So who are the players? Corvus is out, not just taking a break, for session vocalist Spellgoth is now in as vocalist. Bassist Hex Inferi was picked up along the way and this is his first recording with the legion. Spellgoth we know going back over a dozen years from his work with Trollheim’s Grott and more recently with Black Death Ritual. He has a long history and is a worthy Corvus replacement though it will likely take me six years to think of him as Horna’s true vocalist and not as the Corvus replacement, who in turn was Nazgul’s replacement for the better part of his reign. Vainaja has been sitting behind the kit for Horna on eight releases, this being his second full length, plus we know him from Vitsaus where he is is one of the original pests going back a decade and of course he is the current bass player in Sargeist. Infection, of course has made the rounds for better than a decade as well, notable as a vocalist as well as on strings. And main man Shatraug has some seventy releases to his credit going back to the beginning of time.

Askel Lähempänä Saatanaa is the ninth full length and it fits very nicely into the back catalog, at any point along the way from 1995 to 2008. Shatraug has once again brought Bathory, Darkthrone and Emperor with him to the recording studio. While I thoroughly enjoy the sacred Darkthrone moments and the Emperor overtures it is the pure Horna moments that shine, and there are many of them. Several of the songs, like “Kuolema Kuoleman Jälkeen” and “Kärsimyksin Vuoltu Hänen Valittuna Äänenään” feel too short, like they could be expanded on and on without loosing impact. “Yhdeksäs Portti” stands out for Spellgoth and the deft maneuver of bringing the vocals higher in the mix, without impacting the beautifully captured guitar sound Shatraug is known for, highlights new vocalist Spellgoth and distances him immediately from the shadow of Corvus. I miss very much his high delivery, Spellgoth does not ever go there, but he sells you immediately on his dynamic approach, benefitted by Shatraug’s decision to showcase him. The drumming at once propels the songs and holds them static, allowing both for the bass lines to mesmerize and the guitar lines to entwine them and flow the songs forward. Dischord plays more of a role than speed, though there are speedy passages, creating the tension and the power, while the melodic lines stick you into the moment and draw you into the experience of really listening. While these melodic lines are not as in your face as on Envaatnags Eflos Solf Esgantaavne, they are every bit as powerful and pervasive.

The album starts with a beginning, then steps closer to Satan and offers glory to the lord king. There is no time for tears because the suffering has started and you had better serve the lord, make him yours. By the time this disc comes to an end you will be doing your utmost to get used to burning sands and raining fire so you can be in attendance for Horna’s next engagement in hell.

Machine like drumming, relentless double bass, clean folk vocals and gang vocals (I don’t think of it as a chorus because they are not singing). Harsh blackened vocals. ‘Folkish’ triumphant melodies, heavily from the keys. ‘Epic’ fiddle playing and rhythm guitar with enough meat to it to be called metal. Add in extended instrumental breaks that are key ingredients to the sound pared with repetitive riffing and sharp quick vocal cadences.

This is mostly a showcase for melodic leads and solos and is at heart happy bouncy folk music (I know, I said stop reading) which is a far cry from their early albums, the ones that brought me on board, but their evolution makes sense, not just a we’re not making it as a black viking band, lets go mainstream, it seems more like this is where their heart is, and was, and they genuinely want to play this way. They keep just enough harshness to turn off most folk metal fans (remember I told you to stop reading) and to keep the contingent of loyal fans they have carried along.

Which brings me to “Into the Unfathomed Tower,” one of my all time favorite Candlemass songs. The most triumphant doom song ever is a pleasure to listen to here. Their cover is loyal to the original and passionately crafted into the current Black Messiah sound. It is this song on the track listing that caught my eye when I first got the promo. What is great is that it does not feel like a tacked on bonus track. Equilibrium would have loved to have done this. Next comes the much more somber re-recorded “Feld Der Ehre” from Oath of a Warrior, one of their best, with harsh singing throughout this time. I prefer the hauntingly epic clean of the original, otherwise a fine update. I generally like to hear a band update their older songs into their current style, but the original was / is quite wonderfully done, leave it be.

“Lindisfarne” is a brief holding pattern until we transition into The Nagelfar Saga, this album’s epic concept story in four movements. It is a much less ambitious attempt at what they did last album with First War of the World. I will not get into the accuracy of their tale because just like First War, they are telling their own story inspired by the Eddas, not a literal narration of the poems.

Movement one, three and a half minutes. It starts off with narration setting up the story accompanied by a lengthy tranquil guitar and violin piece that makes me visualize Peter Jackson’s Hobbiton. Movement two, five and a half minutes. Then the story starts with “Mother Hel,” baritone operatic singing quickly departs for harsher pastures and blackened shrieks and growls accompany blastbeats, totally appropriate for a discussion of Hel, and the baritone voice provides the main storyline along with clean female vocals. Movement three, six and three quarters minutes. “On Board” the more intense side with an extended melodic break as well. Movement four, six and a half minutes, has us “Sailing Into Eternity.” The ship of nails is under way and the crew is fulfilling their destiny. “Now the time has come I’m on the ship, sad and full of grief.” Guitars shine on this part, bringing back to your mind that Unfathomed Tower, flashy and fast. And of course it can’t end without creaking boards and wind. Twenty two minutes meant to be listened to as one string of music, these are not stand alone singles.

Overall a fine album that will appeal to most all of their fans that offers nothing new to their style and no great improvement in musicianship, just another solid album from an under recognized band. I do not know how available it is but I recommend anyone that enjoys the current albums go back and listen to Spectre of Black Knowledge so you can hear how much they have progressed. I still remember listening to that album for the first time when it came out, and most every part of their current style could in some fashion on that release, demonstrating why I’m still on board as a fan, history is important to them. They predate Ensiferum and should get at least as much attention as their Finnish kissing cousins. Visit the website for the official video.

Ars Moriendi and Of Stargates and Bloodstained Celestial Spheres both featured songs less than eight minutes in length, so Hoagascht is in good company there, with all the songs here being less than eight minutes as compared to their customary tact. Twenty two songs over eight minutes in their career with eleven of them over ten minutes in length. This time in the six-seven minute range. This we have not heard from them since 2000. While I very much tie my listening pleasure with their lengthy songs, which encompass all of my favorites, the lengthy wandering linear compositions have been reigned in in favor of shorter wandering linear compositions. They have the ability to make a six minute song feel just as impressive in scope and flow as they can with fifteen minutes to work with.

The album starts off with spoken word, in German, with a backing of tranquil drumming and keys that start me wondering about a tangent, but in the end it is simply a lengthy intro, no troubles there. The song gets it’s true start about two and one half minutes in with harsh vocals, heavy riffs that wander and a heavy moody atmosphere. Only velocity is lacking and when the pace quickens keys still dominate and intensity is lacking. The music is repetitive in a good way but does not really grab you.

When “Nachteule” starts they set the rhythmic pattern and establish the mood and run. There is very nice guitar tone, as in appropriate. The wandering moody underlying guitar lines they are noted for are present and account well for themselves. The bells and whistles that catch your attention and give the songs distinction start to appear here, keeping an overarching depressed feel. A mournful wallowing in self pity is not really a Lunar Aurora thing but they can do it well.

Epic sadness, that is what is on display. Look to “Sterna,” not ‘depressive,’ ‘suicidal’ and the like, but majestic flowing compositions that deliver a dark mood. Another plodding slow piece with characteristic half hidden tidbits, like crumbs for Hansel and Gretel, and timely breaks. The rest of the album continues in like fashion. Not a bad album by any means, quite effective, nicely composed and stylish, but not the Lunar Aurora of old. I am glad they are back and this is a worthy album in its own right. And it is not a total abandonment of past efforts so I will recommend you long time fans stay on board and enjoy the slight right turn. Think “A Haudiga Fluag,” not a bad thing to expand upon.

Mayhap next time we will get reintroduced to the long intricate bombastic intensity, maybe not, either way I am along for the ride. One of my all time favorite German bands is back so you won’t find me complaining about that. Lunar Aurora is a band with such a strong back catalog I imagine it is hard for them to compete with themselves. All in all a very satisfying album.

Favorite songs include “Augenblick,” “Grimm,” “A Haudiga Fluag,” “Die Nacht,” “Schwarze Winde,” “Schwarzer Seelenspiegel,” and added from this album, “Beagliachda.”

The nine minute “The Devil’s Eyes” starts blasting almost from the starting gate then slows down and adds in melodic flair and sung vocals along the lines of Enslaved or Borknagar. There are some moments of interesting motifs and cool riffs but they are overshadowed by whining clean vocals and simple blasting. The drumming is quite fine but often stripped down. Ardroth cuts loose on the last two songs so wait for it. I find this song, “The Devil’s Eyes”, gets bogged down a bit the last three minutes or so.

But wait, don’t count them out yet. Musicianship is excellent. The music flows nicely with blastbeats and pounding bass drum working well with the layers of guitar lines. Guitars are low in the mix allowing drums to dominate but the guitars are clearly heard, and the drums frequently get out of the way, particularly when the clean vocals kick in. Interludes incorporate various noise effects, vocal or otherwise, and slow and simple melancholic phrasing. The dominant pace is fast but not blazingly so, though it is always slow for the clean vocals.

Often with bands incorporating clean singing and acoustic or synth instrumentation I say cease and desist, get back to the metal. I get the whole idea of the soft shit makes one appreciate the blasting all the more, or is it the other way, the blasting makes one appreciate the wimpy shit, in any case these guys do it well enough to keep me from hitting skip and fans of this style should find it quite competent, if not downright compelling. It is obvious these guys have put a lot of heart into this recording on top of quality musicianship. Any references to keyboards equalling sell out are so far back into the 80’s as to be irrelevant, this is not mass-marketable black metal ready for Walmart shelves, so no worries there, these three guys still need day jobs. (Yes that is a complement).

The vocals on “Upon Stone” are more spoken than whined, which is of course an improvement. (I have a distaste for the whined rock style, which Galen finds himself falling into). His semi-harsh vocals are quite good, actually reminding me of Hrimgrimnir of Helheim from time to time. Then he has typical growls, which are not great but more than passable. It may be Ardroth doing the growls. It is the transitions from the three styles and the timing within the composition that is impressive, nicely done. This song is shorter, more tightly focused in its presentation of all the same elements used in the opening nine minutes of the album.

“A Code Of Will” is their attempt at nine minute plus blackened grandeur. Some cool riffs are worked in with nice melodic lines that don’t crowd out the rhythm section. Dropping a solo in that does not feel like an interruption is challenging and here it is done well more than once. Galen’s blackened vocals are mostly understandable on first listen. I’m glad they are a bit buried, especially when we get to the clean vocals, not too overpowering. It is the doomy guitars I want to hear at that point. Mesmerizingly gloomy in a Candlemass way. For a nine minute song there are a lot of vocals yet the music still breathes and expands and his vocals are part of it, not just tacked on top. In the end I say this attempt is a success.

The album closes with the nine minute “A Path Unwritten,” the third nine minute song on here. This song could have started the album, and if it was a demo vying for attention it would get it as the opening salvo. It really gives you a great introduction to the prowess of the band. More rage, less searching, plenty of dropped in interludes, and a strong forward propulsion that gets you through the tempo changes and wandering guitar lines that do not ever lose the beat. Maybe a bit too much with the distortion effects but it works so I won’t complain, and I won’t object to the melodic wankery for the same reason, they make it flow seamlessly and achieve a good balance.

These last two songs, “A Code of Will,” and “A Path Unwritten” show the band’s diversity and potential and make a great 18 minute listening pleasure, add in the first two songs and we are blessed with a strong debut from a newcomer that hopefully will stick around for a while. I’d say if you count Borknagar, Frostmoon Eclipse and Wolves in the Throne Room as favorites along with the likes of Emperor and Ulver then Infero Bruo is a no brainer. Pick it up. Plus Christophe Szpajdel (Emperor, Wolves in the Throne Room, Enthroned and many other black metal luminaries) did the logo honors.

I can easily jump back and forth between Seven Bells and say Carved in Stigmata Wounds without feeling like a favorite band has betrayed their origins. They have evolved in a positive direction and they are a damn fine band now as well as then.

Now you know their style change was so gradual it is not jarring to hear them now but still they have not abandoned their roots, which can be seen if not directly heard in the video for “Nyx”. Now with the newest album, Seven Bells, I think they sound how they are supposed to sound and I imagine they are quite happy with how the disc turned out. Darkthrone, Emperor and Celtic Frost still resonate yet the thrash elements play a vital role now early on the disc, as do the more ephemeral atmospheric flourishes that have always been there. Synchronized riffing, abrupt speed changes, intricate drum patterns, and an overall heaviness and crunch are balanced by the proper black metal aura that is still part of the exhibition.

Epic is often used as a descriptive simply to designate length of song, which I always thought irrelevant. Epic can be two minutes and twelve minute dirges can be anything but epic. Once again Secrets provided both long songs and epic songs. If you liked Privilegivm you should like this one, if you came across the tour 7 inch Warhead you have already heard a short version of “Seven Bells.” The seven minute title track sets the tone early and if you are not engaged by the two minute mark you won’t be. They are not afraid to have extended slow passages with minimal notes nor are they afraid to tear off a run of blastbeats.

Even before reading the press release I could hear Tom G. Warrior. He co-produced the album and the excellent “Worship” in particular shows the bands’ respect for Tom. By the time you get to the end of “Nyx” you will be bruised and scarred, and possibly brainwashed into hitting repeat and by now you’ll have forgotten the loss of the heavier elements one third the way into the album and you will also recognize that the power of these songs is cumulative, meant to be experienced as a whole. Welcome to the newest direction of Secrets of the Moon, and once again it makes sense because it was telegraphed a few years back and once again they have successfully brought me along. The worship service that is “Nyx” is sure to have brought favor to them so that the moon will impart yet more secrets for them to explore on the next album, and yes I’m already looking forward to that one.

“this world is coming to an end
the bells are tolling
calling for the devil send
you that have wandered far and wide
the church is open now
and all the stars are blind
this world is coming to an end.”
So says “The Three Beggars,” which closes out the album demonstrating that blastbeats and warbling guitars still have a place in their future, and at twelve minutes, “The Three Beggars” has plenty of room to explore the themes set down with some memorable soundscapes to carry you over till the next one. Unless Satan does not succeed,
“let’s rebuild satan’s church
let him reign in here forever
let him roam through our corridors
let his time stand still
let him work for a thousand years.”

And lest you feel this is simply Tom Warrior putting his forceful personality on another project, which is not a bad thing, there is nothing here that Secrets of the Moon has not at least whispered about on previous conjurings during nocturnal new moons in the black forest.

Feb 16th 2010 was the day I got Blackjazz. Here I sit Feb 14 2012 reviewing Live Blackjazz. Two year old songs released as a live album? What’s the motivation to get this disk? For one, The older pre 2010 material is reinvented for Shining‘s new persona, and works even better. For another, this is a live album from a band that really shines live.

I first heard Shining back in 2002 stumbling on them through Jaga Jazzist, where Jørgen Munkeby spent seven years. It was there he was exposed to the electronic pop side as well as smooth jazz. Munkeby started out emulating Jan Garbarek then Coltrane. Drummer Torstein Lofthus is the only other founding member. The Norwegian Academy of Music teacher has been on the drum stool throughout Shining’s metamorphosis, and the drumming on display is top notch, worthy of his name in the credits. I can imagine jazz purists hating on his efforts here, unfounded I must say.

So leap forward to 2005 when Shining really established their new direction and take Meshuggah and Emperor and Olivier Messiaen and throw them into the mix. Think Messiaen when you listen to “Healter Skelter” and “Goretex Weather Report”, think Meshuggah when you listen to “Exit Sun.” By 2010 they had a name for their style. “The idea was to set a name on the music we played, and make it the name of our record. Just like the Ornette Coleman record Free Jazz, or Venom´s Black Metal. Up until then everyone asked what music we played, and we could not answer, but now we can. We play Black Jazz.”

Complex arrangements, odd time signatures, frequent time changes, short dissonant phrasing, long wandering linear compositions, intense energy, bombastic solos, all hallmarks used in both jazz and metal, yet for decades I’ve encountered a wall in people’s minds, jazz on one side metal on the other, and never the two shall mix. In Shining you’ve got progressive rock, which was heavily influenced by the likes of Ayler, Coleman, Miles Davis then add back in jazz influences directly, everyone from Basie to Braxton, add to that the progressive black of Enslaved and Emperor, which is itself influenced by progressive rock acts like King Crimson and Yes, and therefore linked back to the jazz greats, so anyone out there that says Shining is not jazz is pretty dense, and probably has a strong distaste for Peter Brotzmann.

I am one that has always said the jazz fusion label should have been changed to rock fusion because all those bands, Weather Report, John McLaughlin, Graham Bond, Tony Williams, etc. all those guys recorded and played with jazz icons yet the music they were putting out was more rock and soul than jazz. So here we have Shining, a self proclaimed metal band that comes out of the jazz scene, and not just by way of fusion and progressive rock, but by way of studying jazz full time at music school. They even signed with Indie Records, a known extreme metal label, an act that would offend jazz purists if they were still paying attention, because signing with them would align them more fully in the metal sphere. So after more than a decade of performing at jazz festivals and having albums named jazz album of the year have they finally turned to the dark side, the correct side, and despite the fact they have performed to 80,000 fans, should we as metal fanatics allow them into our club?

So since this is a live set of their favorite songs from throughout the later half of their career it makes sense to discuss that evolution. Lets get the rest of the ‘sounds like’ list out of the way. Slayer, Dillinger Escape Plan, Sun O))), Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Frank Zappa, Albert Ayler, Ornette Coleman, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Meshuggah, Nine Inch Nails, Emperor, Bach, Weather Report.

First thing is that programming and arrangements are often complex. The music is always intense and hard driving, but even at its harshest extreme its jazz foundation shows through. To this virtuosity and progressive rock complexities, add in some third stream classicism. Metal fans will find many things to hate. Jazz fans will find many things to hate.

So now we should discuss this DVD. Several of the songs are spot on and a few are streamlined for the live set. The older songs are updated. Some of the intricacy is lost live but not because of a lack of playing ability but from the ramped up intensity of the live set. Add a few more musicians and they could pull off their more intricate compositions as originally written. I count myself a fan of the early releases and would have liked to have heard “Herbert West-Reanimator” and “Small Steps” reimagined for today’s vision. I have been listening to Shining since 2002 and yes I still listen to the first two albums. “Stalemate Longan Runner” is another gem that could stand the re-polishing treatment.

The cd tracklist is “Fisheye” (the single version), “The Madness and the Damage Done” (from Blackjazz), “In the Kingdom of Kitsch You Will Be a Monster” (from Grindstone), “The Red Room” (from Grindstone), “Goretex Weather Report”(from In the Kingdom of Kitsch You Will Be a Monster), “Winterreise” (from Grindstone), “Exit Sun” (from Blackjazz), “HEALTER SKELTER” (from Blackjazz), “21st Century Schizoid Man” (from Blackjazz). The DVD includes “Omen” (from Blackjazz), and “RMGDN” (from the vinyl edition of Blackjazz).

“Goretex Weather Report” combines moody solos with electronic repetition and heavy rhythmic guitars. Linking it all together is a simple engaging riff and the power of Lofthus’ drumming. “In the Kingdom of Kitsch You Will Be a Monster,” is an ungodly heavy, slow punishing number that screams metal. Heavy guitars and punishing drums infused with an undercurrent of notes that pick at your innards and ooze a twisted delight. “Winterreise” is a symphonic frenzy that exudes metal with a third stream classical middle section. Sheer power and a ferocious delivery melds into a beautifully jagged dark classicism. “Fisheye” is heavily built around one huge riff and intense blasts of saxophone shrieks, all of which are held together by the synth. “The Madness and the Damage Done” is opened with a ferocious vocal delivery filled with repetitive riffing that rips through you as much as the incessant screaming. The keyboards really shine. Wait for the final minute. And don’t bother thinking of Neil Young‘s “The Needle and the Damage Done.” The impossibly complex “Healter Skelter” is a straight forward extreme jazz piece with monstrous guitar and frantic saxophone that has Peter Brotzmann’s name all over. This version of King Crimson‘s seminal “21st Century Schizoid Man” comes from a request for a cover song. The guys in the band were asked to cover this song and said they did not really know King Crimson. It is quite obvious they have respect for the band now, this marvelous rendition is sure to infuriate all King Crimson megafans out there, which is what a cover song should do. The original was chaotic, Shining’s version is easily the most penetrable song on the disc. And then there is the amazingly intense and brutal 10 minute long “Exit Sun” and the 20 minute long “RMGDN” that closes out the show in mesmerizing fashion thanks in no small part to the schizophrenic synths that would have extended Weather Report’s career if Zawinul had thought it out. Too bad it is only on the video. Also only on the video do you get the full onslaught of a nearly thirty minute instrumental tear that features seamlessly flowing “The Red Room” into “Omen” into “Goretex Weather Report” into “Winterreise” into “Exit Sun,” where we get some vocals half way through. Along the way Munkeby tears it up on sax, guitar and flute, a true highlight of the show. Do what I did, rip the audio from the dvd.

The DVD clocks in at one hour thirty-eight minutes, about forty minutes more than the cd, and features multiple cameras, tons of close ups and excellent sound quality. And of course the usual light and smoke show. All in all a quality presentation of outstanding music. Blackjazz would have made my 2010 best of list but I was still thinking of them in a jazz context. They signed to Indie Records because of the various black metal bands on the label and because the label would push their name in metal circles. Good enough for me, I put Live Blackjazz on my 2011 best of list. Welcome to the metal world.

The symphonic atmospheric approach is still the driving force with the shackles of black metal still holding them down but they are so adept at what they do they are no longer weighted down by the conventions black metal dictates that they adhere to. With considerably more rope the shackles are more like tethers now. Without question they are still a black metal band but avant-garde experimentation is now the driving force. Complex multi-layered textures and frequent time changes are important and dense compositions that demand careful listening reward those that do not dismiss the music to the background.

Once again we get intensity and ferocity blended with moody, melancholic moments and beautiful symphonic passages that blend harmoniously with both the atmospheric flourishes and the in your face blasting. The one new element is clean vocals, which as a general rule ruins metal for me. It is not the dominant style here and is not even as pervasive as what Enslaved does now, and is actually done very well. I’m sorry to hear it but glad it is there, if that expresses anything. It is an element I usually can do without but if it really fits the composition by all means do it, just do it right. Where the clean vocals are most bothersome is “Entering the Seventh Gate” that is also where they are most prominent. “There Is No Shadow Without Light” highlights the clean vocals as well but the delivery does not whine quite as much. The vocals are worth getting through, killer song.

If you count yourself a fan of Ihsahn or Enslaved do yourself a favor and get this disc. If you are a long time Sear Bliss fan listen all the way through two of three times, that is all it will take to get back on board. I was sold by the one minute fifteen second mark of “The Eternal Quest.” With seven powerful songs that flow together well it is hard to pick a favorite out of context but I’d definitely check out “Ballad of the Shipwrecked” and “Great Cosmic Disorder.” “A Lost Cause” may be skipable but thats it. “The New Era Of Darkness” also stands out, notably because of the harsh vocals and the double bass/ bass guitar attack. Some simple riffs on guitar recur to tie everything together and the melodic ending is eloquently simple. Too bad the album is so short.

I can think of many reasons why I listen to Taake but all those reasons can be expressed with “Du Ville Ville Vestland”, great riffs with timely repetition of said riffs that hammer them into the deepest recesses of your long term memory, a heavy drum presence without pulverizing all else and impeccable rhythm, and cool shrieked vocals, not shrieked like the old days, but you can’t have everything. Add in excellent solos and you have what every band aspires to have, no doubt.

Over the years Taake have slowed and taken the time to smell the flowers and now they are coming up roses. I defy you to say they have committed sacrilege to their roots, it’s all in here. Hel, they even revisit female vocals. Everything that meant anything on the first three albums is still evident but now we have the power of a realized presentation, songs are crafted to make use of various motifs and borrowed styles are integrated where they need be, not as window dressing or a swipe to build a song around. The atmospherics with spoken word rival anything they’ve ever attempted in that department.

Just to pick a familiar example, “Hordaland VI”, the homage piece, showcases their folk stylings. A cool song for its obvious swipe, fit in very well with the Taake sound of the day but would stand out glaringly on Noregs Vaapen. Those same stylings are still evident but contain the singular stamp of Hoest. Add to that so called black and roll grooves and ‘white trash banjo’ and one can see the template is expanding, yet no worries, satisfaction endures, from the first spin to the twenty first spin. Their fifth studio album is well worth the effort. I will not even tell you about the cool melodic line starting at the four minute mark of “Myr”, it is a surprise worth discovering.

As much as I enjoy the first three albums and will continue to play them I am currently willing to say this their fifth album is their best to date. I am partial to “Fra Vadested Til Vaandesmed”, “Dei Vil Alltid Klaga Og Kyta” and “Du Ville Ville Vestland” but all are worthy, seriously.

Before I delve into the inside I’ll give a nod to the outside, nice Renathe Bryn cover art graces us with its presence. Now lets pop open the case and get to the prize. If you think Viking metal is drunken caroling around a campfire clinking glasses and raucous choruses you, thankfully, are in the wrong place.

At once you will find that this is not the same mindset that replaced Rune with an upbeat happy Ragnar, nor is it the get back to harsher Norwegian Native Art style when Frode dominated vocally. The vocals are harsh, low, and more in the realm of chanting than the melodic singing that has plagued folk metal of late. Einherjer could be labeled both Viking metal and Folk metal I suppose but Folk metal has evolved so far away from the scope of trendsetters Einherjer that the moniker no longer fits and Viking metal has become a catch all term for lyrical themes instead of a singular musical vision. This album seems like an attempt to pull back the transgressions of the past decade and return Viking metal to its darker more sinister beginning while still employing some epic Bathory grandeur and copious ‘folkish’ melodies that Einherjer are rightfully known and respected for. In other words it is business as usual for Einherjer, ignore all trends.

Do everything without flash, it’s never been about high speed picking. For example there is a great acoustic-led ballad, majesty Bathory style. Their melodic sensibilities are intact but toned down a bit, not center stage full time. The rumble of drums and crunch of rhythm guitar assert themselves with great regularity.

I still think Rune was the perfect Einherjer voice but Frode does what he does quite well. A bit harsher even this time. The clean vocals have a rough edge, which is appreciated, and the chants/chorus parts therefore have a ritualistic aspect instead of the folk metal drink along aspect. This time out all in Norwegian for the first time. Vocals are lower in the mix than on Blot.

It is always a pleasure to hear prominent bass guitar. The guitar tone is lower, the distortion is greater, and the bass is louder, all playing into this darker, rougher portrayal, something Einherjer obviously has had success with in the past. These are not anthemic songs, they are moody and ritualistic. What really sets the tone for the album is not the sound quality or the understated vocal delivery or the guitar tone, but the fact that they put up a thirteen minute song as the album intro, powerful song, excellent statement.

I like it better than the swansong of 2003 and it sounds like a band refreshed and ready to romp but I’m not yet ready to place it on par with the great Dragons of the North and earlier incarnation. Of the six songs several are very strong and a few not so. Favorites are “Norrøn Kraft”, “Varden Brenne” and “Malmting”.

“Norrøn Kraft” is thirteen minutes long with a slow pace and sparse phrasing. It is totally absorbing. Distorted guitars carry the load, often notes are allowed to decay completely without overriding the sound with more notes. The ‘clean’ backing voice carries a haunting aspect that I’d label spiritual. The melody at the ten minute mark is pure Einherjer. On “Naglfar” they are on the march, the ship approaches out of the fog. “Alu Alu Laukar” is harsh gang chanting and pointedly simple drumming, and it gets monotonous. A guaranteed pit pleaser. Half the crowd will shout along while the other half beats each other’s snot out. “Varden Brenne” is Quorthon magic. Very effective use of backing vocals, nice 70’s style guitar leads, yes it works. The layers of vocals drive this song but if stripped out this would still be a keeper as an instrumental. “Malmting” at once sounds quite familiar. It’s 1993 all over again, only Rune is missing. The extended instrumental ending is fabulous mood altering stuff that really sets you up for “Balladen Om Bifrost”. This song puts Bathory back in Viking metal. It will give you goosebumps, all you upstarts pay attention, this is how in integrate a chorus.

It is great to hear them do an album that I’m sure is not what most fans were hoping for, and I think the band is more vital and vibrant for doing so. If you love the darker, blacker side of the back catalog this disc is for you, and if you prefer their lighter, more folkish side dig in as well, both are represented with distinction on Norrøn. They are still willing to kick jesus in the ass but now they want to do it without tongue in cheek.

Norrøn is the old friend you have not heard from in eight years and after forty one minutes and twenty two seconds it is like you never parted company. So look up an old friend and bring along this disc as a gift.

Then there is the copying past glories for the sheer joy of it. Look to the past to build the future. Marduk is not out of ideas when they revisit the war style of Panzer Division, they just love playing those songs live so why not put their considerable energy into crafting a new modern Marduk classic to go along with “Scorched Earth” and “Baptism by Fire”?

The music is at once fast and slow, intricate and repetitive, yet there is no place in the music for you to rest. Intensity is the Marduk way. Marduk could do a faithful Trouble or Candlemass cover and crush you with the intensity of the delivery.

“Warschau 2: Headhunter Halfmoon” kicks the skulls off the skeletons left on the scorched battlefield, left smoldering in the morass of churned and trampled earth that has known no reemergence in life since Marduk last marched through in lockstep. Kick them when they are down, then pepper them with a few score more bombs. A worthy successor to part one. Part two is proof positive melodic lines are overrated.

Once “Wacht am Rhein: Drumbeats of Death” is through, archeologists will have to sift the dirt through strainers to find any traces of civilization.

Marduk uses the EP format to give us great cover songs, re-imagined classic songs or slightly off beat takes on the Marduk original. “Prochorovka: Blood and Sunflowers” is the one track I hope to hear live well into the future. The first two songs I would be amazed if they didn’t play them live, this one would be killer live. Slow punishing drum beat, sharp riffs that strike like lightning, and a simple guitar line anchoring the Voice, mesmerizing to the end. “Tod und Vernichtung” part two, with a twist, or would that be a snap, of your neck. The sun is rising higher after the funeral dawn, the deathmarch continues.

Iron Dawn is so devastating it has a half life. I’d say go hide under your desk if you need respite but better head straight to the bomb shelter instead. You’ll get plenty of rest there when it becomes your tomb.

Clocking in at thirteen minutes you have room on a CD-R to have six complete copies of this tryptic for a full presentation. That is what I did with my promo mp3-files for review purposes, and as far as I am concerned that qualifies it as a full-length recording and therefore eligible for the year end’s  ‘best of’ consideration.

What better place is there to be than the realm of nostalgia? Time to turn the page and start fresh. Let’s rekindle the old magic with new rituals. This album is in fact the equal of the past two efforts once I admit Thomas is in fact replaceable. Though it lacks that magic and majesty that made the first two full lengths unforgettable. This disc is awesome for fans of the band and probably more ‘accessible’, I hate that term, than past albums but I still recommend newcomers to start at the beginning of the discography, you will be here at Mare before you know it, and don’t skip Kvass.

There are several cool songs that given time to sink in will become favorites. “Volvevers” swings, and the hooks keep you and vocals are by Ask. “Bergtat” is classic Kampfar guitar lines. “Huldreland” is already a favorite and features cool bass generated riffs and has a great opening minute and a half. It gets better from there. A nice atmospheric slow song in which Dolk’s vocal style gives a great representation of otherness. “Trolldomspakt” is the other new favorite I’ll single out. It has a subtle flair for the dramatic and lots of room for notes to breathe, even in the fast parts. The straightforward drumming sets the beat and propels the song, leaving ample space for the guitars.

The lyrics are unencumbered by complexity, with lines about day fading and the moon coming out, hiddenlands, fire, Seidr magic, trolls coming out of the cracks in the mountains, rock spirits, troll women with goat beards and brow horns, screaming troll cats, and wandering mountain folk, and the moon shining red… That’s it, run right out and buy Mare now.

A steady lineup, a steady label, no issues to distract from their goal, full length album number eight on Metal Blade in nearly fifteen years with the label. How does that translate? For those that thought the last several albums were a conscious attempt to soften their sound to attract a wider audience and therefore not harsh enough or worse still those that use the sellout word, Johan offers this, “A major change for us on this album was the sound and production. It was one of the main things we had discussed before going into the studio. We thought we needed to be a bit more aggressive and rougher than the previous two. We wanted a harder, tougher sound and I definitely think we got that.” Myself, I was never worried about it because the changes were gradual, not like, for example Rush’s change from progressive metal to arena rock, and because despite the softening of sound in the studio the harshness was maintained on stage. More brutality in the production room can’t be a bad thing however. Now that legions were swept into the fold with the past two efforts they can ramp up the intensity and keep most of the new fans because once again the shift is gradual. From the lyrics, “we’ll split their skulls and spill their guts upon the frozen ground.” No compromise there. Harshness is still there to a degree much higher than any mainstream death metal band, and I don’t mean in the lyrics alone.

Olavi masterfully delivers intensity through melodic lines in his compositions because he is never showing off. If it does not advance the mood of the song he does not do it. Intensity through melodic tension. His melodic lines set a mood instead of just picking off a series of high speed notes. Olavi and Johan complement each other well and in no way do they enter the power metal trap of dueling lead guitarists. Despite significantly more melody on this album they both hold the line of sacrificing individual glory for the power of the song. They pull off more melodies without seeming like the album as a whole is more melodic. It does not come across as listen to me strut. No fluff, no pointless solos, no spotlight pointed at them. “War of the Gods” has memorable riffs and eloquent melodic lines. In “Töck’s Taunt – Loke’s Treachery Part II” Johan’s guitar shines as bright as Olavi’s. I always like to see a member of the rhythm section craft a song. “Slaves of Fear” was written by the drummer, Fredrik, and the opening repeated riff will stick with you. It is not in “Pursuit of Vikings” territory but pretty damn memorable. One complaint, where’s Ted? I wish his bass was more prominent.

All the songs feature more complexity without losing sight of the mantra of extreme metal; more rage, more passion, more intensity. The melodic lines are more ominous, melding well with the crushing riffs. Not to beat a dead horse without putting its head on a pole, but I think the last two albums suffered in the production room, if suffered they did, not in the song writing department, and as stated by Johan, that has been addressed here, as is only fitting for an album dealing with a lord of chaos that intends to destroy all of the universe.

First an album for Odin, then an album for Thor, now an album for Frey. Frey is portrayed as he is, an immensely powerful battle god. It is Njordr’s son that faces the most powerful being in the worlds, not Thor or Odin. “The Last Stand of Frej” is a somber ballad Amon Amarth style and is a worthy successor to “Embrace the Endless Ocean.” Imagine going into battle knowing your survival is impossible and if you lose everything you hold precious will be destroyed. This song captures the hopelessness of Frey’s plight and the power behind his decision to sacrifice himself against Surtur in hope of savings the worlds. In the end Surtur lit the worlds aflame, Frey lost. The lyrics say;

“I am calm and ready to die
Everything around me burns
And I know that I will not survive
See him rise
From land of flames
Destruction is at hand,
It is time to make a stand
My death awaits, I have no fear
To this end my fate is bound
Though I’m doomed
I’ll stand my ground.”

Johan Hegg is the voice of Amon Amarth, and an enormous part of their sound. I would not like to imagine an album without him. “Wrath of the Norsemen” shows Johan’s harsher side in vocal delivery and despite what would be unintelligible for the uninitiated he pulls of grind intensity and no lyric sheet necessary simultaneously. Add to that “Töck’s Taunt” and the exceedingly low growl. I love the more vicious delivery of Johan’s youth, and like on all albums we get tastes of it throughout Surtur Rising as well. Also of note is “Live Without Regrets” and on the above mentioned “Wrath of the Norsemen” he screams, “NO ONE CAN SAVE ME! FROM THIS HORRIBLE DREAM! NO ONE CAN HEAR ME! OR MY HEARTRENDING SCREAMS!”

It is not unique to Tom Thiel’s artwork here, look for John Dollman’s example from a hundred years go, for example, but a personal gripe I’ve got is the portrayal of the Jotuns as huge humans. Jotun is generally translated as giant, but they are certainly not just oversized people. The emphasis is in otherness, on monstrous features. It is also true that gods and giants intermarry so at least some of them must be of comparable size. If there is some confusion over if one is a giant or god it is usually one’s actions that betray their race, not physical size. Surtur probably is of immense stature but of monstrous features as well as monstrous size. There are threats of marrying off someone to three headed giants. But back to the album.

Two songs deal with the teachings of Havamal, teachings of the high one. “War of the gods” deals with the war between the Aesir and Vanir, though there is debate over that interpretation. It seems to me more likely a war between the gods and giants that got confused in translation long ago and has been perpetuated that way. But anyhow, the theme to “Töck’s Taunt – Loke’s Treachery Part II” (I don’t have to tell where part one is) is that Loki betrays Frigg and dooms Baldr to Hel. And of course there are several songs about battle and glory. Two songs give opposing viewpoints on the monumental meeting of Surtur and Freyr, and the last song deals with honor and luck, build your own way through the one life you’ve got.

In “The Last Stand of Frej” Johan growls, “With all my strength I run the horn Deep into his eye…” He uses the same idea in “Destroyer of the Universe.” He is confusing two different battles. Frey killed Beli, another giant, with the antlers of a stag. Chalk it up to artistic license. Surtur still, in the end, lights the worlds on fire, destroying all that is.

“A Beast Am I” is told from the point of view of Fenris. Curiously at the end there is a pause followed by an acoustic assisted instrumental break that flows very well into the following track and makes me wonder if it is a mistake in track break location. It feels more appropriate as the beginning of “Doom Over Dead Men” than as the disjointed end of “A Beast am I.”

“Doom Over Dead Man” is doomdeath brilliance with their most complex composition to date. Complex, heartfelt, epic, somber. A nice orchestral presentation that does not, emphasis on not, come across as cheesy. To quote once more from the song;

“So I die but won’t be mourned
Broken and alone I wish that I were never born
So I die and won’t be missed
No rune stone will be raised
As my body rots away.”

Imagine going on a journey toward enlightenment, don’t get caught up in religious fervor and extremism, live your own way, do what is best for you and yours or the quotation above will apply to you.

Several other songs await your discovery. Get your mead cups ready, first round for Frey, second round for Johan, Olavi, Johan, Ted and Fredrik.

A solid album, worthy of purchase, but it changes nothing in terms of my top go to albums from Burzum. When I’m in the mood for Burzum I will continue to reach for Det Som Engang Var, Burzum and Hvis Lyset Tar Oss over any of the others.

First off the album starts off much better than the cheesy bottle clicking of Belus that will forever more have me thinking of warriors. “Fra Verdenstreet” is not a great intro but at least it is not “warriors come out to play.” Fallen avoids some of that keyboard loop drone that filled out the background on some of Belus, the Filosofem-formula, instead doing a similar thing on the guitar, which to me is more compelling. I like the drum sound on Belus better, it is more understated.

“Vanvidd” has fast paced blasting and combines harsh vocals with his spoken delivery. “Enhver til Sitt” has venomous vocals and harshly forced whispers with nice tension from the guitar line. “Valen” is proving to be a favorite. “Jeg Faller” is once again up tempo with a mix of vocals, though mostly clean sung with some harsh whispers. The drums keep the beat religiously and the guitar is nicely shrill. In “Budstikken” I like the power from the drums in the opening sequence, though the song rambles on too much. It is mostly the spoken vocals that I do not care for and some clean singing. “Til Hel og Tilbake Igjen” is the obligatory experimental art track. It grows on you, though no need to let it. It’s no “Tears in a Prophet’s Dream.” Then again, unlike Tom, he’s no prophet, just an outlaw.

I gave up hoping for if the light takes us part two as Varg is obviously not in the same mindset musically as he was then. He seems uninterested in appeasing the fans, praise him for that instead. He seems to be releasing music written for himself and then letting us in on it if we so desire. So many bands that try to make a comeback try to recapture that old magic, be it Kreator, Metallica, Kiss, and the ones that achieve it, like Kreator, are praised while the ones that do not are banished, like Metallica. Varg is trying to do a little of both. I imagine it would be a simple matter for him to blast out five or six songs in the style of Det Som Engang Var but what would that really prove?

“Tailgunner” will never equal “Aces High”. “Til Hel og Tilbake Igjen” will never equal “Tomhet,” but Fallen is damn cool where No Prayer for the Dying was not. Maiden proved themselves not to be dying, and so will Burzum prove not to have fallen. Each man gets what he deserves. Varg did his time and he deserves a fresh start. Help him pick himself up.

First off the great new cover art, second the promo sleeve announcing not remastered but “mastered for the first time.” Add to that getting an actual CD of Into the Infernal Regions of the Ancient Cult in the mail, thanks Hell’s Headbangers. Back to the cover art for a second. At the very least you should get a copy of this great Lovecraftian cover and insert it over the old one in your jewel case. The music, though, is the real kicker to get you to fork out money for this.

Don’t fret this is Inquisition 1998 upgraded to Inquisition 2010, not Mayhem 1988 morphed into Dimmu Borgir 2010. No worry about losing that raw value system you all hold so dear. What we get is sharper, clearer, fuller sound, especially the guitar, but not diamond clarity by any stretch. The music itself is unchanged. The opportunity to revisit the songs and fix mistakes, add new riffs, a backing vocal line, etc. was thankfully resisted. Bringing a great album with somewhat thin sound up to modern Inquisition standards is the reason for this remaster, not the need for tinkering. As I said the most obvious improvement is in guitar sound with a fuller audible range, but they do not impact the space reserved for the vocals, which remain as powerful as ever and just as loud as before. On the drum kit, the cymbals ring more fully and the bass drum is more resonant.

A band named Inquisition obviously needs a strong Catholicism connection, and Satan is invoked by name many dozens of times. Can this be done without hearing Vincent Price in your head? For the most part yes. For the most part this album survives the test of time because there is a level of believability to the lyrics, but more importantly there is conviction to the stance. Timeless lyrics like “Oh! How I bleed, my blood summons the Black Lord eyes so bright”, and “Like eternal flight through the cosmic sea Moon and stars of night I shall worship thee.” and my favorite, “Flaming torch of knowledge burns on thy goat head with wicked horns…Burning children for my god offering dripping fat and blood” abound.

It occurs to me that since this is being reissued, the original pressing is long sold out so for all you that came late to the ceremony and only saw the ashes of the witch being dutifully swept up by monks. I lump this band, and especially this album, into the pile that includes Satanic Warmaster, Horna, Judas Iscariot, etc. I like to think of this disc as the best of Judas Iscariot with love for Satan instead of hatred for man mixed with early Burzum.

Led by the guitar, the pulsating simplicity of the main guitar line is brilliance in the Vivaldi sense. Rhythmic pulse comes from the drums which are minimally played and not overly intrusive and rarely flashy or bombastic. The faster blast intensive beast of later albums appears sporadically but mostly this is slow simple ritual. I have always loved black metal played simply, with an emphasis on the ritual aspects of worship, and this album’s mesmerizing qualities have not diminished with age nor have the killer three and four note repetitive sequences.

I notice also that their official web page address ends Inquisitionusa, so we get to claim them now. Dagon has been here for quite some time now. Hail the ancient cult. Yes “Hail the Cult” still has that long three minute pause for you to insert your own hails. If you want to call yourself a devotee of black metal, Into the Infernal Regions of the Ancient Cult, belongs in your collection. Just listen to “Solitary Death in the Nocturnal Woodlands” and appreciate the power of majestic minimalism.

Once you get past the production values and listen to the music, you will find Belphegor is in fact leaning back toward black, with intensity through atmospherics as well as furious riffing. A massive dose of black as pitch joins the balancing act that is Dark Funeral meets Morbid Angel so be prepared to be stomped and soothed with melodic flair and bombastic might. “Discipline Through Punishment,” one of the killer tracks here, nicely defines the rewards of listening. Layers of brutal riffing and punishing drumming can be pared away to reveal a level of technicality that is not thrown in your face.

Harder, faster, heavier, more powerful, Belphegor pumped up to new heights of menace, with cool riffs that hook you in and great atmospherics that swallow you and relentless pummeling that hits you while you are down. This is like getting hit by a 102 car freight train, relentless. The breathing spaces are not long enough for you to get out of the way of the next car. It is at once less monotonous and more driven to surprise sucker punches that strike out from the repetition. Have no fear, a song title like “Impalement Without Mercy” would still have a place here on this album and yes they are still shredding for Satan, and I think the fallen one was listening and bestowed new gifts, beautiful melodies abound, time to see if the poison is sweet enough to lure in new servants. He hears your yearnings.

Shrieks are not as piercing and I would like to hear more clean deep chanting, like in the title track, but overall another masterful vocal performance. Helmuth remains a personal favorite. The guitar playing is top notch, as is the bass playing, of which we get full enjoyment thanks to the production quality. There are obvious rewards to clean and polished. There are many memorable slow parts with added vile overtones. Peter Tägtgren is the master, ignore my whines.

“Blood Magick Necromance” is my vote for best song, even though magic has no k. The title track is clearly the icing on the cake and shows many months of hard work coming to fruition. Easily one of Belphegor’s best ever compositions. It’s all in there, everything that makes Belphegor great. This song is oozing with inspiration, and some of that inspiration percolated through the rest of the album. Other noteworthy tracks include “Discipline Through Punishment” and “In Blood – Devour This Sanctity.” Epic and majestic. Embrace idolatry, worship at the altar of Helmuth and get the blessing of Satan. “Hail, devourer of blood ‒ blessed with fire and knowledge.” Has the luciferian infestation taken hold yet? It is still treatable. Listen to Stryper for one hour twice daily making sure to do so while wearing your spandex bee suit and if that doesn’t work go see a priest, just don’t go alone, bring a witness. If you do not wish to be saved at this time follow the swarm of rats to the altar of Helmuth, insert cd and press continuous play.

“Das gluehende Kruzifix…
Crawl to me
Lass mich fliegen
Kneel before me
Lass mich dich lieben”

Prepare to be punished. The death / black metal titans reign supreme.

“Helrunar set about erecting a memorial in their own honor. Sól are two conceptually linked albums of tremendous depth, combining contradictory attributes such as catchiness and complexity in the brace of icy black metal sounds. Pagan black metal has never been as oppressive and credible as it is on Sól.”

So the question of the day is are they correct? Oppressive? I can think of many examples. Credible? I think that is the key idea, more on that later. Sól is certainly oppressive in places, with monstrous heaviness and intricate, obtuse passages both contributing to an oppressive feeling. Yet the music is so much more. Helrunar is archaic, subconscious pagan memory. Nothing is forgotten. Nothing is ever forgotten, especially not Darkthrone, Satyricon, Ulver, Enslaved, and also tangentially a little Dissection and Bathory.

Before I get to much further, Helrunar’s fourth album is called Sól, and due to its length it is going to be released in two parts entitled Sól I – Der Dorn im Nebel and Sól II – Zweige der Erinnerung respectively. The two albums combined are around 100-minutes playing time. Skald Draugir says “Sól is going to be our darkest and most nihilistic, but also our most spiritual work to date…we will take new paths music-wise and lyrics-wise, while our roots are still very much black metal. Musically, we are putting an emphasis on atmosphere and an emotional arc of suspense on Sól, lending a certain epic broadness to the tracks.“

Musically, Der Dorn im Nebel establishes the concept of Sól with classical and direct pagan black metal, while the lyrics outline the individual’s struggle against and for himself. Part 1 of the two-piece concept album. With Zweige der Erinnerung the struggle of the individual reaches a new dimension, supported by more experimental and atmospheric more complex pagan black metal, the focus lies on the conflict of individual and society.  Part 2 of the two-piece concept album. It also comes in an oversized double album with massive booklet. The Art Book is a limited print edition of the album. A lot of additional artwork is included in it and the complete Sól text and both CDs are included in their entirety. The central symbolism of Sól is the sun, both in a destructive aspect as well as a life-giving element.

Now on to the music. As always, a well conceived carefully crafted piece of epic storytelling. Drummer Alsvartr has outdone himself on the musical compositions. There are long songs with plenty of punch and longer songs with a more introspective approach. There are extended fast breaks and slow passages where notes are allowed to decay. Alsvartr performs drums, bass guitar, additional lead and acoustic guitars, and wrote all instrumentation. Draugir is all voices and provided the context and the lyric poetry. Session player Discordius provided lead, rhythm, clean and acoustic guitars. Blastbeats make up a lot of the album, and furious tremolo picked guitars are plenty. Heavy crunch chugga chugga rhythm guitars are paired with repeated bass figures. There are tons of cleanly picked melodic leads which are clearly heard behind the fuzzed out melodic lines. Simple melodic themes are reconfigured throughout, adding to the denseness of the narrative by continually linking together the disparate strands. Skald Draugir”s vocals range from harsh to haunted, spoken to shouted, with deep resounding backing chants and sung notes. They are still making use of nature sounds. Guest musician Blutaar from Drautran provides vocals on  “Kollapsar” and “Aschevolk.” The drums have more punch to them, louder without overwhelming and Alsvartr puts heavy emphasis on rhythmic drive yet provides plenty of fills and occasional melodic phrasing, which is always cool coming from the drummer. The drums back way off to minimalist when necessary, allowing for such developments as well timed and well executed acoustic breaks and unaccompanied narration.

Lyrically is where the aforementioned credible really comes into play. While the instrumentation is by all measures credible, it is the monumentally challenging task that Draugir places before himself that needs to be measured as credible, and that is because he seeks no less than to render heathenry relevant to the modern world. The meaning of the name of the band is essentially speaking with Hel. To whisper with Hel means to awaken lost or suppressed memories from the human subconscious. These cultural memories are in our ancient stories. The wisdom hidden in pagan myths can uncover a deeper truth for modern people. People need these roots from myth to discover who they are. There is a great longing for cultural identity, original spirituality in these confused modern times, evidenced by the proliferation of folk-metal bands, as they try to find a way to rediscover old ways.

A quotation from the band should prove helpful. “Helrunar is an archaic breath of the misty world hidden behind all that is considered real by the people of a modern society marked by dull materialism. A breath filled with darkness, fear and coldness, but also with the wisdom and the passionate imagination of a remote past veiled by the mist. A breath silently whispering tales of what once came to pass, but will always come to pass again. A breath that becomes a song to counter oblivion as it brushes the branches. A breath that becomes a storm as the illusion fades away and the misty world awakens …”

So Helrunar have decided that all these pretender pagan and folk bands do not know the myths and folk traditions that they sing about. They learn the stories but not the lore, and the stories are rooted in the past and not applied to the present. This album is an attempt to revive mythical language and content that is otherwise often trampled and disfigured in pagan metal. Draugir says the worst is that many of the bands are not aware that they only parody what they actually glorify, maintain, revive, or want to preserve. “It is not about ideology. Nor do we believe to have a monopoly on the truth for us,” he says. Even worse are the many folk metal bands where the whole thing has more to do with fantasy films and computer games than myths. How they cope with myths is from within the modern worldview, and therefore much is lost in translation. “Often it is just pop music in Viking costume.” He throws out Enslaved, Primordial, and Drautran as walking the heathen path. I would add Helrunar.

So the narrative presented on Sól is a complex multi-threaded story involving, among other things, miners and mountains and it is written in a way that multiple layers can be deciphered. In principle, a disaster occurred, all things are connected with this traumatic experience. “An attempt by the processing, a search for the causes, a reflection on the reasons why a path to isolation, a slow awakening, a cure.” The disaster and the crisis in addition to their destructive effect also reveal a new perspective on the world and the self.  The first part is more about the struggle of the individual against and around themselves, and the second rather the individual in the fight against the community. As far as presentation, imagine a multi-character play with all parts performed by one actor. He wants to challenge the reader, encouraging them to place themselves with their thoughts, experiences, and emotions within the text.

He also wants you to understand that nature religions are not primitive, that is only when seen from our modern perspective. They are very complex.  A myth has validity for each member of society that it has produced, whether farmer, scholar, craftsman, chief or whatever. The one who tells the myth that is passed on and continues singing about it should know it but also understand its meaning and tell it accurately. It is rather a different, symbolic form of thinking. It’s about the content that is hidden in myths that make them suitable for modern people to access and to demonstrate that they have meaning, that they are useful and important.

So, we need to understand the myth as a symbol that is on some level just as true as science. In the mythical reality the material world and the spiritual are not separate, as the myth explains everything at once. Gods and spirits are always present, as a mythical people perceiving the existence of the world alone is proof enough that the gods exist. All things are animated, and everything has a purpose in the great whole. Rational thinking, however, is the primary way of perceiving the modern world. In a scientific worldview there is no room for gods. People have lost some useful aspects of cognition with the loss of mythical thinking. The view of the in-between, the relationships between things and opportunities we have lost. “Such a capacity for holistic thinking would be for people today absolutely crucial, considering the current state of the world,” says Draugir, “the aim is in large part to the experience, individually and collectively. It is important to guide in mind that telling the people above all is to understand his life better and to cope.”

After listening to this double album psychological drama in three acts, is the drama vivid in your minds? Pulling tracks out as standalone songs is possible for many but this is a fully realized album-long composition best devoured whole. Transitions from track to track were obviously mapped out and track order is significant. Favorite moments include “Rattenkönig” with its quiet intro and epic melodies, where intensity abounds. Another is “Sól” with great lead melodic lines and ample time for themes to develop, also “Aschevolk” with old style shrieks delivered with the fury of the winter wind, thanks to Drautran, paired up with venomous growls, and “Kollapsar”, highlighted by the ultra heavy rhythmic guitar, slow and ominous, and same initial theme echoed into your permanent memory.

Put January 7 on your calendar, this is one to wait in line for. Buy the double disc version.

Musically this is derivative, 100% unoriginal, paint by numbers, generic, all of which bothers me not one iota, so here is my plan, instead of spending 15 bucks buying this disc, send the money straight to the band as a gift. Think of it like putting all of your money toward programming instead of getting the free mug with membership.

It’s not like the extreme metal market is over-saturated with mediocre copy cat bands or anything, I don’t see albums flying off the Mallwort shelves like cabbage patch dolls, and unoriginality never offended me anyway.

I hear some good ideas swarming around in the mush, cool riffs poorly placed. Discord for the sake of discord can get you far in war metal, but getting all your riffs in a row can do wonders.

Revelations was a huge departure, obviously, no need for me to express the obvious, but what offended many, I daresay, was not the new sound but the unexpected departure of the old style. Well, hear now that stepping stone. Demonoir is the missing link between old and new directions and it seems the band took all the bad press to heart. Here is a definite nod to all their faithful fans, yet not a toss out the baby with the bath water rejection of their Revelations ideas.

The title track is a slow passion piece with heavy riffs and stripped back drumming yet it is not without its flourishes and subtle noodlings. “Tunnel of Set” is a suitably ominous intro, then blasting drums take us back in time immediately on “Atomic Chapel,” yet there is no dragon chasing going on. This is a Frost display piece for sure, but we also hear vocal effects, ambient noise effects in the background, and minimally, the straight on noise that comes out in the next “Tunnel of Set.” Then it is more “Hey Frost, it’s your turn,” again with “When I Was Flesh” and this time there is also a melodic lead guitar line in evidence. Then it is more tunnel vision followed by “Psalm 7:77,” the fastest yet, but not straight through, searing your flesh with intensity, slicing your flesh with razor sharp leads, and breaking your ear drums with sonic distortions. My favorite track is “Pandemonium War Bells,” slower, harsher, especially harsher in the vocals, lead by guitars with a heavy buzz and high clear leads low in the mix. This song builds power through repetition, and through repeated listens.

I’m sure many of you will not wish to shed your tunnel vision and get a better view of your horizons and will end up just skipping all the tunnel tracks, but then that is what most likely will happen with the live set anyhow, which is why I’m glad they incorporated some of the noise track stuff into the traditionally rendered songs as well.

Like everyone else, I took the break up of Celtic Frost hard. So what Triptykon represents is Apollyon Sun revisited. Tom is back with another direction that dictates a new band name, yet this time he promises to build off the last Celtic Frost album (Monotheist). I’ll start at the end with “The Prolonging”, which forgives all trespass into the land of goth, the massively oppressive, rhythmically mesmerizing juggernaut that is perfectly named. Nineteen and a half minutes and it ends to soon. The perfect bookend to album opener “Goetia”. Great riffs, world destroying heaviness, haunting guitar lines, they both have it. I particularly like the plucked notes that are allowed to decay, love the distortion. The darker heavier “Abyss Within My Soul” comes in as track two, and add up those three songs alone and we hit forty minutes. Pepper the disc with a few other gems, like the ferocious and fast “A Thousand Lies”, “Descendant”, with its booming drums, the piano passages and female vocals of “Myopic Empire”, and it makes dealing with the ‘artistic’ creation that is “My Pain”, less so. I could do without “In Shrouds Decayed” as well, but at least there is no one asking Tom to dance and no pools of hyporthermic water are in evidence.

I would be satisfied calling this a Celtic Frost album. Bands have changed far less than this and kept their band name the same. The legend lives on because everyone knows this is really Celtic Frost ongoing. As Frost perishes Triptykon shall live. Tom deserves the benefit of the doubt because his music is always changing, evolving, and I often don’t like his changes on first listen simply because there are changes. I have finally gotten past that personal shortsightedness. I truly loved Eparistera Daimones.

[We also have another opinion of the album available. Use that for possible comments. -Ed. note]

Prepare to be mesmerized beyond your wildest expectations. When this digital promo arrived on my hard drive I was delighted, nay, devastated. New members, new material, no way, they were going to tarnish perfection. Took less than five minutes for me to change my tune, dawn has risen on a new age of Negură Bunget but the entire history of the last age is not only fresh on their minds, it is resplendent in auditory glory for all to enjoy, revel in the lush haunting keys, the ever present majestic undertones, yes even their undertones are majestic, and the razor sharp slashing bite of the vocals. The clean style is heavily used as well. The clean vocals decay into the mists and the horns rattle the roots of the mountains. The warbling melodic lines add that mystical quality so vital to past Negură Bunget albums. Overall this album is more folk, less black, more ‘progressive’. Many times while listening I am reminded of Weather Report’s I Sing The Body Electric, though I would not call Virstele Pamantului jazz metal.

If you sit and listen, trying to pick out the drum patterns, the bass lines, the subtleties of the guitars, you quickly get drawn in. Turn down the lights, turn up the volume and allow yourself to be drawn away to the land of faerie, or the Romanian version of it, when you come back you will never be he same. People will look at you and say, sadly shaking their heads, “He has never been quite right since he was carried away into the misty mountains.”

Favorite songs are irrelevant, listen in its entirety, but pay extra special attention to “Întoarcerea Amurgului” and “Jar.” This is easily the best Negură Bunget 2.0 release, lets hope for a second one.

Maiestrit is Maiastru Sfetnic cloaked in new mist-shrouded garb perfectly re-imagined in the post Om world. If you thought the original was a masterpiece that should never be tampered with, like repainting the smile on the Mona Lisa, then you should know that the band was never satisfied with the way it turned out so they have set to work totally recreating the magic formula with the benefit of hindsight. Utter every epitaph known to you, how do you improve damn near perfection? Personally I love the original and very briefly lamented the news that it was being redone until I read that it was Negru, Hupogrammos Disciple’s and Sol Faur at work on the project and not the all new lineup.

Rather than tell you what was cut out, what was added, how the guitar playing differs, etc. I’ll just say the total power and majesty not only remains from the original but it is more beautifully captured this time, and I’m not referring to production quality. The recording is in fact much superior but it is the musicianship that makes for a more omnipresent air of spiritual supremacy. Where the original was cold and ominous and repetitive and ferocious, the new version is organic and warm and ominous and ferocious. The guitars drive the music forward through melodic lines meticulously played and the drumming is, as usual for this band, tightly controlled, creatively played and superior technically to nine thousand other drummers out there in wannabe land. The traditional instruments that added the mystique of the mountains are here again in all their glory as are all the huge riffs that we all know from the original versions. The folk instrumentation, be it keyboard derived or traditional instrument, are both more important here than before and more subtilely integrated this time than before, which should be no surprise since these guys have been playing together for ten years since the original recording.

I have concluded that this will not make me stop listening to Maiastru Sfetnic, it does not replace that release, it is not a remaster with better sound, it is re-sculpted from the original marble block, What Maiestrit does is give you yet another must listen to album. Time and again I am preferring the new song versions over the old, and then there are the acoustic versions. Simply mind-blowing. Not the songs, but the realization that this lineup is no more and this is the last recording we will get from them. Turn off the lights, hook up two stereos, cue up Maiestrit on one side of the room and Maiastru Sfetnic on the other, push continuous play.

But wait, Johnny and his merry band are not warrior poets, they are loyal housecarls. The grunts of viking metal return with yet another mead swilling anthem dedicated to all of us. This is Johnny raising his spear high ready to cast it forth over the battle, watch for the ravenflight. Drink with Johnny, horns held high, get just drunk enough to follow him in battle, but not too much to be unsteady on your feet, just enough to have that aggressive take on the world mead hall edge. “Battalions lock and load, ready aim fire,” again.

When it comes to death metal I often hear non fans complain they can’t understand the vocals. Well all can grasp “Warriors heed my call” and “He holds his hammer towards the sky, this time we fight.” Fans say it doesn’t matter, that they don’t care about the lyrics, it’s about the music.  To me the lyrics are part of the art so of course they matter, just like the booklet artwork and layout should matter, as should any visual presentation on stage, it is all part of the total package that metal a lifestyle above and beyond a music style.

All this matters here because for me Unleashed is passionate lyrics and adherence to a visual theme. It was album artwork that caught my eye with Where No Life Dwells and lyrics that held me sway, that is what brought me into their music so ever since reading the lyric sheet is part of the ritual of an inaugural listen to a new Unleashed disc. For all the above mentioned bear with me while I romp through the lyrics further, I’ll get to the music momentarily. “Viking death metal, ya, viking death metal.”

OK – all kidding aside, some albums are completely ruined by the lyrics, not this one, or any Unleashed album. The charm is in the delivery and the authenticity, not the lack of poetic diction. I imagine Johnny leading a Blót, horn up high, we drink to Odin, we drink to Thor, hold your head up high, “It is the dawn of truth,” Johnny you have my sword. “He holds his hammer towards the sky, this time we fight.” RAAAAAA.

The lyrics do seem more repetitive than usual but not really, I always just forgive Johnny for it. The music, I always loved the repetitive rhythmic style of the early days, and we still get many glimpses here, but now I equally like the repetitive melodic style since their rebirth. The sound quality is top notch, the guitars way out in front leading the charge with the impression of virtuosity, nice loud bass and the drumming shows through nice and forcefully. As has become the case of late, many riffs stick in your head and the melodic lines show more and more inspiration. I think Fredrik and Tomas have been listening in to the messages passed by Ratatoskr. They are becoming masters of the ancient art.

This has been one of the most enjoyable releases of the year so far. I’ve got plenty of mead in the pantry, next time you tour in my area I’ll fill your horns, Hail Unleashed! (repeat ten times)

You could argue his music is awful uninspired drivel and you would be dead wrong, at least as far as his pre-conversion days, “some of the best black metal ever created,” and I’d agree, but post-conversion is another matter, and no matter what this album actually sounds like this album is bought for one of three reasons. 1. Varg is my idol, I wish I was as evil as him, in which case you have already ordered your copy. 2. Burzum is the very definition of true kult, I wish I had burned a priceless pagan church, murdered my friend and converted to Nazism, in which case you have already ordered you copy on vinyl. 3. Burzum is that overhyped one man project from Norway that produced three excellent albums and then got himself incarcerated for some reason, Norwegian Charles Manson or some such, and now he is out of prison so I am hoping for a return to form of pre-incarceration styled black metal, in which case you’ve probably already set the money aside to buy the album when it shows up at your local store.

It’s impossible for him to tarnish his image any more so it matters little if he continues to release ambient drone albums or he really comes through with his promised return to early black metal. What of the music of Belus though, for those out there not buying the disc automatically? Personally I can’t put the ipod on shuffle, have a Burzum song pre 1995 come up and not know it instantly, yes the first three discs are on the ipod permanently, and with Belus the initial immediate reaction is “that’s a Burzum song,” definitely identifiable as Burzum, quite readily so, and I won’t say the magic is gone, mush as I’d like to. There are a plethora of inspired moments but no inspiring ones. That is to say he has written some cool passages, he was inspired at the time of composition, but none of it inspires me.

It is definitely guitar driven, not keyboard, I thought he didn’t approve of stringed instruments anymore. The vocals are not the tortured wail. The dreamy distant clean vocals, NSBM pagan styled, if you will, are effective on “Glemselens Elv”. The blackened screams on “Kaimadalthas’ Nedstigning” are just not like the old days. There are also many spoken phrases and the dominate vocal style is the clean one. This song is also more keyboard centric. “Sverddans” is short and speedy with a happy bounce to the guitars and “Keliohesten” has a consistently harsh vocal style, buzz guitars and blastbeats, with an emphasis on rhythmic patterns. “Morgenrøde” drones on for nearly nine minutes. The idea was expressed in the first thirty seconds and the point was taken by four minutes. The nine minute concluding track, “Belus’ Tilbakekomst (Konklusjon),” takes up the above idea and extends it out on a parallel tangent. Bare bones guitar, minimal vocals, but not trance inducing drone. Instead it just fades into the background of my dreams, which sadly are unrelated to Belus, or Burzum.

Why rush this album out so soon after prison release? Take the time to do it right. It’s not like he was about to fade into obscurity off on some farm in the mountains north of Bergen. I will not call it ‘most disappointing’ or ‘worst of the year’ or any such thing because it is not bad and it does not disappoint because I had no expectations for it not to meet. I had already written off new Burzum as irrelevant. In all honesty come year end this album will just be forgotten. Not memorable is the tag. Varg says, “my ambition with Belus is to create something …[to] listen to for years without ever growing tired of it.”

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Her er eventyret ute. It is time for Kristian to settle down and raise a Nazi family of his own, and to pick up Norske Folke Eventyr for a re-read.

With that in mind it is with great satisfaction I sit here listening to the new album, Angelus Exuro pro Eternus, enjoying it for its intrinsic value, for not only is it a harbinger of tours to come, it is a slab of high quality destined to live on live on stage well into the future. Emperor Magus Caligula can add another jewel to his iron crown. His master’s will is once again realized, let the masses bow before his power, his vassals deliver his message through nine black hymns. Burn the fields behind the fleeing christians, kill, kill, maim, destroy, decapitate, decimate, eradicate, leave not a single sheep bleating for the second coming. The fire is upon us, embrace your fate.

This latest attack is swift and mighty, a lightning charged blitzkrieg, speed and precision carry the banner high once more. The mouth of Satan shrieks forth, never faltering, often dropping to a mighty growl. The axes pierce the air both quick and precise and more slowly and roughly lending much power to the rhythm of the advances.

A coordinated strike on Christendom has begun. The strikes that win the day are the majestic “My Funeral” and the vicious “Declaration of Hate”, with “Demons of Five” and “The End of Human Race” bringing up the rear guard.

Modern folk metal is plagued with too many synthesized flutes, too many chorus moments, the drunken bar room sing along has always gotten on my nerves, especially when ended with “Hey, Hey,” and clinking glasses. Bifröst did not do it on their debut, Schlachtklänge, so I had no expectations for any such tomfoolery from this Austrian black folk band. Alas a misstep here on Heidenmetal with “Der Mönch”, though luck be with us they got all those elements of overly happy campfire drinking bliss out of the way on that one song. As this album progresses I might have stopped there had I not known from the first album that they are not an overly happy bunch. Time to get up from the oaken table and do some sword rattling. All you pacifist vikings take heart, here is another one for you, everyone else take heart, it was just a passing fancy.

Nice production values, fits the style well, but I think the vocals should be louder, more dominant. That seems to suit this style of folk metal, very upfront vocals. The vocals are toned down a bit as compared to the debut though it seems more through clarity of recording than vocal delivery.

If you think “Fimbulwinter” was the best song on the debut you are in for a treat. I need to single out “Berserker.” Where is the pent up rage? And also of note is “Ragnarök” and “Schlachtklänge” both appeared on the debut album. “Ragnarök” is chopped down from 5:40 to 4:45. It is a nine minute track on the debut but they used the despised trickery of extended black space followed by a hidden track, in this case just some hot air. Both of these songs, as would be expected, are darker and faster, with harsher vocals and they held my attention then, I had hoped for more of the same, but now that we have more they are actually the weaker songs.

Favorite tracks include “Der Rächer” and “Weingeist,” a bit heavier and harsher, and in “Weingeist” I like the group chanted vocals, deeper tones, also both songs have more emphasis on bass. “Heimgang” gets my vote for top song, an epic instrumental. It lacks the punch of a bloody duel, instead, once the horns and drums kick in, it is a majestic setup to the festivities. They already proved they could write a nice instrumental with the intro to Schlachtklänge. “Heimgang” surpasses it in both beauty and artistry.

Einheit has a fine stable of bands and Bifröst is a worthy addition. Check  them out.