News from this week

From russian ARKONA:

We can proudly announce, that the work on our new album "Yav" is finished and master CD was sent to Napalm rec. few minutes ago! Those 70 minutes of music took a lot of nerves, time and power, and now we finally can say: "Yes, we made it!". All musicians, who took part in album recording, showed the highest level of their musical skills. Sometimes we had to go back and learn how to play an instrument again, but now, when the whole work is behind, we can tell, that it is new step in our art and this 3-years long path is finished!

Listen to a teaser of 'Yav' here.

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From the true MAYHEM (taken from Metal Hammer website):

Seven long years after they dropped their malevolent and murky masterpiece, Ordo Ad Chao, black metal’s most notorious band and the true originals of Norwegian desecration, Mayhem, are back with a new, as-yet-untitled album due out at the end of May.

Thanks to the hardy folk at Season Of Mist Records, we can exclusively reveal the warning shot that is the band’s new single, Psywar, taken from the forthcoming missive, and comes complete with a bleak but visionary new lyric video courtesy of revered artist Costin Chioreanu (Spiritual Beggars, Oranssi Pazuzu, Vulture Industries and a host of Roadburn posters all showcasing his unique woodcut-on-LSD style) that recasts the notion of ‘industrial wasteland’ in brain-warping new forms.

Less overtly avant garde than Ordo Ad Chao, Psywar is still saturated with the kind of Stygian atmosphere and radioactive filth that Mayhem have made their own. Epic, defiling and utterly affecting it finds Attila Csihar, Necrobutcher, Hellhammer and new member Teloch primed to reopen black metal’s oldest and most putrid wounds and still drag the genre into its unruly slipstream. All hail, and unveil!

Listen to the track here.

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From greek NECROMANTIA:

Expected in April: NECROMANTIA - "NEKROMANTEION - A collection of arcane hexes" double cd
 
NEKROMANTEION is the sacred place where the art of NECROMANTIA (necromancy) is performed. A dark haven, hidden from the common eyes where the necromancer practice and evolves his magnum arcanum. Likewise this double cd compilation is a collection of almost all our works which are not included in our official albums, meaning demos, promos, splits, compilations, early works , covers e.t.c. It is the first time that all these rare gems are gathered in a double volume. NECROMANTIA was always a band who followed its own dark path music wise. We created, not followed . We influenced and gave shape to the musical directions of younger bands and musicians. With NEKROMANTEION we offer you a full view of our wanderings through the Abyss since our profane birth in 1989....Be not afraid to look into the Erevos, although you must know that Erevos will look back at you....rejoice"
The Magus 2014

This document will come with extensive booklet and will consist of the full recordings of: -Family of Dog (The Feast of Ghouls) 1990 -De Magia Veterum (The Dawn of Utter Darkness) 1990 -Faceless Gods 1990 -Evil Prayers 1990 -Lycanthropia 1990 -La Mort 1990 -Lord of the Abyss 1991 -The Feast of Ghouls 1991 -Evil Prayers 1991 -Lycanthropia 1991 -Spiritforms of The Psychomancer 1997 - My World, Your Hell 2001 - Death Rider (Omen cover) 2001 - The Number of the Beast (Iron Maiden cover) 2001 - The Demon's Whip (Manowar cover) 2001 - Mordor (Running Wild cover) 2001
NECROMANCY (Pre-Necromantia) - Visons of Lunacy demo 1989 -Thrashifixion - Shattered Bodies -Outbreak of Evil (Sodom cover) - Forbidden Rites -Nocturnal Cry

Listen to band's music here.

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Polish folk metal band RADOGOST announce that they were left by a singer Marcin 'Velesar' Wieczorek. Marcin thanks his ex-mates from the band for three intensive years with them, all the fans and bands' that Radogost was touring with.
The band announced also that the upcoming album will be something like 'back to the roots', sung by the old vocalist (and guitarist) Łukasz 'Mussi' again in polish language. More info about it - in nearest future.

Watch clip to 'Watra' from their last album (here). 

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Russian pagan folk metal band Руян (Ruyan) from Naberezhnye Chelny is ready to release its second full-length album “Лебедь Белая“. The new album will be released by the Russian label SoundAge Productions, but the exact released date isn’t announced yet. Руян were formed in 2009, presenting a harmonious combination of metal and folk music: gloomy and folksy guitar riffs, clean and growling female vocals by Daria “Rodonitsa” and traditional instruments. The band released its debut full-length album “Наследие – Heritage” in 2010. Their new album title “Лебедь Белая” translates to “White Swan” and the band has already unveiled its great cover artwork and the tracklist.

Listen to band's music here.
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The long-awaited debut album by uprising Dutch folk metal band Alvenrad will be released via the German label Trollmusic on April 4th in Europe and April 15th in the US. It is entitled “Habitat” and it contains nine powerful tunes, which combine the archaic charm of wooden folk & black metal with the enthusiasm of classic bands like Uriah Heep, Iron Maiden or Judas Priest. The album has been mastered by Markus Stock (Empyrium / Studio E) and will be published as noble digipak including a booklet with all lyrics, translations & liner notes by the musicians. Alvenrad have unveiled the cover artwork, the album tracklist, as well as their first official video for the song “Woudakoestiek” that you can watch below and get a first taste of their music.

Hailing from the mythic heart of the Veluwe, the Dutch duo Alvenrad offers a fresh blend of folk-influenced heavy metal. The nine lively tunes on its debut album “Habitat” root deeply in various traditions and like branches of a mighty tree they spread towards the sun, encouraging the listeners to follow them on an adventurous voyage on pathways untrodden by most contemporary bands. Alvenrad is a free Dutch translation of a kenning for the sun used in the Edda, approximately wheel of the elves. With the passionate help of brilliant guest musicians, Jasper Strik and Mark Kwint created a debut album reflecting the strong burning love for their “Habitat” – a home which is described through landscapes, literature, paintings, classical music and the wild mixture of them all. “Habitat” is for all music lovers who enjoy enthusiastic & powerful folk metal, especially fans of Vintersorg, Myrkgrav, Skyclad, Jethro Tull, Empyrium, Windir, Forefather and Borknagar should give this band a listen!


Watch an official clip here.
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Romanian barbarian folk metallers from Iasi GOD – The Barbarian Horde celebrate 20 years of existence. Given this occasion, the band will soon release an EP entitled “Zal Mox“, which will comprise 5 songs. It will serve as a preview for their upcoming new full-length conceptual album “Forefathers: A Spiritual Heritage“, scheduled for release towards the end of 2014! With the release of the EP, GOD has made plans for 2 tours. The first one is scheduled to run sometimes around April in the eastern and south-eastern cities, while the second is meant to cover some of the cities in the country’s center and western regions. The band has revealed “Zal Mox” cover artwork and tracklist and you can already listen to the song “Greuceanul” in their Bandcamp page below.

Listen to band's music here.

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Three last news via Metal Soundscapes

News from this week

From polish folk rockers - ALNE:
'We are working on our new album! The drums have already been recorded and this month we are recording the guitars. The new line-up is:

Kasia – vocals
Klimorh – guitar
Horizon – guitar
Góral – bass
A.S. – drums
Agnieszka – cello

Well, the line-up is not the only new thing, our songs are totally different. Just listen to the drums from one of the new songs…(here - Vlad.)
As with our debut album, this time the themes of the lyrics are inspired by the native faith, the spirituality of the land ALNE comes from, the spiritual traditions of Slavonic and old Prussian people. Three texts were prepared by Alne, but the rest of the lyrics were written by contemporary “pagan” poets – Wojciech Mytnik and Piołun… More details about the lyrics available soon.

We have prepared 9 songs, including the cover version of ,,A Mask in the Mirror” by Ved Buens Ende.

Some graphics have already been prepared by Black Forest Forge.'

Check out band's music here.

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From norwegian progressive band IN VAIN:
'IN VAIN JOIN NIFLHEIM FESTIVAL TOUR AS SPECIAL GUESTS

We will join Niflheim Festival Tour 2014, March 7 - 15, together with Borknagar, Månegarm, Ereb Altor and Shade Empire.

Johnar Håland (In Vain) comments: “After the great reception of our latest release ‘Ænigma’, we are delighted to be back on tour in March. We are joining as special guests on the Niflheim Festival, which will be headlined by the Norwegian legends Borknagar, who are making a long awaited comeback as a touring band. The package is also including Månegarm, Ereb Altor and Shade Empire. See you on the road!”

07.03 - ERFURT, FROM HELL (DE)
08.03 - OBERHAUSEN, HELVETE (DE)
09.03 - WROCLAW, ALIBI (PL)
10.03 - BERLIN, K17 (DE)
11.03 - BUDAPEST, DÜRER KERT (HU)
12.03 - MONTECCHIO MAGGIORE, E20 UNDERGROUND (IT)
13.03 - ROME, TRAFFIC (IT)
14.03 - ROMAGNANO SESIA, ROCK’N'ROLL ARENA (IT)
15.03 - ZÜRICH, DYNAMO (CH)'

Listen to band's music here.

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SLAVOGORJE, croatian project which plays a mixture of metal, folk and neofolk is returning after five years break. The upcoming full-lenght album is announced to be released in this year via Werewolf Promotions. More info - soon.

Check out band's music here.

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Since 25th of February you can order a second full-lenght album of AGAEL, entitled 'Trost'. It's a one-men project from Germany, playing black metal with dark ambient influences. The whole stuff will be released via Naturmacht Productions on CD.

Check band's music here.

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Italian progressive post black metal aesthetes JANVS have re-arranged and completely re-recorded their debut demo tape “Nigredo” from 2004. The band took this decision after constant demand from the public, due to the success of their two albums “Fvlgvres” in 2007 and “Vega” in 2008. The revernissage of their classic “tape” will include as bonus track a cover of Enslaved “793” with ‘the man’ Ivar Bjornson as special guest on lead guitar. Italian talented designer Francesco Gemelli took care of the album’s new artwork! ”Nigredo” will be released by Avantgarde Music in deluxe 4-panel digipak with 12-page booklet in the end of February 2014 and is available since today in the label’s Bandcamp page.

Check out their music here.

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American atmospheric black metallers WAYFARER from Denver, Colorado has revealed the first details of their debut full-length album “Children of the Iron Age“, scheduled for release in digital and physical form the summer of 2014. The band has released so far a demo in 2012 with incomplete line-up, so “Children of the Iron Age” is actually the first complete work of the band, having a running time of 68 minutes. It was recorded at Flatline Audio in Westminster, Colorado with Shane Howard (Martriden), mixed and mastered in the same studio by Dave Otero (Cobalt, Primitive Man, Nightbringer). Wayfarer have unveiled the beautiful cover artwork by the fantastic Stigma: Sam Nelson’s Art, as well as the album tracklist. In the Bandcamp page you can listen to the song “Forests Ash by Dawn” from the upcoming album and get a taste of their music.

Check band's music here.

Kvelertak - 'Meir' (2013)

Kvelertak

'Meir'

Indie Recs.

2013

What is Kvelertak, I propable don't have to explain. There is enough fuzz about Norwegians in the mainstream metal press, so that everybody should know something about them and their music. So without more empty words - let's skip this intro and focus on the music.
OK, first of all - Kvelertak still have their original style that I liked very much. Still very rock'n'roll - in my opinion even more than on the previous album. The music is also more melodic, and generally speaking 'Meir' has defenitely more in common with classic hard rock, punk than with extreme genres (although there are exceptions - vocals, and the track 'Nekrokosmos' which is kinda heavy). At the first look, everything is fine - the music is even more pugnacious, and tracks such as 'Braune Bren' or 'Snilepisk' sounds really great. I remember how excited I was about them when the album was released. Even the clean vocals, which irritated me on the debut, here are done in an awesome way. It seems that I should kneel on my knees and prostrate...
Maybe I should, but it won't happen. Unfortunetely - after a longer time the music looses much of it's magic. I was wondering why, and I think that now I know the answer. Most of the tracks are simply TOO melodic - comparing too the first album, which was much more rawer. OK, there were melodies too, but here we got too much of those melodic solos, choirs and stuff like that. Want a proof? Just try to listen to such 'Evig Vandrar' or 'Undertro' a few times in a row - you will quickly get what I am talking about. Of course, if somebody is permeated by the hard rock, or melodic genres - he/she can welcome such riffing with open arms. Yet I am a bit dissapointed.
But hey - don't get me wrong! The music is still very listenable (except too long 'Tordenbrak'...), but unfortunetely it doesn't has the syndrom of 'I need too push the replay button once again!'. The debut album was fantastic, the second one is just good. I've spoken.

Rate: 7+/10
Vladyka

 

Check out band's music:

 

Tracklist:

1. Apenbaring

2. Spring Fra Livet

3. Trepan

4. Bruane Brenn

5. Evig Vandrar

6. Snilepisk

7. Manelyst

8. Nekrokosmos

9. Undertro

10. Tordenbrak

11. Kvelertak

Total time: 49:05

Koldbrann - 'Vertigo' (2013)

Koldbrann

Vertigo

Season of Mist

2013

Koldbrann, Koldbrann... I can recall the name, but to be honest for some reasons I've never wanted to check out their music. But now the time has come, I am just listenning once again to their third album 'Vertigo' and thinking what I should write about it. 

And what plays Koldbrann? Well, black metal. Kinda raw black metal, although that with not-necro sound. Their music can be compared to Darkthrone (from their 'middle' period'), or more loosely to Carpathian Forest (I mean hear a certain attitude, not necessarily rock'n'roll elements). The material for sure have also a certain pugnacity, and many riffs are defenitely very (well...) cool - but at the same time they don't loose this dark atmosphere, typical in this genre. Honestly? It doesn't make very big impression. It's very hard to write something creative about the album, when every single track is played in more or less the same vain. Most of the songs have supposedly balls, the riffs are played in very norwegian style etc. so that listener who likes such music should be pleased. But I am not - for some reason the music can't stick into my head, and after the listenning mostly I don't remember it. Even the guests (inter alia Erlend Hjelvik from Kvelertak) don't bring to this music much - I don't feel that they diversify the music.

There are though some moments that are quite good, forcing you to headbanging - and amongst them there is the track 'Stolichnaya Smert'. I know that it is a kind of joke, but this black/punk melodies are really good! There are also other nice shots, like the first 'IntroVertigo' or 'Hjertets Holodomor' - but they are not as good as the the song about russian vodka hehe.

Fuck, I really don't know how I should rate 'Vertigo'. There are here some good moments (and one great), but the rest is really bleak. So I will write what's following: if you're a maniac of norwegian BM scene, you can check this music at your own risk. The rest can simply look for something different.

Rate: 6/10

Vladyka

Tracklist:

1. IntroVertigo

2. Totalt Sjelelig Bankorett

3. Hjertets Holodomor

4. Drammen

5. Stolichnaya Smert

6. Terminal Transnistrii

7. Phantom Kosmonaut

8. Goat Lodge

9. I Eklipsens Skrimmer

10. Sans Soleil

11. Interia Corridors

Total time: 48:06

News from this week

Doom metallers from CULTED (Canada) not-so-far-ago released their new full-lenght album via Relapse Records. As the band says on aour beloved Facebook:

'Oblique to All Paths' is available worldwide TODAY!!!
Grab exclusive music and merch items at Relapse Mailorder: http://bit.ly/Culted
Find the album at a local North American record store here: http://recordstoreday.com/Item/9005571120
Purchase on iTunes: http://georiot.co/ObliqueiTunes
Purchase on Amazon.com: http://georiot.co/ObliqueAmz
Stream and Purchase at Bandcamp: http://culted.bandcamp.com/

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From SUN ))) and ULVER (they released a split on 180g vinyl):

'Oslo, Norway, August 10th, 2008. Following their 200th gig, playing before 2000 people at the Øya festival, SUNN O))) teamed up with Norwegian legends ULVER at their Oslo studio, Crystal Canyon. They recorded three "live in improvisation" pieces, starting that evening and ending at dawn, as Northern sunlight seeped in through the windows.
 "We were sitting in the console room, early in the morning, listening to the takes. Someone said, 'ah, sunrise over Crystal Canyon,' as if the night had been a dark one. We all laughed and Greg proposed it as a title. In that setting it sounded perfect. The boys had mentioned wanting the music to orient towards the light, like some lost pilgrim stretching before the sun. We kept that mental picture for the processing." – Kristoffer Rygg
 That take became the album's opening piece, "Let there be light," which builds up from silence and darkness and proceeds – ceremoniously, coruscating – O'Malley and O'Sullivan creating the backdrop for Rygg's Basso Profondo chants. The music unfolds over eight minutes before reaching a crescendo of bass and brass, introducing both Anderson and ULVER as we know them. The Sunn has risen.
 "Western horn" accelerates on a single and austere note of sustained bass and low end, evolving gradually into a haunted soundscape. Crying violins, clusters of Fender Rhodes, guitar pickups, and metal plate drones are gradually layered beneath Anderson's augmented bass feedback.
 "Eternal return" introduces Rygg singing a lyric evoking ancient Greece, Egypt and the Biblical lands. The song is palindromic, echoing the lyric, beginning and ending with the same bass line and musical pattern, though the guitars are ultimately reversed as the song implodes upon itself.
 Terrestrials is  three movements which are fluid like the flow of magma beneath the Earth's crust, sonically uninhibited, unpredictably cosmic, haunting and stirring yet simultaneously ceremonious and beautiful.'

More info here: Southern Lord

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From DIRGE (France):

'HYPERION
After months of waiting, we are pleased to announce the launching of our new album « Hyperion » scheduled for March 14 (April 15 for North America).
It will be released through Debemur Morti Productions under three different formats : digipak CD, digital and 2x12" gatefold LP (with an alternative tracklisting for this version).
Mixed by Marc T. and mastered by Nicolas Dick (Kill The Thrill), this sixth album features vocalists Tara Vanflower (Lycia), Milena Rousseau (Miroda) and Nicolas Dick.
Cover rust crafted by long time collaborator (and ex-Proton Burst) Axël Kriloff.

Tracklisting is as follows :
CIRCUMPOLARIS
FLOE
VENUS CLAWS
HYPERION UNDER GLASS
FILIGREE
REMANENTIE

The vinyl version will include a different tracklisting with two bonus tracks : "Distance" and "Absence"
More to come soon.'

Listen to their music here.

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Romanian funeral doom metallers DESCENT INTO DESPAIR will release their new album 'The Bearer of All Storms' on 28th January. It will contain 7 tracks, divided into 90 minutes of music on two CDs. You can look for it in the label Domestic Genocide Records.

Check out band's music here.

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VAINAJA is the finnish doom/death metal band from Finland, who just sign up the papers with Svart Records. This label will release their first album called ' Kadotetut' on spring (more info soon). The band exists since 2011, and 'till today released only a single.

Check out their music here.

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Russian WINDBRUCH (depressive black metal) will release on 1st of February their second album called 'No Stars, Only Full Dark'. It will contain 7 tracks, lasting around 49 minutes. The band will released it by themself.

Check out their melancholic sounds here.

Grá - "Necrology of the Witch" (2013)

Grá

"Necrology of the Witch"

Unexploded Recs.

2013

Grá is a swedish black metal quartet (or rather horde, ha!) founded in 2010 in Stockholm by the members or inter alia Domgård and Cursed 13. The guys have one longplay on their account and two EPs. One of them, "Necrology of the Witch", they released in march of this year. So this review is not very quick, but fuck it. The music counts the most after all.
Generally speaking, even if the band is from Sweden that doesn't necessarily means that it is under the influence of the swedish scene. Sure, from time to time we can hear some echeos of swedish bands (like Marduk's slower tracks) but I think that more influencial for Grá is Norway, especially Mayhem and Burzum and also something else, yet I cannot remind what. Anyway these are loose associations, because the band has defenitely it's own identity and doesn't copy blindly somebody's work.
The music mostly changes tempo from quite fast to rather slow. Faster parts (like in "Worms and Crowns) are mostly a solid, purely black metal tunes. They sound good, although are not very original. But I suppose that maniacs will not care about such things, will they? Especially that sometimes musicians add some strange sounds in the background, which make those parts more listenable. However most of the album is filled with slower parts, which sometimes sounds really intriguing. Occasionaly it sounds close to mentioned Burzum, especially drum parts on the best track of this album -  Helfärd II. Big usage of cymbals is something that I defenitely like! Also the usage of tremolo picking by solo guitarist, blurred, hypnotic tunes of lead guitar and mentioned slow drumbeats creates a very sinister, and at the same time melancholic atmosphere which in some way can loosely associate with "Filosofem".
Interesting is the usage of several different sounds. An opening "In Cordibus Vestris" is built up from bell sounds and a vocalist singing something with clear voice in latin in a manner of the prayer. It's a really good opening, I admit it even if I don't like such things (mostly they are boring). Also quite interesting is the track "On the Way to Styx" with sounds of raining, water (swimming?) and falling coins. All those who knows well greek mythology should appreciate such kind of metaphorical journey.
The last track is a cover - "Freezing Moon", to be more precisious. To be honest it's propably the worst part of this EP. I mean it's OK, but first of all there are thousands covers of that track. What is the point in doing it again? And secondly - the original version is better (not mentioning a live version from "Live in Leipzig" with Dead on vocals). Though I understand the idea of honoring favourite artist.
So to sum up - "Necrology of the Witch" is a solid portion of tradtional black metal. Maniacs should put it on their list "to buy in the next month" very quickly.

Rate: 7+/10
Vladyka

An official promo-video:

Tracklist:

1. In Cordibus Vestris

2. Necrology of the Witch

3. Οδεύοντας προς την Στύγα (On the Way to Styx) 

4. Worms and Crowns

5.  Helfärd II 

6. Freezing Moon (Mayhem cover) 

Total time: 27:56

Oldschool Folk Metal

Today I would like to present some oldschool folk metal bands, which should be very influencial for the genre and which are (more or less...) forgotten. It should be interesting especially for the younger fans - however old maniacs can reminisce :)

Sabbat (UK)

Actually it is not a typicl folk metal. But first of all - this is the band that was an fundament for creating Skyclad. And secondly - it has some folk relish.
Founded in 1985
The band doesn't exist anymore
Metal Archives

Skyclad

Is considering as a first folk metal band ever exist. It's defenitely something that every fan of this genre should at least briefly know.

Founded in 1990

The band is still active.

Metal Archives

Otyg 

The band is from Sweden, and their music bases on traditional swedish folk songs. Lately Vintersorg (from Borknagar) stated that his going to release new Otyg's album - I hope for something good!

Founded in 1995

Reactivated in 2012.

Metal Archives 

Isengard 

This was a side-project of Fenriz from Darkthrone. The music had more black metal relish, yet it was inspired by traditional scandinavian tunes. Especially interesting is an album "Hostmorke"

Founded around 1989

Inactive today.

Metal Archives 

Storm (Nor)

Another project of Fenriz, founded together with a singer Kari Rueslatten and Satyr from Satyricon. They released only one album "Nordavind" - yet very interesting in it's musical form!

Founded in 1993

Inactive today.

Metal Archives

Written by Vladyka in the year 2013

Enslaved - RIITIIR (2012)

Enslaved

"RIITIIR"

Nuclear Blast

2012

For some reasons I have never really listen to the previous album of Norwegians, "Axioma Ethica Odini". I was constantly making excuses "that I will listen to it soon". And suddenly I was informed that Enslaved is going to release another album. So please forgive me that I will not compare "RIITIIR" to the previous longplay, 'cuz the only thing I've heard from "Axioma..." was a promo video for that album.

Forgive me also if you will be disappointed by this review, but I am not going to write about every complex of their last opus. Mainly because I have not much to say. I've been listening to this release for quite a long time, and I am still under a big impression of this album. But let me start from the beginning.

First of all, I don't know why but I feel that this material is much harder to listen than the previous ones. I don't know is it because of the production (a bit more sultry, I think) or that the band again goes into even more progressive areas. Yes, again - if someone likes only their early works, he can skip reading this article and go find something better to do. But back to the topic. As I said, the album is more difficult to listen, even that from the other hand it has definitely much more clean vocals than the rest of their creativeness. For example I listen now to "Materal", I'm in mid part f this track and I hear there a really good melodies and hypnotic clean vocals of keyboardist (Herbrand), turning into a great rock guitar solo and then slow, heavy parts with Grutle's howlings. 

This weird feeling that the album is heavier and more ethereal at the same time accompanied me in every replay. And there were quite many of them. I am not sure what I should think about it. But I am sure for one thing: I love it. Really - this album passess very quick (even duration is more than an hour) and it almost literally take you to some other world. 

If you are a fan of Enslaved, you can be sure that you will like this album. The band is consequently walking on their own path into more and more progressive areas. They sound is once again lighter, but from the other hand much more complicated and with many relishes. They have lost on this trail their primal raw, black metal sound and that's why some malcontent's will be spreading bullshit again. But you know what? I don't care, and it seems that Norwegians don't care either. "RITTIIR" is a parfect, complex album with so many feelings and ideas that you should definitely check it for yourself is it worth your time or not. 

Rate: 10/10

Vladyka

Tracklist:

1. Thoughts likeHammers

2. Death in the Eyes of Dawn

3. Veilburner

4. Roots of the Mountain

5. Riitiir

6. Materal

7. Storm of Memories

8. Forsaken

Wardruna - "Runaljod - Yggdrasil" (2013)

Wardruna

"Runaljod - Yggdrasil"

Indie Recs.

2013

It's the second album of the folk/ambient project (or now a band) Wardruna. Who is playing here propably everybody interested know, so I will skip the introduction.

"Yggdrasil" brings us another portion of the old futhark runes' interpretation, dressed in mystical music.Musicians use only couple of traditional norwegian instruments (like a drum, flute, fiddle, horn). Most of tracks are very spacious like e.g. the track that I am listenning now - "NaudiR". It bases on the work of rhythmic, monotonous drumbeats, some changing instruments and singing choirs, which sometimes are transformed into a croon or howling. Of course a label "ambient" is not just an empty word - there are many silent whispers and other "disturbing" sounds hidden in the background. Effect? When you close your eyes the music simply takes you into the other, more spiritual world. 

Every track is of course different - there are more "shamanistic" songs (like "IngwaR"), or more folkish ("Rotlaust tre fell"). Here and there you can hear ("of course" once again) that authors of this artwork were influenced by others. Example? Here you are - some parts of two last songs sounds a bit like a creativeness of Mari Boine. But to be honest all this comparisons and descriptions of every single song is just pointless. The energy and emotions that this music brings to a listener is just indescribable. I can write about every single song, it's nuances and such a whole thesis, but it still won't describe you how fantastic is this music. There is no other way, but to experience the power of this release by your own.

It's good for Kvitrafn that he started creating something way more original than just another Gorgoroth releases. New Wardruna's longplay is a pure masterpiece, an album to which I will be returning very often. I am more than sure about this - it has my highest recommendation!

Rate: 10/10

Vladyka

Tracklist:

1. Rotlaust tre fell

2. Fehu

3. NaudiR

4. EhwaR

5. AnsuR

6. IwaR

7. IngwaR

8. Gibu

9. Solringen

10. Sowelu

11. Helvegen

Burzum - "Umskiptar" (2012)

Burzum

"Umskiptar"

Byelobog Prods.

2012

Everyone who listens to metal at least 3 days knows Burzum, so let me skip the introduction.

“Belus” was a true masterpiece for me, an album that I can listen all day without getting bored. “Fallen” was good, but in my opinion too soft; I have nothing against “soft” music, but it has to be addictive, and “Fallen” is just a nice piece of music, but nothing more. And now, there is time to rate last metal album of Burzum – “Umskiptar”.

Well, it’s definitely better than previous LP. The first novelty is the intro, with usage of horns. But beside that, the folk-like themes appears only in singing and guitar riffs. You can clearly hear it in “Galgvidr” with very melancholic vocals.

But most of tracks bases on typical “burzumish” riffing. Varg has his own style of making riffs, and as always they sound simply great. This time songs are much more monotonous and slower. Thanks to production, they sound a bit psychedelic. It creates a very moody aura, intensified even more thanks to bass – it sounds very soft, and is on the prominence position. Sometimes it can create a really stirring atmosphere – just listen to a song titled “Heidr”.

This track contains also many declamations (which shouldn’t be a big surprise, as lyrics are just a part of old Icelandic poem “Voluspa”). They are in almost every track, and are building a very specific climate, when e.g. they are mixed with heavy, slow riffs (like in “Alfadanz”). Other vocals are in vain of the “new” Burzum – they sounds like a howling of some old, far spirit and in my opinion Varg has done fantastic job with them. Happily there is no so many clean singing as on “Fallen”. Even if it appears, it’s just a good add to nostalgic aura (as in “Gullaldr”).

Also from time to time we can hear a reminiscences of Vikernes’ older work – e.g. riff in " Surtr Sunnan" recalls a bit „The Crying Orc”.
The album sounds very good, but to be honest sometimes it can be too monotonous, and simply boring. It's happening due to the fact that it is not so diverse as "Belus" was, or simply older Burzum's albums. "Umskiptar is in my opinion also a bit too long. Listenning to this longplay will be surely a good experience, but I wouldn't say that I will listen to it day after day...

Rate: 7+/10
Vladyka

Tracklist:

1. Blodstokkin

2. Joln

3. Alfadanz

4. Hit Helga Tre

5. Aera

6. Heidr

7. Valgaldr

8. Galgvidr

9. Surtr Sunnan

10. Gullaldr

11. Nidhoggr