Panphage

Panphage - Jord
Nordvis Produktion, 2018
Genre: Black Metal

1. Odalmarkerna
2. Måtte dessa bygder brinna
3. Ygg (En visa om julen)
4. Skadinawjo
5. Den tyste åsen
6. Som man sår får man skörda
7. Osådda skal åkrarna växa (Outro)








2018 started of with a band with the announcement that Panphage was unleashing a new album. After how incredible "Drengskapr" was, I assumed "Jord" would be, yet another, spectacular addition to their discography. However, the excitement didn't last as long as I would have liked, because this announcement also heralded the end of the project. "Jord" is to be the last chapter in the Panphage journey. Part of me feels like Panphage hasn't been around long enough, but this project has been active for over a decade now, so perhaps Fjällbrandt wants to challenge himself with a different project. Or this album is just the pinnacle of the Panphage sound and he wouldn't want to try to exceed it.

Either way "Jord" is quite the force to be reckoned with. This is certainly wind up in the top ten this year, it would really take an awful lot to push this record aside. "Jord" takes all the wonderful writing we found on "Drengskapr" and somehow just enhances that experience. It's dark, it's folky, it's somber, it's atmospheric all at once. It's a veritable assault on the senses and encompasses a lot of areas I love about Black Metal in a single project. The impressive thing about Panphage is that none of this work feels disjointed and instead is just seamlessly executed on "Jord". The project has come quite far from the first demo tape, which is hardly worth the experience... and ends on such a well composed high note that it still leaves us craving for more.

"Jord" is an immense swan song of an album and it's basically everything we've ever wanted out of a Panphage album. I sort of hold out hope that in a few years the project will get resurrected if more inspiration comes along. However, at the same time, it's also a very good idea to leave a project ending on a high note. "Jord" is a killer close to an era and an absolute must hear as far as I'm concerned.

Panphage - Drengskapr
Nordvis Produktion, 2016
Genre: Black Metal

1. Gettir Àsmundarson
2. Landrensningen
3. Glam rider husen
4. Glamsyn
5. Utlagr
6. Drangey
7. Blodshämd







It's only been a year since the first debut "Storm" came out, but I feel a lot has changed in the Panphage camp. There's just been some extreme refinement in the song writing and it hit around the split with Thul. This is also one of the first Panphage releases to to be published on CD, aside from the compilation earlier in 2016. With this change comes a label change as well and Nordvis has put together a really nice digipak design, which I've come to expect from the label. They always do an excellent job supporting and artists musical and art directions. Panphage has always favored simplicity, but there's a track by track explanation of the story that inspired the song.

"Drengskapr" feels more hyper focused on striking that chord between folk and Black Metal, which makes this feel like even more of an advancement of the early Arckanum sound to me. The primitive nature of everything just seems so reminiscent to those early albums I still listen to quite often today. Now, Panphage isn't a rip-off by any means, they're doing a lot of different stuff, but it still hits that similar atmosphere for me. Panphage just escalate it and take things to an entirely new level for me. Where Arckanum went more the meditative/droning route, Panphage went the upbeat/catchy route. However, Panphage still manages to remain with a dark atmosphere for the most part. The folkier lead guitar licks are certainly more upbeat, but it's usually performed amidst more sorrowful segments. You'll even hear touches of ambience underlying the song, giving that droning touch to the songs a little bit. One of the more brilliant things that happened on this album is "Glamsyn", which is this clean guitar segment with absolutely loads of reverb/delay. It's a wonderfully haunting track and when it first shows up you think that's all it is. Perhaps this is a bit of musical foreshadowing, because when we get to "Blodshämd" we find this is the main riff of the song, in all its glory of heavily distorted guitars.

"Drengskapr" is quickly becoming one of my favorite albums out there. It will easily hit the top ten for 2016, that's for sure. If you've been following Panphage for a while, then this album is a real stand out effort in their discography. This is by far the ultimate starting point to delve into this project and I can't imagine people being disappointed. Even though the production is more on the raw side, everything is still pretty easy to hear and in this case it really adds to the overall atmosphere of the album. That raw natural grit is simply perfect for music like this!

Panphage - Genom Konst & Krig
Ætergap Productions, 2016
Genre: Black Metal

Disc 1:
Jotunmodi:
1. Thul: Bloteld
2. Utgårdahovet
3. Muspel
4. Urthurs
5. Jotunmodi
6. Thursamodir
Ætt Loka:
7. Thule: Offergap
8. Olios
9. Likrå
10. Ormblot
11. Thriggia Thursa Fadir
12. Urthurs Pt. II
Ursvöl:
13. Thule: Maran
14. Skall & Skalv
15. Svartinånfödda yngel
16. A Haugi
17. Ursvöl
18. Illa Sett (Glum cover)

Disc 2:
Gradr Nedan:
1. Thul: Hämnaren
2. Dögun i undirheimum
3. Thrudmodgi Iotunn
4. Under Sotröda Vingar
5. Sökkdalir
6. Gradr
7. Lemlästad & i Snö Förborgad
8. Nedan
Nordlandets Dödsande:
9. Thul: en Objuden Gäst
10. Nordlandets Dödsande
11. Svarta Vågor
12. Kynjamein
13. Fredlös
14. Livlös
15. Thul: Hlidskjalf

This is an extremely impressive re-release of all the material released under the Ætergap banner. This collects all the previous demo tapes plus "Jotunmodi". The only material it doesn't include is the material released on Satanic Propaganda in the very early years. Based on the very first demo tape I own, I can see why this early material wouldn't fit into what Panphage eventually became. However, starting with "Jotunmodi" makes some sense because it's where the writing took a far more serious turn as far as I can tell.

If you missed out on the relevant prior tapes then this is a must own collection of material. It comes in a beautiful A5 digibook packaging. In addition to all of the music collected under one banner there are newly composed intros by Thul, which is the Ambient side of Panphage. We heard this on the last tape "Ginnheilagr". The Ambient material newly designed for this release is similar in feel as what we heard on the previous tape. However, it's more infrequent, so it stands out more solidly to me. I think having every other track of Ambient is what made that a more challenging release. Luckily that problem doesn't occur on here. The material has gone through some slight re-mastering to bring everything together more coherently. So, this is a slightly improved listen if you also have the original tapes.

Inside the digibook you'll find the two CD's that span the collection and a booklet (also A5) glued to the inside cover. I usually prefer my booklets being entirely separate from the packaging, but we don't get much of a choice here. The booklet is actually really well done. Inside there is commentary on each tape release on what was being used for inspiration. There is also a song or two where the lyrics are published for each tape release. They don't have all the lyrics published, which was slightly disappointing, but having a couple songs that were meaningful to the creator are always nice to read through.

If you're a Panphage fan I would consider this a must have. A lot of the material on those tapes is really well made, especially the last two tapes. Truly excellent and inspiring material. I'm glad they were able to give the material the light of day in this format for those that couldn't track down the original tape releases.

Panphage & Þul - Ginnheilagr
Ætergap Productions, 2015

Genre: Black Metal/Ambient

1. Þul - Canis
2. Panphage - Konungr/Lopt
3. Þul - Lynx
4. Panphage - Släkten solen ser i åkrar sjunka ned
5. Þul - Ursus
6. Panphage - Ginnheilug goð
7. Þul - Ginnheilagr









This split tape would be hard to review if you split up the releases. Basically this is a split between Black Metal and Ambient, which have always crossed paths, essentially, since both genres have existed. The way they've formatted this release the Ambient of Þul is intertwined with the Black Metal of Panphage as they alternate tracks on this release. I believe this tape was limited to 300 copies and it comes with a pro-printed booklet and stickers on the cassette itself.

The Þul material somewhat outweighs the Panphage material, but that's probably because these Ambient pieces serve as an intro and outro the album as a whole. The Ambient pieces retain that meditative quality that you expect from Ambient, but it also has a more primitive old world sort of atmosphere and edge to them. A lot of this is generated through the sheer simplicity of it and the more organic and natural feel of some of the instruments, even if they were digitally re-created. At times it reminds me a bit of the tracks created by Rajna, since they used a lot of authentic old instruments.

Now, the Panphage material is some of the finest Panphage material ever created and it's almost a real shame that we only get four songs out of this release. The first song "Konungr/Lopt" is by far my favorite Panphage song ever created. It's a track I can listen to over and over again with that overly catchy opening lick just instantly pulling us in. Sometimes when a track this good appears on a release it tends to overshadow the other songs on here. Luckily this doesn't happen to much on this release. While "Lopt" is, no doubt, the strongest track the other two Panphage tracks really hold their own quite well too. Every song has incredibly ear-catching riffing and an atmosphere that is just perfect for the project.

As with the other Panphage tapes, this release was later pressed to CD. Similar to the other releases this was pressed by Nordvis in 2017 and it features a new booklet with different artwork. It also features lyrics for two of the songs, but, sadly, it does not have my favorite one.

If you are a Panphage fan then this split is an absolutely must hear experience. If you're turned off by the ambient, at least with the CD edition you can skip all that stuff now... but it probably does take away from the overall intended experience. Either way, all three Panphage tracks are really well done.

Panphage/Jarnvidr - Gøthalandom
Ætergap Production, 2015

Genre: Black Metal

Panphage:
1. Söner av Orsämjans Länder
2. Hagalaz Automat
3. Black Dawn Guerilla
4. Tag till Vapen
5. Gøthalandom
Jarnvidr:
6. Helveteseld Faller från Himmelen
7. Hagelstorm
8. Klockringing i Dalen och Åkallan av Makterna
9. Det Svarta Vattnets Gåva

Side Jarnvidr: ...coming eventually...
Side Panphage:

Unlike the "Storm" album, the material composed on this split was actually written in 2015. So, it's nice to see Fjällbrandt returning to writing for this project again. He seems to go through massive creative bursts with this project that span years, but then it tapers off, then a few years later returns with more material. This also seems to be one of the first CD's released by Ætergap Productions, but like the tapes this is limited to 300 copies as well. It comes as a beautiful digipak with additional booklet inside. The booklet has pictures and art for both projects as well as liner notes.

Even though there is some decent time in between the recorded material of "Storm" and this, the material on this split basically picks up where "Storm" leaves off. In some respects I feel like this material is a bit more primitive in style and recording, but still maintains that solid blend of Black Metal and folk-ish style. "Black Dawn Guerrilla" is, by far, one of the catchier songs from Panphage ever written. The whole concept of this material is dedicated to the Westrogothian men from the 1400's who fought the nobility. As usual with Panphage, the songs are very well written and have that atmosphere that has been ever present on their earlier recordings.

Panphage - Storm
Ætergap Production, 2015

Genre: Black Metal

1. Lugnet
2. Storm
3. Vid Kusten
4. Sävgetens Folk
5. Frusna Varsel
6. Hemmavid
7. Förfäder
8. Fenomen








It's been quite a while since Panphage has put out material after producing something consistently every year. However, after such a long wait they return with their debut full-length album after existing for ten years. The material was composed between 2011 and 2012, but between 2013 and 2015 it was finally cut to tape. This tape is limited to 300 copies and comes in some excellent packaging. The tape comes in a velvet bag with the tape inside and a scroll of paper. The tape is housed in a simple slipcase with the above featured cover. The scroll features a thank you and liner notes as well as a track by track explanation behind each songs motivation. Overall a very special product to commemorate these ten years of Panphage.

I was a little late to the Panphage game and I believe "Storm" was actually my first experience with the project, which prompted me to track down everything I could find.  Since this music was composed so closely to "Nordlandets Dödsande", "Storm" is certainly similar, but there's a certain level of refinement in the writing on "Storm" that I feel pushes the Panphage ideology even further. I think this is where Panphage truly solidified its sound and simply ran with it. There's nothing out there that quite sounds exactly like this, the combination of rawness, hatred, and traditional themes reminds me quite a bit of what Arckanum is famous for. However, Panphage builds on what Arckanum has done before and adds in more and more layers that make for an even more exciting listen, in my opinion. The manner in which the catchier sections are composed has a lot more force behind them than in a lot of other projects I've listened to and at the same time Panphage manages to construct this timeless atmosphere that is somewhat modern, but feels like it hearkens back to the days of old.

Now if you had the misfortune of missing out on the original tape release, "Storm" was finally re-released on CD by Nordvis Produktion in 2017. They produced a beautiful multi-panel digipak edition for us. It features new artwork and the lyrics to two of the songs on the album. I assume the two songs chosen have more meaning for Fjällbrandt, or they convey more of what he wants for the Panphage project. I doubt the material was remastered, but music, even more raw Black Metal, is recorded on computers these days, so cutting the digital extract onto CD probably maintains the full sound a lot more. So, "Storm" feels a lot more loud and full compared to the original tape as far as I can tell.

Every time I listen to a Panphage recording, I feel inspired. There's something about Panphage that feels triumphant amidst all the disdain and hatred for the modern world and modern man. I hope with the release of "Storm" we'll have a steady wave of releases of this nature. At least that's what I was hoping back when I first heard this release and I certainly got my wish... can't wait for the next installment!

Panphage - Nordlandets Dödsande
Ætergap Production, 2011

Genre: Black Metal

1. Nordlandets dödsande
2. Kynjamein
3. Svarta vågor
4. Fredlös
5. Livlös











A mere few months since the last release and we already have a new Panphage tape ready to go! After the last release I was really excited to hear what "Nordlandets Dödsande" would bring us. As with before, it's released on cassette with a pro-printed tape and booklet. This time all the lyrics are published for us to read...and for those of us who understand Swedish, which is not me.

Now, "Nordlandets Dödsande" is a good and solid release, but it just doesn't have the same level of magic for me that "Gráðr Neðan" possessed. There's just something in the writing on that release that was immense and "Nordlandets Dödsande" feels more like a return to the earlier release style. Which is great stuff, but doesn't hit as hard. "Nordlandets Dödslande", while being in the vein of Raw Black Metal, has a decidedly more upbeat approach to all the songwriting. This is probably an attempt to incorporate the "happier" sounding folk melodies, whereas before he would usually choose more triumphant of darker styles. "Nordlandets Dödsande" still has that quality triumphant sound, it's just painted in a more positive light this time around, but it still manages to remain in the realms of raw and grim. A lot of the material is still making me think of projects like Arckanum quite a bit.

In the end, even though I didn't like this as much as the prior release, it's still very good material. The experiment he delved into felt like a faster version of Storm at times, so it had a lot more emphasis on Folk aspects. Even though he will change up the sound and approach of the project from time to time, I still look forward to what's to come, because even though there have been slight changes here and there, all the material is still quite good at the end of the day.

Panphage - Gráðr Neðan
Ætergap Production, 2011
Genre: Black Metal

1. Dögun í undirheimum
2. þrudmoþgi iotunn
3. Under sotröda vingar
4. Sökkdalir
5. Gráðr
6. Lemlästad & i snö förborgad
7. Neðan









Another year and another Panphage tape. This one really pushes the envelope from "Ursvöl" in a truly excellent direction. As before this is released on cassette with a pro-booklet and pro-tape. The booklet is a really nice multi-panel booklet with the lyrics to a few songs written out.

Gráðr Neðan is a far more expansive journey than the previous releases, mainly due to the fact that it simply has more tracks. However, the musical composition feels a lot more mature and well thought out. This release marries the Black Metal atmosphere with some excellent Thrash and Folk moments to really hook us in like never before. Every song is wonderfully crafted. For me, "Gráðr Neðan" is where Panphage took a turn artistically into something of a higher quality project. There aren't any songs that stand in the background, and I daresay there aren't even any filler riffs. Everything feels attention grabbing, and maybe that's one of the reasons I feel like this release is much more intense than the others.

When a band finally hits this caliber of composition I want them to stop making these shorter releases and put out a full length. So, hopefully Panphage will be heading in that direction soon. However, if you're first delving into the world of Panphage, while the prior releases are pretty good, this is where the material starts to grow far beyond the original material, so starting here is a good spot.

Panphage - Ursvöl
Ætergap Production, 2010
Genre: Black Metal

1. Skall & Skalv
2. Svartmånfödda Yngel
3. A Haugi
4. Ursvöl
5. Illa Sett (Glum cover)











Another year yields, yet another tape, from Panphage. Given the constant improvement of the project I was certainly looking forward to new material. As with the other tapes on this label the cover is pro-printed and is limited to 300 copies.

"Ursvöl" isn't as heavy in style compared to the prior release. It's probably closer to the material we heard on the "Jotunmodi" release. Rather than heaviness, this album creates a generally darker atmosphere overall. However, those catchier guitar licks and riffs that have become a staple of the Panphage sound are still ever present throughout the release. "Skall & Skalv" is clear demonstration of this. This material feels even more infused with Black Metal, and for some reason I keep coming back to Arckanum whenever I hear Panphage material like this. Although, "Ursvöl" seems like it is more influenced by the more melodic styled Black Metal bands out there. At times hear early Enslaved and early Einherjer in their sound a bit as well, but this is probably due to the dose of folk style meshed into the sound.

I quite prefer the style on "Ursvöl" a bit more than the last tape. It has more of the atmosphere I am looking for in my music. Either way this is, yet another, great Panphage release and I look forward to whatever comes next. Since, I'm sure there will be another tape for us in the following year!

Panphage - Ætt Loka

Ætergap Production, 2009

Genre: Black Metal

1. Olios

2. Likrå

3. Ormblot

4. Thriggia Thursa Fadir

5. Urthurs Pt. II

A year after Panphage's foray into the digital world they swiftly returned to tape releases. This time on a new label for Panphage. This comes with a pro-printed cover and is limited to 300 copies. "Ætt Loka" builds on "Jotunmodi," but also experiments with different elements than before.

This release winds up being a much heavier release than "Jotunmodi". Those catchy riffs built on the back of more folk elements are still ever present in the sound, of course, but he's upped the general intensity and heaviness this time around. Here you'll find a lot more palm muting riffs than before, but Panphage manage to keep everything sounding like they're mainly in the Black Metal realm for writing this material. The songwriting is much improved as well and everything feels a lot more cohesive in the grand scheme of things. It feels more like he wrote an "album" than a collection of songs that sort of fit thematically. I also appreciated "Likrå" a lot, because it has a similar idea to the closing track of "Jotunmodi", but this time I feel like everything fit together better. Unfortunately, the main riff on "Thursamodir" fit with the female vocals even better. The other strange thing you'll here is the experimentation with some more dissonant riffing a few times in this album. Just listen to the opening of "Ormblot", I would expect that more from a Blut aus Nord release.

I think the only major complaint I can level at this is I feel like atmosphere has been sacrificed for heaviness. Which was probably the intended goal given how it is persistent throughout the whole release. However, I enjoy the stronger songwriting this time around and it maintains enough of that groove from the prior album to keep my attention and enjoyment through the release. Again, looking forward to even more of this, because it sounds like the material is getting even stronger. Maybe he'll find a good balance between heaviness, atmosphere, and catchiness on future material.

Panphage - Jotunmodi

Self-Released, 2008

Genre: Black Metal

1. Utgårdalhovet

2. Muspel

3. Urthurs

4. Jotunmodi

5. Thursamodir

Unfortunately I have never heard the Panphage material prior to this release, except for the very first tape. After a string of demo tapes released on Satanic Propaganda Panphage turned to the digital market and self-released this material onto the internet. It doesn't have any kind of cover associated with it, which is disappointing. However, I did read that "Jotunmodi" is quite different from the earlier demos and this is where the Panphage legacy really begins in sound and motivation.

"Jotunmodi" is a really cool demo with some good ideas and experimentation of the newer Panphage sound, there's also some ideas that don't work out as well, but for the most part it works. All the songs feel heavily rooted in an Arckanum style and recording approach to the music. There's also a fair dose of a folk feel injected into the music, so it feels reminiscent of the older days of Viking Metal at times. This adds an interesting groove to the Arckanum style. I think Fjällbrandt is still sorting out the particulars of composing Panphage material. He has some chuggier guitar moments that don't fit with some of the groovier sections. Then in "Jotunmodi" there's this random shred solo that immediately kills all hope for atmosphere. "Thursamodir" is one of the best and one of the worst tracks on this. It has this immense atmospheric riff and when the female vocals kick in over it, it's absolutely spectacular. But his bridges and some of the other riffs thrown in here pull us out of that amazing atmosphere he was building. It really is too bad, because this could have been one of the best Panphage songs ever composed... I almost wish he would revisit this song and re-work it a little bit. In light of that, the first two tracks are probably the strongest on this release. "Utgårdalhovet" has some wonderful atmosphere and especially nice riffs to catch our attention.

I don't know what earlier Panphage sounded like, but "Jotunmodi" is a very strong showing for shifting styles. I think there are still some kinks to work out, but Panphage has some rock solid foundation to build on with this approach. I really look forward to hearing what's in store next.

Panphage - Panphage
Satanic Propaganda Records, 2005
Genre: Black Metal

1. Intro
2. Elva Stigar Skymtas
3. Av Röta Besatt
4. Akhera Goiti-Akher Beiti
5. Pan Panphage











When back tracking Panphage's catalog this tape and the following two demos are very challenging to find. However, I was lucky to get my hands on this material and I purchased this out of curiosity because it seems Fjällbrandt sort of ignores this very early material. When Panphage re-released all their old demos it started at the release of "Jotunmodi" and ignored these first three, so I was wondering how primitive or terrible they might actually be. These early Panphage releases were put out on Satanic Propaganda Records and no limitation is listed, though I'm sure there is some type of limitation. This comes with a pro-printed insert on a dubbed tape. The insert isn't anything special, just the cover and a panel with track listing and line saying "recorded during fullmoon and fever in december 2005." So, this basically went from recording to release in a month.

Musically, this isn't anything particularly special. However, we get hints of what Panphage would later morph into in songs like "Elva Stigar Skrymtas" and "Akhera Goiti-Akher Beiti". In fact the riff in the latter was certainly re-used to better purpose on a different song. Tracks like "Av Röta Besatt" are really different from the more usual Arckanum inspired Panphage material. This has almost depressive Black Metal elements in it, but it has some heavier moments, but it lacks that strange upbeat dark groove that Panphage can generate. The songs lack any real cohesive style throughout the tape, so each song is just a disjointed sequence of riffs that may or may not fit together. There are some decent on ideas on here, but Fjällbrandt is sort of correct to leave these demos to history, since the style did become far more cohesive and well developed.

In the end this is a fun curiosity to have in my Panphage collection. As you can tell on this site I like hearing everything from my favorite projects whether it is good or bad material. Panphage clearly got off to a fairly rocky start, but over the years the sound was refined and turned into one of my favorite projects around. Unless you're truly a die-hard Panphage fan and must hear this early material it's mostly worth skipping this. Maybe a single listen out of curiosity, but it really doesn't have much in the way of replay value.

Hermóðr

Hermóðr - Det Förflutna
Wolfspell Records, 2015
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal

Disc 1:
1. Från skymning till soluppgång
2. Vargen
3. Thrudvang
4. Grav
5. Bestens Vrål

Disc 2:
1. Tillbaka till skuggorna
2. Ginnungagap
3. Intro (Förlorad)
4. Förlorad
5. Aska
6. Intro (Vid avgrundens kant)
7. Iskalla vidar
8. Vid avgrundens kant
9. Det som vandrar på gamla stigar

If you've missed out on all those digital EP's and singles published by the band on your their bandcamp, now we finally get the chance to own a physical copy of these songs on CD. If Hermóðr continues to put out these digital singles, I guess it will be a bit more tolerable if they compile it all onto a CD from time to time. For this first compilation it spans the entirety of two discs, because Hermóðr simply produces that much material. In the usual Wolfspell fashion this album is limited to 500 hand-numbered copies, of which I own #316.

After listening to "Krigstid" it's kind of strange going back to some of these older Hermóðr songs and you really get a clear sense of how much Hermóðr's sound has improved over a short amount of time. "Thrudvang" while a really nice and majestic song, the production feels a little fuzzy to me and not in a way that's adding to the overall feel of the song. Either way, I'm quite glad to finally have a copy of this material on an actual CD now. As you can imagine, the songs featured on the second disc are a lot stronger, simply because they are newer. Strangely, the first three songs are all instrumental, so, as a listener, we spend a good amount of time just relaxing to some really beautiful songs. When we get to the "Förlorad" EP, things start to pick up quite a bit and we're back to some really excellent atmospheric Black Metal. "Aska" is the big surprise here, with it's Burzum styled chord structuring and some clean vocal passages that add a very haunting atmosphere overall. Weirdly, the other EP released in 214 "Vid Avgrundens Kant" isn't as good as "Förlorad". The production is a little fuzzier, so the songs don't feel as majestic in some ways.

One of the real treats with this re-release is the final track "Det som vandrar på gamla stigar", which is an all new song, just for this release. It's extremely good and falls in line with the quality we hear on albums like "Krigstid".

While, I didn't get into every single song on this release, I'm still glad to see these tracks hit the pressing plant, rather than listening to them as singles on bandcamp. If you're a Hermóðr fan, then this is absolutely worth checking out, especially the material on disc 2, that is by far the strongest.

Hermóðr - Krigstid
Wolfspell Records, 2014
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal

1. Krigaren
2. Stormen
3. Mitt Hem
4. Krigstid
5. Nattens Mörker











Skipping ahead to "Krigstid" we now behold one of my favorite Hermóðr releases. As before with the Wolfspell release this is limited to 500 hand-numbered copies and I own #37. As with "Vinter" and all the other releases some extremely provocative art was chosen and looking through the booklet merely enhances the listening experience. If the art chosen isn't actually Gustav Dore, then it's a serious look-alike, because most of the art is in that vein.

"Krigstid", so far is the most Black Metal in overall feel of the Hermóðr releases so far. It surely tends to the atmospheric side and our slower approach to the genre is still tried and true here. Although, it might be interested to see what would happen if Hermóðr did ever delve into the blast beat territory of the other giants in the genre. Regardless, Hermóðr carve out a fairly unique spot with this approach to the genre and the way the leads create an entrancing soundscape to interplay with the plodding rhythms is just masterful. At times "Krigstid" rivals the passionate compositions on Kältetod's album "Reue", which has some of the finest compositions around. While, for me, "Krigstid" never truly hits "Reue" territory it is quite the success for generating a similar feel and journey. My bias towards high speeds is likely holding me back on this particular opinion, although he does get close with the title track with the tremelo picked lead, which is simply glorious! Part of me wishes it would've built into a blast section, but alas, I was never satisfied here. It's still one of the finest tracks on the album, regardless.

The bonus track "Nattens Mörker" takes on a bit of a different tone from the rest of the album. On this track Rafn plays around with dissonance a lot more. It has a far darker and disturbing feel to his usual majestic music. But we eventually give way to some incredibly composed atmospheric parts in the closing minutes that meander between majesty and dissonance, so it's an interesting experience. I think it fits with the overall journey of "Krigstid" despite its slightly different composition approach.

"Krigstid" is an exceptional album, in my opinion, and, for me, it blows "Vinter" out of the water. It takes a lot of the ideas built in that recording and just enhances them ten fold. Rafn is really nailing something wonderful with this music and I hope he keeps it up. The only thing that's a bit worrying is how often he releases single tracks... why not just collect material until you have albums? This music is designed around going on a long journey, but that's difficult to achieve on a single track, unless you make it thirty minutes long. Either way, I'll keep listening and hope that Rafn isn't playing the odds of randomness to hit on amazing material and rather crafting with care and quality.

Hermóðr - Vinter
Wolfspell Records, 2014
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal

1. Frostfödd
2. Den Mörkaste Dagen
3. Då du Lämnade Mig
4. Månen & Skogen
5. Sorg
6. Vinter
7. En Plats där Tiden Dör









Let's fast forward over singles and jump right to the first full-length "Vinter". "Vinter" is, basically, everything I wanted a full length Hermóðr album to be. It features wonderful cover art that truly captures the essence of the music. This album was originally released on cassette, but I have the CD version limited to 500 hand-numbered copies of which I own 130.

"Vinter" is a slow and plodding journey, much like the first demo, but I feel like the writing and song structure have matured a little bit more since then. I feel like there is a more intense and deeper underlying current to these songs than Rafn wrote before. It has an even deeper and colder atmosphere before as well. Despite the general similarity between the tracks, there is enough variation to get lost in the album, while still finding it interesting.

Your average Black Metal fan may not be really enamored with this style, but if you come across a fan that is also a massive fan of Ambient music, then this is a must recommend. The same droning and meditative experience is very similar. I, for one, really enjoy that experience and "Vinter" gives us a chilling, yet strangely beautiful interpretation of style amidst all the harshness within.

Hermóðr - Hermóðr

Self Released, 2013

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal

1. Från Skymning till Soluppgång

2. Vargen

After a very successful demo release, Hermóðr has turned to the internet to release a massive amount of music. I'm not going to review all of these releases, because often the digital singles or two songs per release types of material was later compiled into a CD, which is a far more desirable listening experience, in my opinion.

This EP features two new songs the first of which is quite different from the first demo, but still quite good in it's own way. It features a droning clean guitar line with moments of haunting clean vocals. Another guitar lead will appear here and there throughout the song to give it more of a variation, but there are no drums and there is basically no actual Black Metal on this track at all. "Vargen" begins by following in a similar vein, but after about three minutes it kicks into a Black Metal song. It's a lot more subdued and somber than the first demo, but definitely feels like a continuation of that style. So, if you want to some soothing somber melodies then these two songs will surely hit the spot.

Hermóðr - Demo 2012
Fallen Empire, 2012
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal

1. För alltid
2. Slutet på hans sista resa
3. Över de snötäckta bergen













It's unfortunate, I've missed out on the original release of this demo when it came out. I've gotten stuff from Fallen Empire before, but somehow this passed me by, which is a shame because the cover art alone would have surely caught my attention had I been paying any. Looking into the musician behind the project, Rafn, he has created a lot of music over the years. I've tried out some of his other projects and they tend to range more into the Depressive Black Metal/DSBM and that's just not my thing. Hermóðr, on the other hand, this is a project that I can get behind.

The first demo only features three songs, but the songs are pretty long, so it gives you a good amount of time to get immersed in the atmosphere of the project. Hermóðr is on the more raw spectrum of Black Metal, but Rafn has this wonderful minimalistic sort of lo-fi approach to the whole concept. The end results is some really immersive music, more akin to listening to a beautiful Ambient composition in many regards. The whole project's concept is built around nature and the landscapes of Sweden and the music really nails that atmosphere perfectly. It's cold and chilling, but at the same time has this underlying beauty to the whole journey. It's a droning unchanging landscape of frigid ice, but you can't help but marvel at the sheer beauty of everything.

I think Hermóðr bears some similarity to the style Burzum was creating, especially in the newer recordings where Varg takes a much more simplistic approach to his writing, however Hermóðr doesn't ever really play as fast as Burzum does, Hermóðr is almost closer to Doom Metal tempos, but the execution is entirely different of course. The general song design is built around a slow core riff, but then has this wonderful expansive lead guitar parts that really pull us into the music. Usually, I heavily prefer faster music, but for some reason Hermóðr really just captures the imagination and my need for speed never really comes into play here. Luckily, the vocal performance stays on the more typical Black Metal approach and never delves into the shrieks of DSBM, which drive me nuts. There are some softer sung/spoken word sections, which is what makes those parts feel all the more like Burzum to me.

So, if you like the idea of slow atmospheric Black Metal, then this is a band to really check out. I think people will find a lot to enjoy with this project and this first demo would launch a myriad of new releases over the next few years. Who knew this would turn into such a prolific project!

Funeral Mist

Funeral Mist - Hekatomb
Norma Evangelium Diaboli, 2018
Genre: Black Metal

1. In Nomine Domini
2. Naught but Death
3. Shedding Skin
4. Cockatrice
5. Metamorphosis
6. Within the Without
7. Hosanna
8. Pallor Mortis








Let me preface this review with the fact that Funeral Mist has been a long standing favorite band of mine. I've been following Arioch since the days of Triumphator and anytime he puts his creative wrath into a new album I'm always excited to hear it. This album kind of came out of nowhere, it just suddenly got announced and in a few weeks it was in my hands. After the amazing effort that was "Maranatha" I was looking forward to see what kind of new journey Arioch would have ready for us.

I remember when "Maranatha" came out it was super cool to hate on that release for whatever reason. It was very different from "Salvation", but it was also quite different than most other albums out there and creatively speaking I thought it was a masterpiece. It was one of the ugliest and filthiest albums around, up there with the first Hell Militia in that sort of atmosphere. So, since each Funeral Mist release has had a different feel and yet built on the prior ideas, I was looking forward to see where "Hekatomb" brought us. Unfortunately, "Hekatomb" wound up sounding more like a filler album to me. This can happen in discographies from great bands as the band releases more and more material on their journey to the next big idea. I was sort of hoping Arioch might work some of that out with Marduk, since this took nearly a decade to reach us from the times of "Maranatha".

Now, "Hekatomb" isn't terrible, it's just not as exciting and feels somewhat derivative of prior Funeral Mist material. For example "Shedding Skin's" main riff sounds like something we already heard on "Salvation". I swear the main riff on "Pallor Mortis" showed up somewhere on "Maranatha", "Metamorphosis" sounds like a throwback to the old Triumphator days. All that has been done is it feels like the chords have just been played in a slightly different order, so it's not exactly the same, but it's pretty damn close. I feel like Arioch was trying to bridge something between the prior to albums, trying to harness that feeling of unhinged chaos from "Salvation" and the plodding more methodical and haunting "Maranatha" all in one album. At times the blending works, at others it doesn't seem to and instead feels like the album can jump around a lot more. Sometimes I feel like Arioch was torn between wanting to make something complex and something ultra simplified. This creates a chaotic effect, but I'm not sure he's sorted out how to seamlessly build those transitions. He's also dialed back the sample work this time around as well, which I thought was quite an interesting feature of the prior material. There are still quite good songs on here, like "Cockatrice", which feels reminiscent of Lunar Aurora with the light keyboard moment. Even though "Pallor Mortis" is like something we've already heard... I still really like that song.

The vocal work, as usual, is on point. The only real criticism I could level at this aspect of the album is that it doesn't feel as unhinged as the prior albums. Don't get me wrong, this is very elaborate compared to your usual Black Metal release with fairly monotonous vocal performances and in that regard Arioch's albums tend to shine. Even a "simple" vocal arrangement by Arioch will outperform the majority of bands out there. He does experiment a bit more on songs like "In Nomine Domini" where he adopts a low and more guttural vocal approach. The only issue here is that it somewhat gets buried in the mix, perhaps to accommodate the later vocal styles that are more in Arioch's usual range. Lyrically this album is on par with the quality we've come to expect from him. I usual find Arioch has quite high quality lyrics and they really enhance the overall atmosphere and immersion of his compositions.

Unlike "Maranatha" this album lists who performed drums on the album and it was Marduk's old drummer Lars B. So, the drumming is top notch and it even has some strange and rather interesting ideas. Some of the arrangements are a bit unorthodox, but managed to work out pretty well. Listen to the ultra minimal intro to "Metamorphosis", which is rather a-typical in a Black Metal song. In "Within the Without" rather than doing a rather elaborate drum fill he does single hits on the toms, which is not a usual thing for us to hear when it comes to drum fills. Especially in a song with such a vicious blasting sequence. Arioch has worked with fine drummers like Necromorbus, but Lars B. might be one of the most skilled so far. He's one of the reasons this album was fairly exciting to listen to in many regards.

In the end I don't think "Hekatomb" really stacks up to the other Funeral Mist albums. The production quality is better, but I haven't really decided if that's a feature yet or not. "Maranatha" felt raw and produced well enough, so it had that perfect blend to me. "Hekatomb" is more in line with a Marduk level of studio production, so it's a little more clean sounding. I haven't heard all of the new Marduk yet, but based on what I have heard, I think "Hekatomb" is going to stand above that album in all facets. I've always thought Arioch was a better composer, but I'm just not sure if Funeral Mist is going to rise to the top for my best of this year. Another thing I'm not sure of is that I might be delving into this too soon. Maybe over time I'll realize there's some genius to this release, but right now I'm just not hearing it at the moment.

If you're a long time Funeral Mist fan you'll enjoy it, just as I have, but you might have some of the same misgivings I had when listening to it. I think my perspective on this is that I think Arioch can do so much better and he can push the creative element further. I hope it won't take nearly as long for us to arrive at another Funeral Mist and I'm glad he's still moving forward with the project, I was, honestly, afraid he would give it up in favor of Marduk and I'm glad to see that is not the case.

Funeral Mist - Maranatha
Norma Evangelium Diaboli, 2009
Genre: Black Metal

1. Sword of Faith
2. White Stone
3. Jesus Saves!
4. A New Light
5. Blessed Curse
6. Living Temples
7. Anathema Maranatha
8. Anti-Flesh Nimbus








Six years! I can't believe it has taken so long to release a new album. Okay, granted Arioch has since joined Marduk and is singing for them now. So that vocal experiment with "what would Marduk sound like with Arioch on vocals" turned out to be rather fortuitous for him. Since Marduk sets such a demanding schedule for its musicians, I am not entirely surprised "Maranatha" has taken so long to complete. Over the years Marduk's sound has also been outright blended with the Funeral Mist approach making it more difficult to tell the difference between the two projects. Not that I'm complaining... I actually like Funeral Mist a lot and more Funeral Mist is not a bad thing to me. However, for whatever reason the winds of Black Metal have changed quite a bit. There are loads of fans out there that have labeled Funeral Mist as rather in vogue to hate. A lot of Norma Evangelium Diaboli bands are suffering from this attitude as we transition into the teens of the new millennium. I'm not sure what has happened, maybe Deathspell Omega's rise to prominence was too swift... but whatever the reasons it is now really cool to hate these bands. Any band that spends time researching lyrics and coming up with well thought out ideas is swiftly lambasted by a particular group of fans in the scene. For whatever reason they explain this as being disingenuous to Black Metal, but I, personally, think this is the direction Black Metal really needed to go in. It needed to get more thought out, it needed some realm of growth in an area. Lyrics and conceptual art seem to be one of those areas. I have no idea why this would get bands like Funeral Mist labelled as fakes, even by the old standards... and it's not like Funeral Mist is new to the party here. They essentially haven't changed much since 1996 when "Havoc" came out on the musical front. Its like people don't care about the history of a band and if they were that fake, the scene should have been complaining about that since "Devilry" was released. Instead I see people praising "Devilry" left and right for how amazing it is... well "Maranatha" isn't hugely different from "Devilry", sure its a more mature record and the compositions are more thought out, but that frantic and violent sound we all fell in love with in 1998 is still here. I am going to continue to listen to Funeral Mist and I'm going to enjoy the music Arioch crafts, maybe its because I am an academic and work in academia. Maybe that makes me a fake too, but I don't particular care about that because I appreciate the thought that went into this album.

I was instantly interested in "Maranatha" when it was released. I was expecting a fairly solid release, but I wasn't expecting their finest creation ever. I think over the years Arioch has been able to experiment a bit more within the ranks of Marduk and by the time "Maranatha" rolled around his ability to forge especially good material was at a very high point. A lot of the things I complained about during the "Salvation" review have been entirely fixed here. The first, and most noticeable, is that the vocals sit very nicely in the mix and nothing is overpowered. This must have been a mixing nightmare given how dynamic Arioch's performances tend to be. He also takes a step back and doesn't come off as if he needs to fill the musical space with screams and lyrics every second. There are points where we can just bask in the atmosphere of the music being generated, which is something that has been kept away from us in Funeral Mist. That being the case, the songs are much more well crafted than ever before. That usual fast and frantic style is ever present on the release, but he's done a better job creating more of the atmospheric droning styles this time around. Its far improved from "Circle of Eyes" and I really appreciate that a lot.

"Maranatha" seems to seek to do at least one thing throughout the album. Create some of the most disgusting and vile atmospheres you can be subjected to. This is painfully apparent from the moment you see the album cover. The art direction throughout the booklet keeps up this disturbing attitude and is easily conveyed in song after song on this album. The focus on creating that atmosphere is really what makes the album stand out so much, it allows us, at times to just bask in the power and intensity of the violent delivery. Its interesting because the "ugliness" generated isn't that tense and disturbing style found in typically in France, but instead is generated from the vocal layering, frantic guitar composition and samples. The lyrical approach goes after a perversion that points out the general hypocrisy in religion. They are clearly well researched lyrics and it is far superior to the run of the mill "Satan is awesome, and Jesus dumb" variant we've all been putting up with for years. I really like the fact that they push this envelope in the lyrics and it gives the album a sort of contemplative intensity that is lacking in a lot of other areas. The only song I didn't like on here was "White Stone" and its a shame it sits as the second track, because it really throws off the atmosphere between the songs. I'm actually not sure if I would want it thrown off here or later in the album... either way when I listen to "Maranatha" I skip this track constantly.

I really think this album is worth the time invested in it. Arioch hardly strikes me as a fake in the realms of Black Metal. Given his past performances and current standing in the scene, I see no reason to believe that. If you don't like the album, you don't like the album, and that's fine. I just don't see the point in railing the musician who has been involved for many years in a band that hasn't changed a ton over that time frame. "Maranatha" is easily Funeral Mist's best release and it is one of the best albums I've heard in all of 2009, which is saying a lot, because often a single bad track is enough to doom my interest in putting it in the top list, but the rest of the material simply can't be denied. This also features one of Arioch's most impressive vocal performances ever laid down and I can't imagine how people wouldn't appreciate this. It's so vicious and violent and nothing like it really exists out there...

Funeral Mist - Salvation
Norma Evangelium Diaboli, 2003
Genre: Black Metal

1. Agnus Dei
2. Breathing Wounds
3. Holy Poison
4. Sun of Hope
5. Perdition's Light
6. Across the Qliphoth
7. Realm of Plagues
8. Circle of Eyes
9. Bread to Stone
10. In Manus Tuas






We've waited quite a while for a proper full-length from Funeral Mist. "Devilry" was just a teaser for what was to come in the future. I think it was a smart move for Funeral Mist to focus on putting together a full-length rather than just releasing EP's over the years, because the full awe of "Salvation" makes it well worth our wait. This is actually the first release where I heard of Funeral Mist, but I had already known Arioch from the project Triumphator in the 90's. I was surprised to see Funeral Mist dated back even further and I started looking for the earlier material as best I could.

Its interesting to note that Katharsis as also released a new full length on the same label and both albums vocally begin with seriously heart wrenching screams. I would say one has influenced the other, but they were released in the same year around the same time. There may be some influential play between the bands, since both bands perform a fairly chaotic form of Black Metal. Funeral Mist relies on a similar guitar tone that is razor thin, which gives the album this incredibly vicious edge to the performance. Similarly the production is just as raw and harsh as you would expect from either band. The raw production value really gives Funeral Mist a more intense edge than Triumphator, even though the whole point of Triumphator was to be fast and intense. Funeral Mist really outdoes that completely with "Salvation". The one serious criticism I can truly level at this release is that the vocals are too high in the mix. Granted I enjoy Arioch's vocal performance immensely, but in tracks like "Agnus Dei" it is simply overwhelming. Arioch seems to go after cramming as many vocal lines as possible on songs like "Breathing Wounds", so that neither he nor the listener get much of a break to listen to the music. This technique is successful, only, in making the frantic pacing ever more apparent. While, I'm sure, this is the atmosphere Arioch wished to achieve, I still think a break here and there would be warranted. When he does back off a little the songs really shine. Look at the way "Perdition's Light" closes, simply magnificent or the song "Realm of Plagues". His guitar riffs are not bad, they are simply tried and true, but they are not bad. This is nothing we wouldn't expect to hear from the days of "Devilry" at any rate. A somewhat fun fact is that I'm pretty sure the sample which opens "Sun of Hope" is from the same thing Abigor used to open "Kingdom of Darkness" off the "Verwustung" album.

An aspect that Arioch experiments with on this album is with writing epic tracks. Now, I wouldn't have expected the usual intense and frantic riffing to hold up over time and neither does Arioch, apparently. On "Circle of Eyes" he falls on a droning guitar line. And I really do mean it drones on forever, neither the riff nor the drum line changes until about eight minutes in. Between Arioch's vocals and the Gregorian chant samples, the song actually manages to be relatively interesting. The fact that the lyrics for this track are some of the best on the album helps a lot too. I also noticed that his vocals are set more in balance with the rest of the instruments, making the song stand out in that regard too. I remember at the time really loving this song, but since its release I've definitely heard other bands do it better. "In Manu Tuas" is the other song that clocks in at over twelve minutes in length, granted the metal stops around seven minutes in. It also closes out the "Salvation" experience and it really does end on a high note. "In Manu Tuas" is an incredible song and one of the best on the album for sure. After the seven minute mark we are treated to some really twisted sort of classical music. Given the fact that Allegri is referenced on the lyric sheet, its probably by him.

In the end "Salvation" is quite the experience. This is also towards the beginning of when the releases from Norma Evangelium Diaboli would dominate the new millennium. They really struck a chord with people at the right time and many of the bands have just taken off as people really wanted to hear more and more. Funeral Mist was certainly long overdue for a full-length and they certainly have given us an excellent release, one of the finer throughout Black Metal, for me, with a vocal performance that few, if any, could ever truly rival.

Funeral Mist - Devilry
Shadow Records, 1998
Genre: Black Metal

1. The Devil's Emissary
2. Bringer of Terror
3. Nightside Phantom
4. Funeral Mist
5. The God Supreme
6. Hellspell 2










This is Funeral Mist's big break into the scene and they have really composed a collection of some of the more vicious elements you can find in Black Metal. This was original pressed on 12" vinyl and limited to 300 copies. Unfortunately, I am reliant on the Norma Evangelium Diaboli release pressed on CD in 2005.

"Devilry" hit the scene harder than "Havoc" really did. Funeral Mist go after a sort of intense and frantic songwriting style, which is unusual for me, because I don't think I've ever really enjoyed a chaotic writing style much. I tend to enjoy more focused and well thought out songs, but Funeral Mist, for whatever reason, come off sounding frantic and chaotic. Which is part of the reason "Devilry" sounds so intense. The vocals certainly help that tension, since Arioch's voice is all over the place. He layers, he uses effects on his voice, etc. Sometimes the effects sound a little cheesy as in "Bringer of Terror" when he uses that high-pitch shifted aspect. However, the opening riffing style of the song will, for me, be a fairly signature Funeral Mist style of guitar approach. A lot of bands try to sound dark and sinister... but Funeral Mist just sound outright evil with "Devilry". It just comes off as intense and violent, rather than dark and mysterious, which I believe is Funeral Mist major aim. It's interesting to hear on here that they've re-recorded the song "Funeral Mist", which originally appeared on "Darkness" and you can hear how different it sounds with Arioch on vocals. When he roars out "Funeral Mist" its just spectacular and the original just didn't have that same level of delivery.

In the end, this is quite a successful release. It really continues the ideas that were founded on "Havoc" and develops them even further. I simply like the palette that Funeral Mist is trying to experiment with. They're not trying to do anything overly ground breaking, but they are trying to develop something marginally different and interesting to give the Black Metal listeners.

Funeral Mist - Havoc
Pounding Metal, 1996
Genre: Black Metal

1. Realm of Shades
2. Hellspell
3. Nightside Phantom
4. The Old Ones Grin












With the seeming demise of the project all efforts have fallen on Arioch to take over. Based on "Darkness" who would have thought such a musician was sitting behind the bass guitar. The band returns with a fire unlike anything else around. I'm almost in shock that this didn't work its way over to me back in the 90's, since this is exactly the type of Black Metal I was interested in at the time. Arioch finds himself on the forefront of the upcoming Swedish scene and he probably didn't even know it at the time. "Havoc" only sees the need for a replacement drummer, which is the only instrument Arioch doesn't seem to play, so who does he team up with? None other than the now legendary Necromorbus. Together they would begin to found a new level of sinister darkness in the Swedish scene. This was recorded in the early stages of the Necromorbus recording studio and it would soon become one of the eminent Black Metal recording studios in Sweden, in some cases overshadowing the legendary Abyss studios.

I actually managed to get my own copy of this demo and its a real gem in my collection, given how much I like Funeral Mist. It has a multi-panel booklet, but it is only single sided for the printing, and is on a dubbed tape. I'm sure it's limited to some quantity, but it doesn't say on the tape. In the liner notes Arioch has a statement concerning the release of the demo under this name: "This release shall not be compared with the first demo, or with any of the earlier material by Funeral Mist. The past material was all written by the previous guitarists Typhon and Vintras who no longer are a part of the mist.. But I decided to continue under the same name even if the music is totally different today as I now am the only songwriter." Even though, I've clearly compared the releases, he's not entirely wrong, this is basically a different band with completely different goals. Far better goals if you ask me...

Now you have to keep in mind that this is before bands like Ondskapt were performing, this is before Watain was even around, this is before all those bands performing that more infused darkness in their music. The early Swedish scene fell in the footsteps of either Marduk, Dissection, or Dark Funeral. Funeral Mist seems to throw off all those chains and casts a huge infusion of the Norwegian atmospheres a la "De Mysteriis dom Sathanas", blending in the intensity of Marduk, and casting everything in a whole new cloak of darkness unlike ever before. Arioch seems to draw influence for the sinister vocal performance from Attila and then just ups the ante ten fold. A truly crushing and jaw dropping performance. Ultimately, I'm quite glad the band dissolved in the way it did... I'm sure we would have gotten "Havoc" one way or another, but perhaps the band falling apart prompted Arioch to focus on writing more original material.

Funeral Mist - Darkness
Self-Released, 1995
Genre: Black Metal

1. Dreams of a Time Before Time
2. Funeral Mist
3. In Black Silence
4. In the Shadows I Wait
5. Blasphemy
6. Infernal Atavism







Now, I have no idea who originally started Funeral Mist, but the incarnation that exists in modern times is a pretty far cry from how the project started out. It seems the project started in 1993 and put out a promo before "Darkness", but "Darkness" is the earliest material I can find from the band. I, unfortunately, don't own a copy of this release and am instead reviewing some mp3's I downloaded. At this time the band had a full line-up and features members that would play with prominent bands like Dark Funeral and Thyrfing. It makes me wonder if Arioch was just starting out in the music scene and here he joined a band on bass, since it doesn't look like he got involved with the project until it existed for a year.

Back in 1995 Funeral Mist sounded like a fairly typical Black Metal. They have serious moments of Dissection worship in the bands self-titled song "Funeral Mist", but far more rooted in Black Metal than that of a Death Metal blend like Dissection. They have that melodic edge that was pretty common to the early Swedish scene and they pull it together with a relatively dark atmosphere. It's certainly not a bad demo at all and, honestly, if the band had continued in this fashion I think they could have produced some interesting Black Metal. They were starting out at a time when that pure Swedish sound was garnering a lot of interest by fans around the world, but Funeral Mist was just too underground to be noticed at this time.

After this it sort of appears the band entirely fell apart. At least the aspect of it having a full line-up seems to have disappeared overnight. Typhos, who performed guitar and vocals went on to play guitar in Dark Funeral for a time. Vintras joined Thyrfing for a while, but never recorded anything with them. I have no idea where the drummer went off to, and this left only the bassist. He seemed the only one interested in performing music and all the other musicians seem to have left the Black Metal scene altogether.

Triumphator

Triumphator - Wings of Antichrist
Necropolis Records, 1999
Genre: Black Metal

1. Infernal Divinity
2. Conquered Light
3. Heralds of Pestilence
4. Burn the Heart of the Earth
5. Crushed Revelation
6. Redeemer of Chaos
7. The Triumph of Satan
8. Goathorned Abomination








Following up the two song teaser from 1998 Triumphator release their first full-length in 1999.  I remember one of the main reasons I picked this up, aside boasting a member of Marduk was that it was also released on Necropolis Records, who had a pretty good track record of releasing solid Black Metal bands. Furthermore having this recorded in the Abyss Studios seals the deal that this is an album that must be heard.

This is sort of an odd release, in the sense that I like it, but I do understand why it got plowed under as a Marduk rip-off in a lot of respects. Triumphator definitely hits the marks for writing fast and crushing Black Metal and "Wings of Antichrist" comes of as being quite the unrelenting release in the grand scheme of things. While the guitar work is clearly influenced by the pages of Marduk, it is not entirely a direct rip-off either. The only reason this sounds just like "Panzer Division Marduk" is because of Fredrick Anderssons unrelenting drum performance. Even when the guitar work slows down in sections, he's still blasting away with that same tried and true pattern he's been playing since "Heaven Shall Burn..." I think "Wings of Antichrist" could have had a really different feel if the drum arrangements weren't so painfully Marduk, then I think the differences in the guitar lines would have stood out a lot more. The guitar riffs both try to hook you in and try to have some really chaotic elements behind them. You hear these little solo-ish flares cut through the music real fast then disappear to leave the rhythm section as the focus. This is something Marduk never really does. But the overall punishing attitude of the riff arrangements makes it hard to see beyond the comparison.

In looking through the liner notes it's interesting to see that despite the fact that Arioch plays guitar on this album, he actually only composed two of the songs. I imagine this is because he is very focused on his other project Funeral Mist, which is, frankly, markedly better than Triumphator.  These songs are really the only moments when we are exposed to an utterly dark atmosphere. Instead the vast majority of the album is composed by Tena, who is only credited with playing bass on the album. Arioch also contributed only one song of lyrics to this album, the rest are written by a veritable who's who of the Swedish Black Metal scene. Morgan of Marduk contributed a song, Mörk from Malign contributed a lot, Belfagor from Ofermod put pen to paper for this and Nattfursth of Sorhin contributed a song. That being said, Arioch delivers his, now, signature performance which no other vocalist has ever emulated as far as I know. I mean, not even close... very few vocalists out there have been able to evoke this level of power and terror through uttered and screamed words. The tonal quality behind is voice is just utterly chilling and this is what makes this album work well for me.

In the end, I imagine this album doesn't really stand up to overall Black Metal test of time. It serves as an interesting what-if scenario in the context of "what if Arioch sang for Marduk?", but that's about it. For me, I think this holds up over the years on sheer sentimental value alone. I remember sitting in awe of the vocal performance, which is really what made the album for me. At this time I hadn't heard Funeral Mist yet, so this was all I had from Arioch and that's probably one of the main reasons it stood out so much in my mind.

Triumphator - The Ultimate Sacrifice
Holycaust Records, 1999
Genre: Black Metal

1. Redeemer of Chaos
2. Heralds of Pestilence












When I was in my later High School years, I was actually fairly in tune with what was going on in the Black Metal scene. When I heard members of Marduk were involved with the project Triumphator, I jumped at the chance to pick up everything I could find from them. Triumphator would would also introduce me to a Black Metal musician that would swiftly become one of the most influential musicians in my own career. Triumphator didn't really change the way I think about Black Metal music, but it was Arioch's other projects that really influenced me more. Triumphator was just my introduction to Arioch, which I am still thankful for. It turns out that Triumphator started out in 1996 and I'm sure that original one song demo tape is long lost to history. Perhaps one day I will find a copy, but since 1996 the project has been silent until 1999 when they released this EP. Prior to this it was released as a 7" from 1998.

The only member of Marduk Triumphator features if Frederik Andersson on drums and his involvement I think is what got this project labeled more as a Marduk clone. He has a very specific approach to blasting that just makes everything sound like Marduk, because it keeps us tuned into a specific type of beat in all the songs. Arioch and Tena's guitar work certainly fall in the typical approach of the late 90's. There weren't many bands out there really pushing the envelope and instead they fell back on just relentless tremelo picked power chords, which didn't generate much of an atmosphere. The real part of this Triumphator release that shines through is Arioch's vocals. I have really never heard such an immense and terrifying vocal approach. It truly is something to behold. However, with the seemingly traditional riffing it feels somewhat a wasted effort at times. However, I cannot fault the band for introducing me to new ideas vocally and that is why this deserves some recognition. It is in Funeral Mist that we would really see the music shine though...

Sigrblot

Sigrblot - Blodsband (Blood Religion Manifest)
World Terror Committee, 2009
Genre: Black Metal

1. Opening Mass (Let Us Pray)
2. Kriegspsalm
3. Manifest (Blood Religion Part II)
4. Chaos Prayer: Deus Bellum
5. Crisis of Faith
6. Döende Generations Dom
7. Ödesjord
8. Bloodsband
9. Hirdsång
10. Folkstorm
11. Sacrament (Blood Religion Part I)
12. Endtime Communion


It's been quite a few years since "Blodsband" saw the light of day. It had a beautiful vinyl press in 2005, which I also own, but am not going to bother to review in light of this 2009 repress. Unfortunately, I did not get a booklet as many of them also did not. The real draw for the vinyl, back in 2005 was the additional track "Endtime Communion". It also featured an untitled track, but if you were paying attention you recognized this as the secret track after "Commie Scum" ends on the original CD. Here the secret track comes on after waiting a couple minutes for "Endtime Communion" to end. So this really is a very complete work!

The remastering is actually pretty well done and I enjoy being able to revisit this album in all it's full glory. With the cover song being removed from the original edition, the listener never has the albums flow interrupted, which is one of the biggest draws for me to own this re-edition. Even though "Endtime Communion" was composed in 2004-2005 it sits pretty well as the closer of "Blodsband" and clocks in at an over ten minute epic. While some may consider the original edition a true classic, I really think this is the proper rendition of the immersive Sigrblot experience. The booklet has only undergone some slight changes, mostly to accommodate the additional lyrics for "Endtime Communion." There is liner note at the end that I found particularly interesting though. "Lyrics authored in stages of adolescent idealism to young adult repulsion during 1996 to 2000". While "Blodsband" stands as a wonderful piece of controversial art, I do wonder if this note means certain ideals have changed with the members involved.

If you missed out on the first iteration of this great album, now is your chance to hear it in a much fuller form. I really do consider Sigrblot a must listen project for fans of Black Metal. They did something fairly different and compelling on "Blodsband". Highly recommended!

Absurd / Grand Belial's Key / Sigrblot - Weltenfeind
The Shitagogue Records, 2008
Genre: Black Metal

Absurd:
1. Weltenfeind
2. Black Hand of Death
3. Ulfhednir-Todesschwadron
4. Die Gesandten des Grauens (Der Fluch Cover)
Grand Belial's Key:
5. It Bribes the Heavens
6. Mourners Flock to Gethsemane
7. Yahweh's Charlatan's
8. Can't Tell No One
Sigrblot:
9. Braadödha Vindh Diävuls Andadräth)
10. Exiles of the Golden Age
11. Varg i Veum
12. Kali Yuga Intifada

Side Absurd: ...coming eventually...
Side Grand Belial's Key: ...coming eventually...
Side Sigrblot:

When I saw Sigrblot had new material forthcoming, I was naturally very excited. It's been quite a while since we've heard from the project and I was interested to see what new hymns of hatred they would spew forth. After such a long wait we only get to hear four new songs from the project. That is fine, in some respects, at this point hearing anything new should be satisfactory. The version of this album I have is limited to 1,000 hand-numbered copies and I own #107.

I think Sigrblot realized they needed to do something somewhat different for the newer material and what they did came out alright, but I wouldn't say it truly competes with "Blodsband". One of the major changes you hear is that they added a layer of acoustic guitars over most of the distorted sections. While this gives the songs a very different feel, I'm not sure they have the same compelling intensity of the full-length. I think they were reaching for more of an atmospheric blend into their music, but I feel like that is sort of at odds with the way Sigrblot presents their music. "Kali Yuga Intifada" really hits a great mark though. That song has an immense atmosphere. I actually enjoyed the songs on here, but as a whole I'm not sure they were markedly better than the debut. It is nice to see that Sigrblot is trying out different things though and if they can balance that atmosphere with their vicious Black Metal perfectly they would have a really strong composition on their hands.

Sigrblot have some solid material, as I have come to expect from them. The split itself is very beautiful. The booklet is massive with a lot of great art and printed lyrics. It does have an interesting statement on the back: "This release is dedicated to those who know by heart that extreme art and extremist opinion are but two sides of the same coin. True Black Metal is a crime against humanity!" Even so, I still think Sigrblot's lyrics on "Blodsband" were more extreme. Still, this is certainly worth getting.

Sigrblot - Blodsband (Blood Religion Manifest)
Nordiska Förlaget, 2003
Genre: Black Metal

1. Opening Mass (Let Us Pray)
2. Kriegspsalm
3. Manifest (Blood Religion Part II)
4. Chaos Prayer: Deus Bellum
5. Crisis of Faith
6. Döende Generations Dom
7. Ödesjord
8. Bloodsband
9. Hirdsång
10. Folkstorm
11. Sacrament (Blood Religion Part I)
12. Commie Scum (Fortress Cover)


I remember when Sigrblot first unleashed itself upon the music scene. I loved this release immediately, but many decried it's extremity as being NSBM, which it's really not. The band has stated no political ideology influences them. The album cover is certain a different level of extreme. It has two flying angels striking down two towers, which I can only assume is an allegory to the 9/11 attacks in New York. I really only know how that is perceived in my country of the U.S., so I'm not sure how the rest of the world really viewed what happened. The members of Sigrblot may have seen this as a clear sign that Islam is declaring war on the western world. I've read that there are serious issues in Sweden concern members of that religion and a lot of Black Metal bands are very unhappy with it. It's prompting bands like Lord Belial to write songs like "Purify Sweden".

I do not think this cover stands a celebration of violence, but as a realization that it is a serious warning and they will fight back against such ideologies. If you read the lyrics you hit upon a line "...crush and annihilate the desert tribe chokehold!" If you look at it from the Black Metal perspective in Europe perhaps they feel like they're being invaded by the Middle East once again. First it was Christianity that brought the Nordic people under their boot and now they see Islam invading their culture. Sigrblot is not about politics, its about creating awareness of cultural preservation and how it is important to preserve some shred of history. Perhaps they are facing a cultural change where it is politically incorrect to criticise other religions and we all know how that can get a Black Metal band riled up. Sometimes intolerance is a good thing. For them it means to preserve your own culture and I can understand that point of view if one is feeling threatened. To read through this album and dismiss it as Nazism would be to have missed the point. In the same song it says "revocation of government" and this is hardly something a pro-Nazi project would cry out given their heavy interest in dictatorships. In fact this album really has a very somber feel to it lyrically, as sort of a reminiscence of how we have all lost something to these modern ways of life. I know a lot of the bands hailing out of the Ukraine sing a similar song. I think some people can read through this and think this is all about how the white race is the master race, but I'm not sure that is true. The emphasis seems heavily on cultural preservation rather than race preservation.

I don't think this album can properly be engaged unless you sit down and give the writing some thought. So now that that's out of the way, we turn our ears to the music. The vocalist sounds an awful lot like Arioch from Funeral Mist. I have heard good rumors about his involvement in the project and while I think he tries to mask his usual rasp found in Funeral Mist, there are some tonalities that show through. If he's not the vocalist, then he's probably the guitarist because either of these options make sense to me. The breath of the lyrical concepts definitely hints at his usual style. His penitent for being highly influenced by the books he reads shines through in many of his artistic creations. In fact the lyrics read more like essays rather than your usual lyrical format. So that's my educated guess on his involvement.

Sigrblot play a vicious and intense style of Black Metal typical of the fastest Swedish bands and there is some serious resemblance to the style Marduk plays. At least that's the style I think they most sound like. However, there are moments when they hit upon some folk styled riffs and they sound very much Satyricon's "Dark Medieval Times", which is a wonderful thing to hear referenced. Sigrblot's songs are very well crafted and they cover a good blend of viciously intense and beautiful melody. This doesn't come across as a derivative project at all and in fact stands as a very fresh release for when this came out. One of the reasons this album gets labeled as NSBM is because the album closes with "Commie Scum" a cover by the Australian band Fortress. Lyrically that song is clearly racists, but racism doesn't equal Nazism. You can certainly be racist and not be a Nazis, but I'm pretty sure you have to be racists to be a Nazis. The songs lyrics are sort of confusing, but it seems the main point is to be against Communism. In any event, I'm not sure it was a good choice of a cover, because it really breaks up the albums aesthetic. Furthermore there's another original song right after "Commie Scum" which suddenly tries to bring us back into the atmosphere Sigrblot developed before. So we go from intense Black Metal, to Oi, then to a sombre and moody track of Black Metal to fully close off the album. This just makes things too confusing. Luckily the vast majority of the album is consistent and for that I give it very high marks indeed.

If you haven't been exposed to Sigrblot sooner is better than later. It is definitely a middle finger to all the politically correct culture infused in our society today. Maybe you will not agree with them, maybe you will, but at the end of the day I think this is a decent conversational piece. I, personally, don't think it is too outlandish to integrate two peoples or cultures or more, but I think it does beg the question of how much is too much in the sense of one culture being consumed by the other. Does a culture have a good claim to want to preserve itself in the face of that? These are the difficult topics Sigrblot is bringing up and with their cover standing as a symbol, it asks how much is too far?