Kvist - For Kunsten Maa Vi Evig Vike (1996)

Released in January 1996, For Kunsten Maa Vi Evig Vike is the sole full-length album from the Norwegian Black Metal band Kvist. This is a fairly typical record, for the time period, though that is not to say that it is without its share of memorable moments. It never reaches the same heights as bands like Burzum or Darkthrone, but resides more comfortably alongside groups like Emperor and Satyricon. Though the music does not rely on it heavily, the synth has a strong presence on this album and this can be tiresome at times.

The production of this record does not play to its strengths enough, as the guitar melodies are often buried in the mix and not as dominant as they should be. Oftentimes, the drumming becomes distracting, especially the unnecessary double-bass. Similarly, the keyboard passages are too loud and this has a detrimental effect on the overall product. The vocals are right about where they should be, neither too high nor too low. Though the guitars are not high enough, it is not to the extent where they are rendered useless, so the sound of the album is still enjoyable, just not what it could have been.

The music is not very distinctive. It never strays too far from what most other second and third-tier Norwegian bands were doing, at the time. Some parts are reminiscent of Gorgoroth while others call to mind Satyricon. The vocals do not do much to lessen this impression, as Tomas's voice is not too dissimilar from Satyr's, particularly on Nemesis Divina. The synth is overbearing, at times, but the guitar melodies are actually strong enough to carry the material on their own. There is a lot of variation regarding the tempo and structure. This is not one-dimensional, in any way. There are no songs that just maintain a steady pace all the way through. Each one has several twists and turns, which actually works against the band, on occasion. Of course, the album is constructed on a foundation of tremolo riffs, some more memorable than others. The highlight of For Kunsten Maa Vi Evig Vike is the final track, "Vettenetter", a song that possesses several interesting guitar melodies that haunt your mind long after the record ends. As well, the synth is kept to a minimum, which allows the band to show what they are capable of, with only the traditional instruments.

This album is certainly worth checking out, despite its flaws. It is unfortunate that Kvist did not stick around long enough to record a follow-up to this, as they may have been able to work on their shortcomings and realize the potential that is shown here. Either that or they may have simply turned into yet another pathetic symphonic Black Metal band with ultra-slick production and modern songwriting. There is no way to tell, but it may be that the band is better off having disappeared into the foggy night.

Dødheimsgard - Kronet Til Konge (1995)

Dødheimsgard was yet another Norwegian Black Metal band to emerge in the mid-90s. They did not exist long before recording their first album, bypassing the demo phase and going straight to making a full-length. At this point, about all it took was for a band to hail from Norway and a record deal was almost guaranteed. In this case, the band had an even better shot since the bassist was none other than Fenriz, of Darkthrone. Released in January 1995, on Malicious Records, Kronet Til Konge provided yet another dose of Norwegian Black Metal, though the end result has often been rather overrated.

The album begins with a pointless intro, before "Å Slakte Gud" bursts forth from the speakers. All of the traditional elements are present, from the opening moments. The pace is quite intense, carried forward by blast beats and tremolo riffs. The drumming displays some variation, though not much. It would seem that Vicotnik was influenced by Fenriz a bit. Speaking of the latter, his bass lines are quite audible on this album and add a sense of gloom. Aldrahn's vocals are a little disappointing, as he sounds like he is simply shouting at times, with little harshness to his voice. The riffs are not terribly interesting, though there is a nice cold melody near the middle. Overall, this song is probably a couple minutes too long and would have been better off ending a little earlier. Still, it is not a bad track to start out with.

"En Krig å Seire" features a mid-paced riff and a sombre bass line, before picking up the pace. This song was my introduction to the band, hearing it on a college radio show many years ago, and was the impetus for my subsequent search. The pace alternates back and forth, with some adequate guitar riffs that come off as somewhat average, with a bit of Darkthrone influence. Again, this may be one of the problems with the album; due to Fenriz's involvement, there are inevitable comparisons to his primary band and Dødheimsgard simply does not match up well.

The next song is "Jesu Blod", which possesses a memorable tremolo riff near the beginning. The riffs that follow are not of the same high quality, but not bad either. Later on in the song, that first guitar melody re-emerges before leading to a slower section. It is very clear that this part of the track was of particular interest to the members of Watain, as one can hear its influence on albums such as Casus Luciferi.

"Midnattsskogens Sorte Kjerne" is where the album starts show real weakness It begins and ends with a clean guitar and spoken word part, which sounds far too neat for an album like this. For the most part, the album features a production job that maintains the underground Black Metal sound, somewhat raw but not poor by any means. The intro and outro do not fit in with the bulk of the song, which boasts several decent riffs, though they are not showcased as prominently as they should have been. In addition, the vocals become grating by this point.

"Kuldeblest Over Evig Isøde" is one of the best tracks on here, yet simplistic as well. The song is built around three riffs, with the first one being a fast tremolo-picked riff that does not reappear until the end of the song. The next riff is utilized to build a bit of tension, also allowing for some variation in the drumming, and then the middle section is a bit slower and gives off a lifeless feeling. The arrangement is not complicated at all and the only real complaint here is regarding the vocals.

The title track shows the band experimenting with the drumming, which ruins the song. The majority of the song sounds like Darkthrone-worship anyway, so not much is lost by simply moving on to the next one .

"Mournful, Yet and Forever" starts with another clean guitar passage that sounds completely out of place. This track sees the band attempting to expand their sound a bit and to utilize different rhythms and tempos, resulting in a mess. There are definitely some decent riffs to be found, but the drumming ruins it. These melodies called for a straightforward, minimalist approach and Vicotnik failed.

This is followed by "Når Vi Har Dolket Guds Hjerte", which is a rather solid track. It is average, but at least the band does not attempt to extend beyond their boundaries. The overall effect is kind of dull and one cannot help but think that a different vocalist would have been able to do wonders for this.

By the time "Starcave, Depths and Chained" arrives, listeners may be growing tired of the uninspired songwriting on display. Aside from Aldrahn's horrendous voice, the main problem is that the riffs are running together and none of them really stand out. It is less a matter of the material being bad and more that it just is not very good.

The final song here is "When Heavens End", which is another boring song that seems mediocre and does nothing to create any real atmosphere. It is just sort of there, which is the same thing that plagues much of this album.

Kronet Til Konge is a record that needed more work before being released. The songs are not terrible, but they are not great, either. The riffs show a lot of potential, and Fenriz does his best to add some depth to the music with his bass work. However, this material is lacking something in arrangement and execution. Perhaps, replacing Aldrahn with a better vocalist would have helped, but the album still would not have been anything more than average, without more time and effort put into it. Do not expect too much from this album.

Malignant Eternal - Tårnet (1995)

By 1995, there were a ton of Norwegian bands releasing albums of sub-par material and getting a bit of attention just for the mere fact that they hailed from the same country as the likes of Mayhem, Darkthrone and Burzum. Some of these later bands managed to attain some sense of longevity, whether deserved or not, while others passed into oblivion or altered their sound in time. Malignant Eternal was one of the countless bands that played a rather generic form of Norwegian Black Metal, with heavy reliance on the keyboards, and accomplishing very little in the long run. Their first full-length album, Tårnet, was released in February 1995 and failed to make much of an impression.

Musically, this is not a horrible effort. There are some decent riffs, here and there. Unfortunately, the synth is the dominant sound on this record and the guitars seem to serve as a backdrop to the keyboards, rather than the other way around. The riffs sound reminiscent of other more notable bands, such as Emperor and Gorgoroth, with the vocalist even sounding rather similar to Hat. The faster sections seem to be a little too fast, in that the blast beats kind of detract from any sense of atmosphere, since the guitar melodies are unable to fully expand. Most of the riffs are generic or derivative of their peers anyway, but would still be enjoyable in the absence of the overpowering synth. Most of the material on here is rather forgettable.

In reality, there is a reason why albums like this were overlooked for so long and mostly enjoy the attention of people that like to boast of all the obscure bands that they know or simply because some listeners have a fetish for anything Norwegian, regardless of quality. This possesses a decent production, not polished but nowhere near the necro garage sound of some bands. If not for the keyboards, it would sound somewhat grim since the guitars have a cold sound and the vocals are certainly tormented and hellish. The mix is weak, even without the unnecessary elements, as the guitars seem a little low compared to the drums and vocals.

Tårnet is not worth tracking down, unless you like generic Black Metal that is drowning in over-dramatic synth. This is more for the type of person that likes to get their hands on anything Norwegian, from this era. Avoid this and listen to Pentagram instead.

Ragnarok - Nattferd (1995)

Nattferd is the first full-length album from Ragnarok. This band was part of the wave of bands that came along following the explosion of the Norwegian Black Metal scene. As was the case with many of the other bands that emerged in 1994 and after, Ragnarok displays a lack of direction and one gets the sense that they were quite unclear on what their intentions were. Released in May 1995, on Head Not Found, Nattferd is a confusing and inconsistent affair, but not without its more notable moments.

The songwriting is rather generic, for the most part. The band utilizes a lot of ugly riffs that would have served well had they opted for a darker and more primitive approach. However, it would seem that they spread themselves a bit thin, attempting to incorporate more epic arrangements as well. Several of the songs are utterly ruined by awkward keyboard usage, making one wonder what the hell these guys were trying to do. The synth is not dark or evil at all and actually works to the detriment of the riffs. Under close scutiny, it becomes clear that the only track that survives the horrible arrangement and ridiculous synth is "Et Vinterland I Nord", which is a decent song that has more of an epic Viking Metal feeling, rather than a dark Black Metal vibe.

The production suits the material, though that is not saying much. The guitars are have sort of a raw edge, but the riffs do not really justify this type of sound. It is sort of similar to Satyricon's debut album, Dark Medieval Times. The main difference would be that the guitar sound somewhat thicker, but not by much. Drumming is a little higher than it should be, but not so much as to distract from the rest. The vocals are at the right level, and have a decent sound though not very distinctive. Everything about this screams generic and these guys were likely just big fans of the earlier Norwegian bands and had no actual vision of their own. The result was just tossing a lot of disparate elements together and creating a mess.

Nattferd may appeal to those that do not mind ridiculous synth that undermines the integrity of the guitar riffs. Though, in this case, the riffs are sub-par in the first place. There is only one passable song on here, so for that it is worth picking up if found in a discount bin. If you are the type to drool over anything from Norway, it would be wise to understand that a lot of people jumped on the Black Metal bandwagon in the mid-90s and very few of them even tried to reach the same level of quality of those that came before them. You are better off passing this up in favour of something else.

Judas Iscariot - Distant in Solitary Night (1998)

The fourth full-length album from Judas Iscariot, Distant in Solitary Night, is considered by many to be the pinnacle of the band's career. In actuality, that distinction probably belongs to this record's predecessor, Of Great Eternity. That one was the first to finally focus on Black Metal, rather than allowing a decent handful of Death Metal riffs to infiltrate the work. While not all that great, it was also much more consistent than the albums before and after it. The playing was a bit more competent as well. This makes sense, as Distant in Solitary Night was originally recorded in 1996 and intended to be the band's third album. Since Judas Iscariot had already released two albums that year, Moribund Records delayed the release of this one until June 1998. As such, the playing is a little sloppier and the songwriting is rather poor. It just goes to show that, when it comes to something that pathetic as the bulk of American Black Metal, it does not take much to impress people.

The album begins with "The Wind Stands Silent", sticking with Akhenaten's traditional approach of clumsily ripping off Transilvanian Hunger. One would think that after spending several years attempting to imitate this sound that he would have gotten better at it. Sadly, this is not the case. This song consists of mediocre tremolo-picked riffs, inadequate drumming that does not do well to maintain a steady pace and vocals that seem somewhat disconnected from the music. This track does not accomplish anything, for the most part. It is flat and uninspiring.

"Where the Winter Beats Incessant" displays a horrible drum beat that sounds about as non-Metal as it gets. Otherwise, this is yet another failed experiment to capture an atmosphere similar to the old Burzum albums, utilizing some of the same types of riffs. However, the dominant guitar melodies are completely different and have very little to do with anything regarding Black Metal. The transitions between the different riffs are horrible or simply non-existent, as Akhenaten stumbles from one idea to the next, with no real sense of direction. This is one of the worst songs that this guy has ever recorded.

The next song returns to an earlier mistake of falling back on Death Metal riffs. "The Black Clouds Roll Under the Parapet of the Sky" is a clear indication that Akhenaten had no ability to discern between Black and Death Metal. This is a fast-paced track, for the most part, until the latter half. The song concludes following a handful of generic riffs that go nowhere.

"The Clear Moon, and the Glory of the Darkness" comes off as a really terrible effort to create a song like Burzum's "Naar Himmelen Klarner", from Det Som Engang Var. It is an instrumental that features boring guitar melodies, accompanied by synth, that serves no real purpose and fails to evoke any real feeling. The best that it can manage is to make listeners go listen to old Burzum, in order to see how it is supposed to be done. The drums are totally absent from this track, thankfully, but Akhenaten is unable to keep his mouth shut for the entire thing, overcome by the urge to cry near the end. Perhaps, he was weeping because the utter uselessness of his life was becoming apparent.

This is followed by a short track, "To the Black Tower of Victory", which speeds things back up and returns to the standard Judas Iscariot formula for bad Darkthrone imitations. The riffs sound as if they have been heard before, and probably done far better the first time around. This really lacks any character of its own.

"In the Bliss of the Eternal Valleys of Hate" is a weird song that employs a bit of old school drumming, though Akhenaten is so inept that he can hardly pull it off. It is unfortunate that he could not see that his low level of musicianship was even worse than his pathetic songwriting abilities. The song speeds up, later on, though it lacks any sense of intensity since the drumming is inconsistent and the guitar playing is sloppy as well. This really is a mess and it would be quite sad if anyone ever heard this and thought it was representative of Black Metal.

The final song is "Portions of Eternity Too Great for the Eye of Man". What a pretentious title. Even worse, this is not even a real song. It is twelve minutes of filler, just to pad the total running time of the album. It is an outro that just keeps going and going, with random noises and some guy speaking nonsense.

Distant in Solitary Night is trash. There was no need to release this as a full album, other than to try to cash in on the band's minimal popularity among those in the underground with bad taste. "The Winds Stand Silent" was already released on the Arise, My Lord E.P. in 1996. As painfully generic as that song is, the rest of the material here ranks even lower and there is no justifiable reason to pollute record stores with filth such as this. Avoid at all costs.

Horna - Musta Kaipuu (2009)

Released in July 2009, Musta Kaipuu is Horna's eighth full-length album, though not officially recognized as such. The material presented here was recorded during the epic Envaatnags Eflos Solf Esgantaavne sessions, back in 2004. For whatever reason, these songs were not chosen for that album and were left on the shelf. A few years later, Shatraug was looking to clear out a lot of unused songs, which resulted in a double L.P. in 2008 and then this collection of tracks being released the following year.

"Piina" is first up, and features several memorable riffs. It is mostly mid-paced and the guitar melodies work well to create a sombre atmosphere. The sound is identical to that of Envaatnags Eflos Solf Esgantaavne, with an emphasis on the raw guitar tone and the extremely hoarse vocals of Corvus. While being fairly solid, this was not the best song to use to open up the album, as it seems more suited for the middle of the record.

The aura darkens from the initial moments of "Haudanvarjo", which is a longer track that features more variation in the tempo. It alternates between slower ad faster sections, not impressing too much, but remaining decent enough. There is a great tremolo riff near the middle that is very memorable, which returns near the end. Overall, it is clear why this song was left off the 2005 release.

"Aldebaranin Susi" is a bit more upbeat, with a somewhat more energetic pace for the first couple of minutes. Following this, the atmosphere becomes increasingly morose as things slow down and the vocals convey a tormented feeling. This one is a bit shorter, only around five minutes, and could have benefited from a little more development. It is a good song, more enjoyable than the previous two, but it had the potential to be even better.

The arrangement of the songs is quite strange, as they did not bother to start with the strongest material. Instead, the tracks seem to display a higher level of quality the deeper you get. "Unohdetut Kasvot, Unohdettu Ääni" is an example of this, showing a lot more thought in songwriting and arrangement. It is somewhat melodic, compared to the more primitive songs on here, but still very grim and melancholic. The tempo is dynamic, but the atmosphere remains consistent. The guitar melodies conjure up a sense of loss and regret, with subtle hints of a more optimistic aura; much like one that mourns the passing of something meaningful, briefly remembering pleasant things before the realization hits that it is forever gone. There is no turning back.

"Vuohenlahko" is a rather primitive and straightforward track, though still bearing a dark and sorrowful quality. It is one of the shorter songs on here and the mournful tremolo riff that appears in the latter half could have been expanded upon. Instead of a supporting role, it should have been featured more prominently as it is the strongest and most effective riff of the whole song.

Another shorter track follows this. "Oi Kallis Kotimaa" begins with a woeful guitar riff and it looks to be one of the more memorable ones of the album, initially. The clean guitar adds to the miserable atmosphere as well, but the vocal approach ruins it. This sounds like something that one would expect from Isengard or some other Viking Metal project. It certainly does not suit this song, or Horna at all. Even if I was in the mood for that type of music, this would not be my cup of tea. This song should have been scrapped.

"Pohjanportti" is another mid-paced song that seems kind of bland, until the middle. At that point, the pace gets even slower and some open chords are utilized to give the track a more dismal feeling. Unfortunately, this part is too brief and only appears again at the very end. Once again, this is a song that is decent but completely pales in comparison to the material on Envaatnags Eflos Solf Esgantaavne.

The next song is "Sieluhaaska", which comes off as another average track that is pretty good but not great. Though the sound is raw and unpolished, one can hear what sounds like an almost folk-like melody with a more up-tempo feeling.

"Marraskuussa" is the highlight of the album, starting out with a haunting tremolo riff and soon transitioning to one that is even more miserable and desolate. Waves of misery and pain wash over you, dragging you to the abysmal depths and drowning you in utter grief and despair. You get the sense of no longer being able to breathe, as the mournful guitar riffs carve your flesh and the blood escapes your veins. The tortured vocals and the slower sections serve to create a morbid feeling, while you struggle to resist the horrible realization that it is all over. The hell that you are experiencing is eternal. Whatever good times you once enjoyed are forever gone and shall rapidly fade from your memory like a dream. In time, you will begin to question whether or not they ever existed, as the idea of anything pleasant will seem like some sort of product of your imagination. As the song draws to a conclusion, the woeful guitar melody confirms that nothing awaits you but suffering, and nothing else has ever existed.

The final track on here is "Menneiden Kaiku", which continues the gloomy journey into the depths of agony. You feel as if you are being pulled down or simply too weak to move. Your will is broken by this point and your spirit is weary. It is only a matter of time now. The grave is calling for you and nothing that you do will avoid this fate. Your feeble body shall fail you, and this world of misery will loosen its grip as you pass on to the realm of eternal pain and everlasting torment.

Musta Kaipuu is an interesting collection of songs. It possesses the consistency of a normal full-length album, as the material was written and recorded at the same time. On its own, it would be a decent record and only has one bad track. However, when compared to Envaatnags Eflos Solf Esgantaavne, it becomes quite evident that only "Marraskuussa" is on the same level and is worth the price of the CD, alone. That being said, Musta Kaipuu works well as a companion to the aforementioned album and is certainly a safe buy for any Horna fan.

Sargeist - Crimson Wine (2011)

Crimson Wine / As the Blood Flows On... is a split E.P. that features Sargeist and a worthless band by the name of Drowning the Light. For one reason or another, Shatraug and his cohorts do not seem to mind associating themselves with low-level bands that are not worth the time or attention. This split continues the tradition of partnering with useless scum, though I suppose it does well to make their own material look that much better by comparison. This 7" was released through Moribund Records, in February 2011, and limited to 500 copies.

Written and recorded in July 2007, "Crimson Wine" sat on the shelf for quite some time. The production is pretty rough, being much less clear than the full-length albums. Oddly, Sargeist has a habit of contributing songs various split albums that sound as if they were not mastered at all. This is much more raw and necro than the songs on Satanic Black Devotion or Disciple of the Heinous Path, which is saying something. The vocals are buried in the mix, compared to those albums, but not to the extent where Torog's voice cannot be heard at all. The drumming is clear enough, though it tends to blend into the background during the faster sections. Of course, the guitar is the dominant element here, yet even this is more distorted than usual. The song is mid-paced and possesses a morbid feeling, thanks in part to the open chords that are utilized, on and off, throughout the song. There is a decent amount of variation in tempo, keeping the track from stagnating. The few different riffs here all work well together in creating a sombre atmosphere, which is typical for this band.

As with some of the other split releases, Crimson Wine is not exactly representative of Sargeist's sound and is not recommended as a starting point for anyone that is new to the band. It is not even essential for longtime fans, as it is fairly average for a Sargeist song. Still, it is solid and certainly not a throw-away track. Pick it up if you get the chance, but do not go to great lengths to track it down.