Nachtfalke - Following the Wanderers Path (2007)

Following the Wanderers Path is the fifth L.P. from Nachtfalke, and marks a bit of a turning point. For the first time, Occulta Mors enlisted the aid of session musicians to help out in the studio, including someone else to handle the clean vocals. The songwriting is more oriented toward Viking Metal, this time around, with hardly any traces of the Moonblood sound left. Released in July 2007, this record would be the band's last, for some years to come.

It starts with "Call of the Gjallarhorn", opening with the sounds of a raging battle from centuries ago. The actual song is pure mid-paced Viking Metal, with a very triumphant vibe to it. The Bathory influence is obvious, though one could say that the primary purpose for this band's existence is only to carry on Quorthon's legacy, so this could be seen more as tribute than anything else. The verses features clean vocals, while the refrains offer a mixture of clean and harsh voices. The synth is kept to a minimum, but utilized to accentuate the epic atmosphere. This is kind of unnecessary, since the guitar solo is ten times more effective.

"My Skin is Bark" is an odd track, sounding quite similar to something from Emperor's In the Nightside Eclipse. Nearly everything, from the riffs to the synth, seems like a carbon copy of that Norwegian album. The reason that it is strange is because, while it does represent some remnant of the band's Black Metal side, it sounds nothing like their previous material and has nothing to do with continuing the Moonblood style.

"Amid Ancient Forests" is an instrumental interlude, featuring acoustic guitar and some nature sounds. The tone is sort of sombre, but not too much so.

The previous track leads into one of the very best songs on here, "To Stars High Above". As is so often the case with Nachtfalke, this is pure Bathory worship and it is done extremely well. It does not get much more epic than this. The mid-paced riffs carry a majestic feeling and the clean vocals add to this. There is a Doom riff that is injected into the track, a couple times, and accompanied by harsh vocals. This results in the darkening of the overall atmosphere. Again, keyboards are used, but not in an overbearing manner. The riffs and vocal lines are very memorable, which is something that can be said for much of this band's output.

"As a Falcon through the Night" starts out mid-paced and a little dull, but speeds up for a few moments, here and there. The problem is that the riffs are too upbeat and possess a happy, medieval feeling. One has to question whether or not Occulta Mors was alone in the songwriting, since he allowed others to participate in the recording of this album.

The next song is a cover of Bathory's "The Woodwoman", which turned out pretty well. This is not the first track from that album that I would consider recording, but it is not a bad song. It sort of fits the general tone of the L.P. in that it is rather average.

"Calm Before the Storm" is another acoustic interlude, which does little to add to the flow of the album and does not have much character, really.

"Halls of Hell" is the only track that hearkens back to Moonblood in any way, though the riffs that do so are interrupted by others that seem to come from somewhere else. There are some strange synth effects that give the song an odd vibe, not necessarily in a good way. As the song moves along, it slows down and offers a couple more riffs that sound very typical of Occulta Mors. This is followed by a section that utilizes some open-arpeggio chords, helping to give things a morose feel. The harsh vocals are more passionate and miserable than on any other song, here.

The final proper song is "Beyond the Fire", a mic-paced affair with an emphasis on clean vocals, though not exclusively. The main riff seems very familiar, but I cannot place it. This track is rather repetitive, with a decent solo to liven things up a little, near the end. A good, solid song.

"Dawn of a New Age" is another acoustic instrumental that could have been left off or re-worked, somehow.

Following the Wanderers Path is a definite step down from As the Wolves Died, being a little inconsistent and dull. It is not bad, by any means, and can be quite enjoyable; however, the quality of the songwriting does not hold p under close analysis, especially when compared to its predecessors. There are moments where Nachtfalke really shines, but they are a bit less frequent this time around.

Nachtfalke - As the Wolves Died (2005)

Nachtfalke's fourth full-length album, As the Wolves Died, was released on Christhunt Productions in 2005. This record picks up from where Land of Frost let off, yet takes things to a darker realm, possessing more of a grim feeling hearkening back to Moonblood. By this point, the band's sound was solidified as a mixture of Bathory-inspired Viking Metal, mixed with pure Second Wave Black Metal.

The album begins with "Call from Udgaard", which is a simple synth intro, though not entirely necessary. Over the years, many bands got the impression that intros were obligatory, and too few utilized them in a proper manner.

The first song is "Wrath of Old Gods", which sounds like a continuation of Moonblood, consisting of fast tremolo melodies, blast beats and grim vocals. The guitar tone is fuzzier and thinner, rather than the heavier sound that was prevalent on the last record. The riffs flow naturally from one to the next and are haunting in their own way.

"Let Me Die" starts with a medieval intro, before launching into an epic sound inspired by Bathory. It is a mid-paced track that includes some rather majestic guitar melodies. The lyrics tell the tale of a Norse warrior that is prepared for death, not out of any sort of misery or anguish but having accomplished what he set out to do in this world and being ready to fight on in eternity. This song is a bit repetitive, with no real variation in tempo, but the atmosphere is such that any sort of fast section would have been out of place.

"Let me die Allfather
And awake in Valhall
My blood runs for you
That you can hear my call"

"Praise the War" is another song that is reminiscent of Moonblood's glory days, with the only difference being the deeper vocals of Occulta Mors. The riffs are tremolo-picked, but there are parts where the drumming slows down and the song takes on a more epic vibe for a few moments. This song is quite memorable, especially the faster parts, and is easily identifiable as being Nachtfalke.

The full-on Viking Metal approach returns on "Midsummer", which really displays a lot of Bathory worship, such as the subtle clean guitar chords that are added in. The riffs are monumental, in a sense, and give off the feeling that something significant is soon to be upon you. This is almost like something that one would expect to hear as you prepare for the final battle at the end of the world. There is one melody near the end, in particular, that is absolutely brilliant. It screams Bathory, but it does not matter. Such genius should be hailed, regardless of where the inspiration comes from.

"When the Wolves Return" has an atmosphere all its own, not really sounding like any of the other songs. It has more of a subdued feel, with a bit of synth to accentuate the atmosphere. The old school drum rhythm is a nice touch, as well.

The next song is a cover of Bathory's "Blood and Iron". Land of Frost was the first Nachtfalk album to not include a cover song, so it was pleasant to see that As the Wolves Died revived this tradition. Keeping Quorthon's spirit alive is a very admirable thing and this band certainly does justice to his work and his legacy. Occulta Mors does a great job with the music and is unbelievably good at reproducing the same tone for the vocals. At times, one could swear that he just took the original and added some distortion to it, as it is very dead on.

The album ends with "Hail the Old Gods", which is an instrumental that really continues the vibe from the Bathory song. It has a very introspective and sombre tone, ending things in a gloomy way.

As the Wolves Died is yet another solid release from Germany's Nachtfalke. With this one band, the legacies of Bathory and Moonblood are carried on with pride and honour. The sound is unique, in that I have not heard any other band mix these styles. Rather than taking the folk-based approach and making something light and weak, Occulta Mors keeps his music rooted in Black Metal, never forgetting where he came from. This is an essential release for fans of this band or the style in general. Buy this now.

Ulver - Nattens Madrigal (1997)

After releasing a couple albums that had little or nothing to do with Black Metal, Ulver returned in 1997 (or 1996, according to their official site) with Nattens Madrigal. This album featured a much different approach and sounded like a completely different band, for the most part. While Bergtatt featured a mixture of generic Black Metal with an overuse of folk parts, Kveldssanger abandoned the Metal, altogether. So it was a shock to many when the band changed their sound, once again, this time opting for an extremely raw and minimalist approach.

My first impression upon hearing this album, years ago, was that this was Ulver's belated response to Darkthrone's Transilvanian Hunger. Other than an isolated acoustic break in the first track, the entire album consists of blast beats and high-speed tremolo melodies. Musically, this is about as primitive as Ulver ever managed to sound, and they did a fine job of it. One has to wonder if they were serious with this record or just taking the piss out of some of their peers. Either way, the result is not bad, at all. While the style of playing is similar to early Darkthrone, the actual melodies are quite different and most of the songs feature more than just a couple riffs. The atmosphere of the melodies is a far cry from that found on Transilvanian Hunger, as this is not nearly as dark of an album. The average tempo is a little faster as well, as if the record is playing at double speed. Even though these guys are utilizing different techniques for this release, the actual melodies are still quite similar to what they did in the past, giving the album a lighter feel than one would expect. As Nattens Madrigal progresses, the riffs get weaker and weaker.

The production is the real focus, here. Ulver stripped things down as much as possible, without straying into garage territory. The guitar tone is razor-sharp and pierces your ears almost to the point of bleeding. It is not exactly a cold sound, just sharp and painful. The buzzing echoes in your skull for hours after the music ends. The drums are fairly limited, being just high enough in the mix to keep time but not really possessing any sort of character. The vocals are quite strained and intense, adding to the overall effect. The lyrics are in archaic Danish, which also lends a bit of an obscure vibe to Garm's voice. This was all about creating a sound that was raw and ugly, and the band succeeded in this. It is too bad that their songwriting skills did not match the sound, since it demonstrated that they had a weak grasp on what they were doing. Rumour has it that the band recorded this L.P. in the forest, though that seems quite ridiculous and implausible.

Nattens Madrigal is a fairly average album. It is decent for those that wish to hear something with an extremely raw sound, but the actual content is lackluster and only a couple of tracks stand out. This is one of those releases that gets hyped to death, but fails to deliver. It may satisfy the Century Media crowd, but real Black Metallers should pass this up and invest their time in something more worthy.

Zemial - For the Glory of UR (1996)

For the Glory of UR is the first full-length album from the Hellenic Black Metal band known as Zemial, coming four years after the Sleeping Under Tartarus E.P. Released by Hypervorea in 1996, this L.P. showcased a style of playing quite unlike the rest of their peers. The Greek sound, typified by the likes of Rotting Christ, Varathron and Necromantia, is absent here. In this case, the band's inspiration seems to have come from the north, as their approach is much more in line with Bathory and Darkthrone than with their own country mates.

The album starts with "The Blood Unbinds the Dragon", an intro that sounds like something from a horror movie. Even this instrumental is dynamic and features a decent amount of development as the moments of dread are interspersed with brief interludes of serenity.

"The Tears That Wet Gethsemane" is the first proper song, and it bursts forth with intensity. Musically, this keeps to the northern Black Metal style, featuring fast drumming, tremolo melodies and raspy vocals. The sound is rather thin, as well, which suits the material just fine. There are hints of Darkthrone and Celtic Frost influences, but nothing too transparent.

The next song witnesses a shift from the grim atmosphere of the first track to a more epic feeling, reminiscent of Viking-era Bathory. "Battle on the Norse Mountains" is more mid-paced and features lyrics about the Norse gods, which may seem strange for a Greek band. The vocals still retain the same harsh sound, which compliments the music. The song gets more epic as it progresses, with a slight touch of synth to accentuate the atmosphere, before finishing out with an old school rhythm.

"Gathering Under the Red Moon / Apophis - The Serpent Self" is a more straightforward track, consisting of raw and primitive Thrash riffs, hearkening back to the ugliness of early Sodom. To hear a band still utilizing the old style of Black Metal, combined with the Second Wave sound, is quite pleasing. The song concludes with hypnotic tremolo riffs, followed by a decent guitar solo.

This is followed by "Sleeping Under Tartarus", which sounds exactly like the version on the 1992 E.P. The only difference is that it seems to have been remastered, eliminating some of the hissing and static from the master tape. If this is not the case, then they did an excellent job re-recording the song in such an accurate manner.

"The Scourge of the Kingdom" seems to be the same as the last track, simply lifted from the old E.P. and cleaned up a little bit. Strange that, after so many years, the band could only find time to write and re-cord four new songs.

Thankfully, the re-released version of this album contains a couple of extra tracks, "Nocturnal Witch" and a cover of Bathory's "Armageddon", both of which possessing an old school Black / Thrash feeling and fitting in well with the rest of the material.

Zemial is a bit of a disappointment, just for the lengthy periods of inactivity. A band with such a good grasp of what Black Metal is all about should have been recording a new album each year or so. As it regards For the Glory of UR, this is not necessarily the record for you if typical Hellenic Black Metal is what you seek. Nonetheless, this is pure and uncompromising Black Metal that mixes the approach of the ancient ones with the northern techniques, to create something memorable and worthy of anyone's collection.

Trelldom - Til Evighet... (1995)

Trelldom was among the legions of Black Metal bands that came pouring out of Norway in the mid-1990s. Once bands like Mayhem, Darkthrone and Burum blazed a trail, the darkened hordes gathered in the north and began doing their best to join in the assault on the light. Some were merely looking for a convenient bandwagon to jump on, in hopes of riding the wave of notoriety that the initial bands enjoyed. In some cases, however, those that came later actually shared some of the same sentiments, despite being latecomers. In the case of Trelldom, it would seem that they really wanted to contribute to the overall darkness that was filling the northern skies. Released in April 1995 on Head Not Found, Til Evighet... is the product of Gaahl's appreciation for the Second Wave bands such as Darkthrone, Burzum and maybe even Gorgoroth.

"Endløs Vandring Gjennom Evighet" starts out with an odd synth intro, before launching into a straightforward assault, similar to Darkthrone. Despite being quite short, it is a rather dynamic track. The fast sections, featuring tremolo riffs and blast beats, dominate the song while there are also mid-paced riffs that add some depth to the proceedings.

The next song is probably the best one on here. "Fullmaanens Hemmelighet" begins with miserable screams that are reminiscent of early Burzum or even Forgotten Woods. The haunting tremolo melodies are among the most memorable on the whole album, though interspersed with more old school riffing in the vein of old Celtic Frost. There is a definite Darkthrone influence here, as well, but everything is worked together in such a way as to create a coherent whole. Later on, the pace slows down and mournful riffs add to the dismal atmosphere, along with the anguished vocals.

"Disappearing Of The Burning Moon" starts out with a riff that sounds similar to something from Gorgoroth's Pentagram. It soon shifts to faster tremolo melodies, mixed in with thrashy riffs that seem reminiscent of Mütiilation. The pace slows down, late in the song, again giving it an increased feeling of gloominess.

"Sannhet, Smerte Og Død" starts with fast tremolo-picked melodies and blasting drums, accompanied by tormented vocals. It definitely carries a Darkthrone / Gorgoroth vibe, while also including some Bathory-inspired parts. There is an epic quality that attempts to seep in, but the particular melody that bears that feeling is buried in the mix and unable to really break through. The song succeeds in reaching such heights anyway, thanks to the mournful riffs that emerge near the end, dragging the listener deeper into the darkness. This is another one of the more notable tracks on the album.

Next up is "Taake", which is a shorter track that maintains a fast pace throughout. Most of the riffs here would not be out of place on Transilvanian Hunger. This is kind of average, though not bad in any way. It simply does not match the previous song, though it is solid as can be. The intensity grows as it progresses, building a sense of tension for what is to come.

"Sunset" starts out with another riff with obvious Darkthrone influence. Gaahl's session musicians are quite capable players, as everything is tight and precise, executing the musical ideas with full confidence. Though this track might seem short, it is about average length for this release and manages to accomplish a lot over the course of its brief duration. Near the end of the song, there is a part where the tremolo melody is alone and then joined by the rest of the instruments. This sort of technique is always effective, and helps to allow the listener to really focus on and soak in the riff. Even once the other elements return, your mind is solely concerned with the haunting melody.

"Chains Of Solitude" includes some miserable riffs, and does well to convey feelings of hopelessness and sorrow. As before, despite the length, there are many variations in tempo and a decent number of riffs utilized. This song absolutely contains the single most depressing melody of the whole album.

This is followed by "Frosten Har Tint Mine Smerter", which does not have the best vocal patterns, but is still decent enough. For a song that lasts barely more than two minutes, a lot is accomplished in this time.

The L.P. reaches its inevitable conclusion with "Til Evighet...", which is a mid-paced track that possesses a dreary and sombre feeling, slowly crawling forth with a deathly vibe. The open chords at the end of the riffs help to add to the miserable atmosphere. The middle of the song is reminiscent of Celtic Frost, before shifting to a riff influenced by Burzum. This fades into a synth outro, which builds upon the miserable feeling that weaves in and out of this album, leaving things on a dismal note.

Til Evighet... is an underrated album that does a much better job than many of the other later bands to emerge from Norway, around this time. Though their influences are clear, they are worked into the music well enough to not detract from what is going on and the record really has a feeling all its own. While a lot of useless albums were being spewed from the north, during this time, this is quality material and is recommended for fans of Darkthrone, Gorgoroth and Forgotten Woods.

Dødheimsgard - Monumental Possession (1996)

Monumental Possession is the sophomore effort from Norway's Dødheimsgard. Released on Malicious Records in June 1996, just a year and a half after their debut album, this record is an entirely different beast and improves on just about every flaw that existed on Kronet Til Konge. The musical approach is more primitive and straightforward, while the vocal performance is shared between three different members. The average song length is a little shorter and there are fewer of them, as well. It is a mystery as to why this L.P. is the lesser-known of the two, as it is superior in all ways.

After a horrific intro, the album gets its proper start with "Utopia Running Scarlet", which demonstrates just how much the band had regressed by this point. The music is a mixture of the typical Norwegian Black Metal sound and old school Black / Thrash. Some of these riffs would not be out of place on an Aura Noir album. Vicotnik's vocals are done in a very grim manner, correcting the unpleasant job done on the band's first release.

"The Crystal Specter" is another slab of primitive Black Metal, with Aldrahn actually utilizing his voice in a way more suiting the material, this time around. This song features the standard tremolo riffing, along with Thrash / Speed riffs that really drive things forward. It all possesses a frenetic and hellish feeling, rather than the meandering style that the band so often fell into on their debut.

The next song has a rather ridiculous title, "The Bluebell Heart", but the music speaks for itself. Apollyon's vocals are the most impressive of the three, here. It starts out as a mid-paced affair, more in tune with old Celtic Frost, before speeding up. The Darkthrone influence is still present, even though Fenriz is no longer in the band, but it is worked into the song quite naturally and the transitions from one section to the next are smooth. There is an epic quality to the latter guitar melodies, emphasized by the more intense vocal delivery. Everything about this is done well and the band, obviously, knew exactly what they intended to do.

The title track is another one featuring Aldrahn's voice, which is much more tolerable in small doses. Some of the riffs are somewhat reminiscent of early Satyricon, in a subtle way. For the most part, this is a primitive and mid-paced track. The brief solo, around the middle, is a nice touch and should have been expanded upon.

"Fluency" is another Black / Thrash assault, tearing your face right off. Vicotnik's voice is evil and trollish in a sense, perfectly complimenting the atmosphere being created by the music. The pace is very intense and the onslaught seems as if it will only end with your untimely demise. Some of the double-bass could have been dropped, but it does little to affect the overall feel of the song.

"Angel Death" is another vicious song that rips right through you, proof that old school Thrash never died off, completely. The similarities to Aura Noir are too much to ignore, and it is safe to say that this would certainly appeal to the same people. The faster riffs are relentless, while the later Thrash riffs have an almost sentimental quality to them.

This is followed by a song that gives the impression of maintaining the same type of style as on the previous album, though it is also infused with some Thrash riffs. "Lost in Faces" features extended periods of tremolo riffs and blast beats, along with Vicotnik's sinister voice. The final moments almost come off as a cleaned-up version of what Mütiilation was trying to do, around the same time.

The final song, "The Ultimate Reflection", is the longest one yet only lasts six minutes. There are no annoying acoustic guitar intros, here. The bands just gets right to business, annihilating everything in their path. Apollyon's voice is evil as Hell, and the wicked guitar solos add to the overall atmosphere of burning in the fiery depths. As with the rest of the album, this track bludgeons the listener, mercilessly, leaving nothing behind but a charred and disfigured corpse. After a few minutes, the music passes and a worthless outro fills space for a few minutes.

Dødheimsgard did what Darkthrone did not yet have the courage to do, around this time. They made their sound even uglier and more primitive, regressing back to an older sound that better captured the feeling of raw evil and total death. Monumental Possession is an appropriate title as, for one release, the band was possessed by the ancient ones just long enough to create something that was a fitting tribute to the darkness of the past, before moving on to other interests. This is much better than Kronet Til Konge and is highly recommended.

Katharsis - World Without End (2006)

World Without End, the third full-length album from Germany's Katharsis, represented an even deeper descent into pure chaos. Released in August 2006 on Norma Evangelium Diaboli, this record witnessed the band finding their own identity, more than ever, for better or worse. While not exactly following through with what began on 666, Katharsis certainly developed quite a hellish sound.

"Eden Below" bursts forth like a torrent from Hell, possessed with utter chaotic fury. From the guitar riffs to Drakh's maniacal vocals to the intense drumming, hearing this is like the equivalent of a nuclear explosion in your skull. The riffs are quite frenetic and the drumming is thunderous, if not a bit high in the mix. The vocals have a little too much reverb for my taste, but this should not pose a problem for most. As the song progresses, the guitar melodies become a little more focused, though M.K. distracts from this, somewhat, with his overactive percussion. The pace slows down, around the middle, accompanied by some demonic screams that do well to convey a sense of trepidation. They fail to capitalize on this, returning to the faster theme for the remainder of the song.

The next song, "Kross Fyre", rises from the maelstrom and gradually builds up before unleashing a merciless onslaught of raw Black Metal. Though the influence is still felt, it is safe to say that the band had come a long way from sounding like a mere Darkthrone clone. The foundation is still the same, but the manner in which Katharsis built upon it is what made the difference. That said, this track never seems to get the momentum going. Just when it appears that they might, it ends.

"Wytchdance" is a lengthy song, clocking in at eleven minutes. The otherworldly guitar riffs are accentuated by an absolutely eerie vocal performance, really coming together to create a dark and hellish atmosphere. The drumming is similar to Gorgoroth's "Possessed (By Satan)", at times. After a few minutes, things slow down and the listener is filled with dread at the coming darkness. The inhuman wailing is joined by riffs of an more old school approach, lasting a few minutes. This bears a really ugly and primitive feeling, which is exactly what most people that listen to this are looking for to begin with. As the song fades out, one gets the sense of being pulled right into Hell, so much that you can feel the flames lick your flesh.

This is followed by "Ascent from Ghoulgotha", which starts out with typical Katharsis riffs, interrupted by a brief pause, before proceeding with the hideous attack on the listener's senses. The first few minutes almost have more of a primitive Bathory feeling, before transitioning to something more akin to the Second Wave bands that so strongly influenced them. There are some decent tremolo riffs around the middle of the song, though the production lessens the overall impact. Later on, the pace slows down and the down-tempo feeling adds yet another layer of darkness to the track. It all ends with a strange sample that inscreases the lost and desolate feeling of the listener, as if you are in a waiting room near the gates of Hell.

"Kosmik Sacrifice" is a strange track in that the ending sample from the previous track continues in the background, while the band blasts through a brief track, more for effect than anything else. It is less than two minutes, yet serves its purpose well and is quite interesting.

The album reaches its conclusion with the sixteen-minute long title track. The slow riffs create a very morbid atmosphere, hearkening back to Hellhammer's "Triumph of Death", with Drakh doing a good job in matching the type of misery found in Satanic Slaughter's voice, all those years before. The following riffs are like a nightmarish twist on Celtic Frost. The brief guitar solos that are added in are a nice touch, something that a lot of other bands should think of utilizing. The bass also seems more noticeable on this track, adding to the dismal feeling though doing little more than shadowing the main riffs. It takes about six minutes for the song to really get underway, but every bit of the build up was certainly essential. By this point, the riffs show a mixture of Bathory and Celtic Frost, though one has to wonder if this is as much out of real appreciation for those bands or because they are so strongly influenced by Darkthrone, thus being somewhat unaware of what they are even doing. The grim and primitive riffs then transition to a lone tremolo melody that is soon mated with more ghastly moans and intense drumming. This section of the song openly betrays the Darkthrone influence, yet again; nonetheless, all of these various elements flow together quite well and the end result is the lengthy epic that Katharsis had hoped to create for some time before this. The final minutes see the introduction of clean vocals that join Drakh's normal voice, albeit buried for the most part, and a very memorable riff to lead the song toward its demise. The Celtic Frost riff returns, fading into obscurity and bringing things to an end.

What Katharsis accomplished with World Without End was a vast improvement over Kruzifixxion. The songwriting is far superior, maintaining the listener's interest and making the most of their abilities. There are times where their influences show through more than others, but the overall impression is that the band developed their own style by this point, one that was easily recognizable. Though the best tracks here may not match up to the very best of their debut album, World Without End is probably the stronger of the two, as a whole. Seek this out with confidence.