"Umskiptar" seems to have a mixed response review wise and I think that's a decent way to look at this album. If you were expecting an album similar on par with the prior two, you probably won't really get that. I feel like "Umskiptar" is far more relaxing and less engaging experience than the other two. We have a lot of the same beautiful writing of before, but I feel like the pacing is so much slower than before. I think part of the aspects of this album was that it was supposed to be more contemplative and relaxed experience than his prior releases. However, sometimes, it feels a little too chilled out. A lot of times he sticks with playing a single riff or switching between a couple themes over and over for nearly nine minutes. Sometimes this is a decent thing, if the riff is strong enough, but some of the tracks just don't have that kind of strength. His opening "Alfadanz" with the simple piano piece before switching to guitar made that song very good and I liked seeing that element incorporated. It really added to the albums atmosphere. The vocals use a similar layering technique to what we heard in some of the prior albums with a sort of harsh/clean layering, giving the vocals a very ethereal feel to them. He sings clean in a few sections, but, as usual, sticks with the more chanting styled clean vocals. I think most of the time he captures a solid atmosphere, but it just doesn't stand-out as starkly as the prior two releases.

This is, certainly, the most relaxing Burzum album to date. It actually manages to capture quite a bardic atmosphere with the Viking themes throughout. Some of the simplicity might be a desire to capture that feeling, so the listener focuses more on the actual story being told. In this case the story is more important than the music and I get that impression since at some point the songs don't have any drums at all. At times these moments can remind me of the old days of Enslaved's material.

I think this album can be far more enjoyable if you don't expect as much of a continuation of the prior two. It certainly fits with the new atmospheric approaches he's catering two, but this is just a very different experience altogether. It's simpler, less engaging, and minimal, but also beautiful, thoughtful, and relaxing. A fine album overall, but it is probably not something I will pull out and listen to in favor of his other material in the grand scheme of things.

Burzum - Fallen
Byelobog Productions, 2011
Genre: Black Metal

1. Fra Verdenstreet
2. Jeg faller
3. Valen
4. Vanvidd
5. Enhver til sitt
6. Budstikken
7. Til Hel og tilbake igjen







After the release of "Belus" I was fairly impressed with Burzum's post-prison direction and I looked forward to the follow-up. This time there really wasn't any hesitation and I purchased this as soon as it hit the CD shelves at the store. As with "Belus" Varg returned to Grieghallen to record his next installment. As with the prior albums this comes in a beautiful digipak edition and has a very nice booklet as well. It actually has additional art to look through as well as printed lyrics.

As with Burzum's early recording schedule it seems Varg has fallen into the same frantic schedule where he records a vast amount of material. Since this came so soon after "Belus" this is basically a continuation of that style. So, if you quite enjoyed what 'Belus" had to show us then "Fallen" is surely a must buy. I do like "Fallen" a bit more over "Belus", which just goes to show that Varg is improving in my eyes. This time around there really aren't any out of place tracks throughout the album. Sure the intro and outro are not that great, which seems to be normal for Varg these days, but the interior journey of the Black Metal is, especially, very good. There are no disjointed tracks, there's no "Sverddans" to pull us out of the majestic reverie that Varg has lulled us into as the album plays. I was rather surprised at how many clean vocals he used throughout the album. I actually felt that harsh vocals were at a minimum, luckily the cleans fall more in the spectrum of the more "chant" like style that fit the Black Metal much better. Other than that there are many spoken word sections as well. I remember when I first got this, I thought the cleans were a bit off putting, but I think I eventually got used to them as I've listened to this album over the years.

In the end this has some marked improvements over "Belus", but it keeps that same general atmosphere of dark majesty. Even though there are songs on here that are faster than on the prior album, they feel far more epic than before. Varg seems to have had a far more focused vision on this release, which is one of the reasons this is such a stand out release. It's almost entirely perfect, except that the outro "Til Hel og tillbake igjen" is just not very good at all. It's noisy and somewhat annoying and adds almost nothing to the glorious epic music we just sat through. Even so, I still consider "Fallen" to be an even better musical direction than "Belus" and I'm very glad I wound up purchasing it.

Burzum - Belus
Byelobog Productions, 2010
Genre: Black Metal

1. Leukes Renkespill (Introduksjon)
2. Belus' Død
3. Glemselens Elv
4. Kaimadalthas' Nedstigning
5. Sverddans
6. Keliohesten
7. Morgenrøde
8. Belus' Tilbakekomst (Konklusjon)





It's been quite a long time since we've heard from Varg. The only original material being produced over the years has been two Ambient albums, which I am debating on whether to get to round out my Burzum collection or not. While in prison he gave us some delightful antics and interviews over the years. Now that Varg has, finally, been released from prison, he has immediately returned to music and writing a new Black Metal album. I was, honestly, quite skeptical if I should bother purchasing this. Burzum albums have always been on the rather pricey side and I wasn't convinced it was really worth the risk, but being assured it was Black Metal, I took the plunge and handed over my money. As with the Misanthropy releases it comes as a very beautiful digipak. There is a booklet containing lyrics and he sort of returns to the black and white approach, but this time it is a dark picture of a forest being used for the background... so its a little better than straight black.

So, without further ado, Varg returned to Grieghallen to record his latest material. Grieghallen has, naturally, gone through some upgrades since the early 90's. Pytten is certainly a better engineer and with modern equipment they captured the most crisp sounding Burzum album. While it may not have the dirty rawness of the early days, "Belus" is a surprisingly great album. Varg actually tries to stick to a more usual style of vocal rather than going after his old high pitched wail of the old days. His vocals fit very well in the music and they have a sort of dry rasp to them, similar in style to Satyr, I would say. If you look at "Filosofem" and look through the dates of when the songs were written "Jesus' Tod" was one of the last songs written before Varg went to jail. Much of the "Belus" album really picks up on the direction from where this song left off. It has that sort of dark chord structuring found on Thorns' "Trondertun Tape". So, naturally I really fell in love with this sound a lot. He sort of goes the Gorgoroth route with "Belus' Død" and only plays one riff for the duration as Gorgoroth has done from time to time. The riff, luckily is quite atmospheric and actually works pretty well letting the listener just bask in the atmosphere. It transitions into the epic "Glemselens Elv" perfectly and this is where the album really picks up its strength.  I don't know how much Varg has paid attention to modern Black Metal during his prison years, but parts of "Keliohesten" have a very reminiscent Mgla feel to them, which is very awesome. Unfortunately, like his debut album there is a very out of place sounding song with "Sverddans". It's this album's version of "War" really. It has a gritty punkier feel to it and it really annihilates the atmospheric experience we were so enraptured with from the other songs. Based on the worthless intro piece I was a little worried about the concluding song being nearly nine minutes long. One of the stark differences on "Belus" is that there is no keyboard section. All of the atmosphere is driven by the guitar work, so I was worried with the final song and wondered if this was where the Ambient would finally show up. It doesn't! It's an instrumental track, sure, but it's actually a well done droning piece to close the album on.

In the end this is essentially the album I've been wanting Varg to release since I've heard Burzum. Aside from the track "Sverddans" this album is nearly perfect to me. Sure, I do miss the Ambient blended with Black Metal as before, but I think "Belus" presents a fine show with an album that feels a lot more well thought out than before. I think that's more what I'm getting at, this is the album I wanted to hear because it was all actual Black Metal and I don't have any extensive Ambient tracks that throw off the nature of the Black Metal. "Belus" is a strong return for Burzum, hopefully this will keep up in the future for Varg.

Note: I haven't decided if I'm going to continue on and pick-up the two all Ambient releases after this. I heard them many many years ago and I no longer remember what they sound like. But for the sake of filling in the discography gaps, I may pick them up and review them eventually.

Burzum - Filosofem
Misanthropy Records, 1996
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal

1. Dunkelheit
2. Jesus' Tod
3. Erblicket die Töchter des Firmaments
4. Gebrechlichkeit I
5. Rundgang um die transzendentale Sáule der Singularitát
6. Gebrechlickeit II






Just when it seemed Burzum couldn't possibly have any more material, here we have "Filosofem" being released in 1996. It's heralded as his best work by far and that's, essentially, correct. The material was actually recorded in March, 1993 and its taken three years for it to see the light of day. I can't even imagine what the landscape of Black Metal would have been like with this being released in 1993. This is the first digipak that comes with a very nice full booklet as well adding a lot more art to be viewed. The layout isn't all that great, but its a step up from the simple all black and white approach from the prior releases.

Despite this being recorded closely to "Hvis lyset tar oss" the recording quality is strikingly different. One could attribute this to the fact it claims to have been recorded in a different studio called Breidablik Tonstudio, but according to the 2010 re-edition this is not the case. Like all the other Burzum albums it was recorded in Greighallen. Production wise, this is probably the best with respect to recording quality. Writing wise its on par with "Hvis lyset tar oss". The vocal performance this time around was also very different. Rather than going after his usual high pitched wails, Varg has defaulted to using distortion on his voice and he just lightly growls through this. Luckily, Varg's music is overwhelmingly atmospheric so the use of vocals is quite sparse throughout the experience. The albums first parts are the real meat of the release and the real reason to be listening to this. The Black Metal sections are not too different from what we found on the prior album, and part of me wishes he had just released all of this kind of material together, rather than recording every four months or so. I feel like this approach yielded the effect that you have albums with throw away material, rather than working towards a very strong full-length. The material on here, for whatever, reminds me of something that paved the way for the future style of Lunar Aurora and Paysage d'Hiver. The song "Jesus' Tod" has some serious reminiscence to a more Thorns styled structure which is wonderful to hear. Unfortunately, once the Black Metal is over we are subjected to two instrumental tracks. The first is twenty-five minutes of Ambient... and not very good Ambient. This was the aspect that marred "Hvis lyset tar oss", but at least that was under fifteen minutes, this is just unreasonable to listen to for so long. Sitting through this has made "Hvis lyset tar oss" a better album alone... but wait, if you thought it was over "Gebrechlichkeit II" begins to play and more Ambient ensues. This time it is rife with strange noises under a somber piano line. Luckily this is only about eight minutes in length. We get a little hopeful as a guitar appears in the background and steadily gets a little louder, but then we realize this never really goes anywhere. The addition of the guitar into this Ambient tracks certainly saves it from being the overwhelming bore of the prior track, but at the end of the day its still just more Ambient. Furthermore, Ambient hasn't really been Varg's strong suit, so while I thought "Hvis lyset tar oss" had a poor ending, this is just so much worse. It's almost to the point where I've forgotten the Black Metal now...

In the end this may not be the best album because of the last two songs, but what we do have in the ways of Black Metal are very good. I think I do actually like "Hvis lyset tar oss" a bit more on an objective level, but "Filsofem" is easily my second favorite from these early years. These last two albums are certainly the most influential material from Burzum and it certainly transcends the mans fame outside the music in my opinion in the end. At this juncture I figured we would never hear from Burzum again... but history has shown a different outcome.

Burzum - Hvis lyset tar oss
Misanthropy Records, 1994
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal

1. Det som en gang var
2. Hvis lyset tar oss
3. Inn i slottet fra droemmen
4. Tomhet










Despite being in prison somehow Varg is still releasing Black Metal album. The reason behind this is because he recorded this material back in September, 1992 in Grieghallen Studio. 1992 seems to have been an overly productive year for Varg and with output that frequent, I can't help but wonder what Varg's musical landscape would have become if he had never murdered Euronymous. If this album had been released in early 1993 it would have been so much more influential compared to his actual debut. I imagine there were delays in releasing this considering the arrest and despite the back saying 1993, this was eventually released in 1994.

If you thought "Det some engang var" was some engaging and atmospheric material, you are in for quite the shock. The opening song is nearly fifteen minutes long and it really sets a gold standard for how the rest of Atmospheric Black Metal should proceed. Much of the atmospheric bands follow this format of slow churning music with soaring keyboards to help round out the majestic sound. Furthermore the music is played over a time span where the listener can easily get lost in the sounds. Future bands like Paysage d'Hiver would combine this with outright Ambient and push the speed envelope in a way that gave the same affect as the more mid-paced feel we find on "Hvist lyset tar oss". The title track has sections that have this massive droning affect that would later be used by the likes of Hate Forest. The third song "Inn is slottet fra droemmen" is probably the weakest on the recording, because the first half is only okay compared to the other two prior tracks. In the context of other music, its actually quite good, but compared to the other two tracks its not as strong until the halfway point. I, somewhat, got the feeling that the first part was performed in a somewhat sloppy fashion, which isn't too surprising given that Varg was never the greatest instrumentalist out there, but his writing is often off the charts incredible. In the first part of the song he tries to play with a bit more dissonance, which is an interesting thing to play with, but it doesn't quite fit with the melodic and epic nature of the other material. Halfway through this transitions into some of the most beautiful and epic material he's ever written and I sort of wish the song was just that over and over. The final track is a fourteen minute Ambient piece. I keep trying to tell myself this was recorded in 1992, so not to expect very much, but its a rather daunting thing to listen to. The keyboard settings chosen have a sort of whispy spacey feel, rather than a majestic epic feel, which would actually fit with the music. He really should have stuck with a more dungeon synth approach as with the song "Han som reiste", which I think would've fit this album a lot more. I think if he had played some Black Metal over these he may have inadvertently beaten Darkspace to the punch for this feel, but, alas, it is only the synth recording.

Even though the album ends on a low note, we can't deny how incredible the rest of the music is, or how influential it was. I would have figured this was the end of the Burzum discography for many years and what a high note to end on really. At the very least we really made to the birth of proper Atmospheric Black Metal and the world is, honestly, better off for it. "Hvis lyset tar oss" is truly a must have of the Burzum discography in my opinion.

Burzum - Det Som Engang Var
Cymophane, 1993
Genre: Black Metal

1. Den onde kysten
2. Key to the Gate
3. En Ring til aa Herske
4. Lost Wisdom
5. Han som reiste
6. Naar Himelen Klarner
7. Snu mikrokosmos tegn
8. Svarte troner






Despite being released in 1993, this was originally recorded in April of 1992, just a few months after the debut in the famed Grieghallen Studio, which is where many Black Metal bands in Norway went to record. This is probably where Varg started getting fed-up with Euronymous' lack of releasing his material. Rather than put this album out on Deathlike Silence, Varg created his own label and put this out on his own. Originally, "Aske" was supposed to come out after this, but that clearly never happened. This was further emphasized by the fact that ten days prior to this he murdered Euronymous. I'm sure the release of this album hitting that soon after killing one of the founding fathers of Black Metal left quite the sour note with many bands and fans alike. From these early days there has always been this undercurrent of a Burzum vs. Mayhem kind of ideal throughout the scene. I think throughout this I've always fallen pretty solidly on the Mayhem camp's side. Varg's actions were clearly overly selfish, not to mention bringing Snorre Ruch into the whole thing just made things worse for the genre and the lack of Ruch's involvement over a ten year span of time is sad as well, nevermind removing what Mayhem perhaps could have grown into if Euronymous still lived.

However, we cannot deny the historical merits of his musical works. Insane man aside, this music has greatly influenced a large portion of the Black Metal genre. And on that note I finally did buckle and purchase these early Burzum works. The editions I have are the Misanthropy Records pressings in beautiful digipak and this one came out in 1994. So whether or not the character of Varg matters to you, we must look at his music anyway if we are to see some of the foundation works of the early Black Metal scene.

The music is quite a bit different from the debut and really brings Burzum into their own sound. I feel like these recordings are also a lot more focused than the self-titled. Here Varg focuses more on creating epic and rather droning atmospheres. This is really where the influence for Atmospheric Black Metal completely took off. The way "Key to the Gate" begins doesn't really lead us to think this and it is truly the only part of this album that is far out of place. Eventually the song fades into a

lengthy and beautiful atmosphere, where if it wasn't for that first riff we would all have quite a wonderful immersion into this world. The album seems heavily influenced by Lord the Rings, even more so than the first. This fantasy leaning can easily be seen on the cover which looks just like the cover for Dungeon & Dragons module "The Temple of Elemental Evil" pictured on the right. There is even an instrumental keyboard track on here "Han som reiste", which is no doubt one of the earliest Ambient styles of this nature. It clearly influenced the likes of Mortiis on his excellent dungeon synth albums and there's even a lighter flair at the end that is very reminiscent of Mortiis' "Crypts" release. I'm sure this one song influenced Mortiis and he really just fleshed out the idea to a full album length.

Aspects of this album certainly stand the test of time, but I think what this release influenced in the future has been of even greater benefit in some regards. I just wish Black Metal had gotten over the Varg style vocals while playing this style of Black Metal. Sometimes they work, but he is not the greatest vocalist and the focus on the high pitched wails rather detracts from the experience. The addition of the sort of chanting approach really worked especially well with songs on here and that was a nice addition from the first release. The only track I can certainly do without is "Svart trone", which is basically ambient noise with Varg making weird noises throughout. Luckily, I don't think this really influenced much of anything in the grand scheme of things.

Truly a legendary release in the annals of Black Metal. We can see the trend of Atmospheric Black Metal really start to gain some ground and I can only imagine how incredible this would have been if it had been released around the recording session of 1992.

Burzum - Aske
Deathlike Silence, 1993
Genre: Black Metal

1. Stemmen fra Taarnet
2. Dominus Sathanas
3. A Lost Forgotten Sad Spirit













Now for one of the ballsiest album covers in the whole of Black Metal. It is right up there with Mayhem's "Dawn of the Black Hearts". On the cover is featured the burned husk of the Fantoft Stave church in Norway, which Varg allegedly burned down. This really drove the point home that Black Metal is a war against Christianity and further solidified that such beliefs are unwelcome in the genre. This is one of the aspects where I make it part of the definition of the genre. This also seems to be where problems with Euronymous began to appear for Varg. "Aske" was intended to be released after the second full-length "Det some Engang Var", but this release was delayed and Varg blamed Euronymous for this delay. So, we have "Aske" hit first in the discography.

The question comes up if the music on this EP can live up to the cover. Things start off very promising because "Stemmen fra Taarnet" is a great song. Despite having drumming sometimes derived from Punk, Varg made it work decently in the mix. The recording quality is far superior to the debut and the song has a sort of catchy folky feel to it. This would, no doubt, influence the likes of Satyricon's "Dark Medieval Times" in later years. "Dominus Sathanas" is a slow brooding song, which is, once again, entirely different from the opening song. It's an instrumental song, which is rather curious given the length of the release. But if you consider it as a sort of "outro" piece for the first song it might make more sense. The closing track is a re-recording of "A Lost Forgotten Sad Spirit". This is one of the more frustrating parts of the re-release by Misanthropy, it never included the original recording and it only features this one, so I'm not sure I've ever heard the original song before. The production quality on this re-edition is very good and I have no complaints about that. Varg's vocals feel a lot more accessible on these recordings than on the debut. He still uses the higher range, but I feel like it fits a bit better within this recording quality. Still, they are not the best vocals out there, but they're low enough in the mix as not to be overwhelming.

In the end I'm not quite sure this lives up to the album cover. But this does show some marked improvement to the Burzum sound and way of doing things. I think it's heading in a better direction than the debut and I would have been looking forward to the next full-length upon hearing this release.

Burzum - Burzum
Deathlike Silence, 1992
Genre: Black Metal

1. Feeble Screams from Forests Unknown
2. Ea, Lord of the Depths
3. Spell of Destruction
4. Channelling the Power of Souls into a New God
5. War
6. The Crying Orc
7. A Lost Forgotten Sad Spirit
8. My Journey to the Stars
9. Dungeons of Darkness




Delving back into the legendary early days. I'm going to try and conjure up what I thought of this when I first heard it in the 90's. As you can see from the picture I never got the original Burzum releases as they came out, I didn't get into them until about 1996 and by then Misanthropy Records had been repressing the albums in very nice digipaks. Regardless of how crazy I think Vikernes is, I, for whatever reason, was never a die-hard fan of Burzum's music. I completely acknowledge the merit of the art in the greater context of Black Metal. I'm really not going to bother delving back into Burzum's demo days, because I feel their debut really encompasses the vast majority of that material.

Revisiting this in 2014, brings back nostalgic memories of my early forays into Black Metal, but I still have the same general feeling of this album back then. I, personally, find this a rather mediocre release in the grand scheme of things. Even by 1992 Emperor's demo was better, Darkthrone's debut was stronger etc. This was during a time frame when all kinds of murder and general mayhem were being committed by some of the bands in the scene, which gave them more fame than their music probably would have. One of the major changes Burzum brought was reference to Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings", which became a favored topic in Black Metal over the years by a surprisingly large amount of projects. Burzum take their name from a line of dark speech found in the first book. The name itself

Musically, this is actually a very varied release. Much of the music feels inspired by the likes of Bathory and Thorns. "Ea, Lord of the Depths" has chord structuring pulled right out the Thorns style and structuring. Then there are tracks that feel closer to Bathory's "Blood Fire Death" in style. The general approach is not too dissimilar from Darkthrone with the more mid-paced blast beats to slower paced drumming. There are a couple instrumental tracks that feel very out of place, like "The Crying Orc", which really goes nowhere and is too short to care about much. The song "War" really comes out of left field. The song has this gritty punky feel and features a guitar solo performed by Euronymous. Its so out of place on the album that you just wonder why it is there. I think this is one of the major reasons I had a hard time getting into Burzum. There was no general atmosphere to the music that I could really get behind, because before you knew it he was onto something else influenced by some other band. The album eventually closes with "Dungeons of Darkness" and that is just a giant waste of space. I think its meant to be ominous, but after so much variation you're just tired of it. There are some good songs on here, but the variation mars that overall experience for me, plus having a vocal performance that was not very endearing.

Burzum wound up influencing a fringe break off of Black Metal more than the general scene, because a lot of his material seems to have spawned into the DSBM scene in later years. His penchant for high pitched vocals, which sound awful to me, has really made it a staple of that scene altogether. Bands that did this better were acts such as Bethlehem and Silencer, but they probably bore some influence from Dani Filth in those stages. Dani Filth was likely influenced by Burzum's approach vocally and just taking that to a far more extreme level. Further why I usually dislike that vocal approach much. The only album I've ever heard the extreme high pitched vocals sound decent was in Hecate Enthroned's "Slaughter of Innocence". So that's one of the regions in which this album influenced the future, but by this point in time this style of vocals wasn't appealing to me in general.

While there are many people out there who are quite taken with Burzum, I prefer the albums that came after this more than anything. The debut was just okay, but the lack of direction is very understandable. You have to remember that Black Metal was still being defined at this time, so bands were trying to really figure out where to take the genre. I don't feel like things got really underway until about 1993 or so, and up until then a lot of bands were trying to work their way out of the Death Metal and Thrash Metal trappings of the early days. I will never besmirch Burzum's influence on the greater scene musically, but their debut just didn't capture my imagination, even in the mid-90's when I was getting into the genre. Still, as far as an historical archive is concerned, this album really needs to be experienced at some point if you really want to get a sense of the genres history.