Ondskapt - Slave Under His Immortal Will (2001)

Created in the year 2000, by Acerbus and Nabemih, Ondskapt has remained one of the more obscure bands within the modern Swedish Black Metal scene. With only four releases to the band's credit, they have still managed to make a name for themselves in the underground, due to the quality of their work. Released in June 2001, Slave Under His Immortal Will is still one of the best recordings to come from the darkened minds behind Ondskapt.

Containing only two songs, this E.P. bears similarities to other Swedish bands of the time period, such as Watain and Armagedda. There is a murky atmosphere to this material that hearkens back to Mayhem's classic period, and surpasses that of their contemporaries. One must bear in mind that this came a couple years prior to Casus Luciferi. With evil guitar melodies that could have easily been written by Euronymous, “Slave Under His Immortal Will” and “Dark Path” take the listener on a journey into the blackest of shadows. The tempos are varied, with a lot of emphasis on slower and more mid-paced sections, allowing the riffs to really soak into your subconscious, while the distant and tortured vocals add a hellish feeling. There is nothing violent or intense about this, at all. Ondskapt was not trying to compete with the speed or technicality of many others; rather, they focused on creating a bleak and dismal mood. This is most evident, late in the first track, as a sombre guitar melody is accompanied by tormented howls, sending chills down your spine. The musicianship is not the tightest, but this is actually reminiscent of many of the bands that formed the Second Wave, and is preferable to the mechanical sound that is so prevalent in recent years.

The production demonstrates a fairly good balance. The guitars have a fuzzy tone to them, but are still thick enough to pack a bit of a punch. Things are clear enough to be heard pretty well, except during the brief fast parts in the second song, where it all runs together a bit. One may notice that the bass is much more audible than on most Black Metal releases, but this adds a layer of gloom to the overall sound. It is absolutely necessary for the bass to be as high as it is in the mix, accordingly. The vocals are buried, somewhat, but it may be for effect and certainly assists in giving it an otherworldly vibe.

Slave Under His Immortal Will is a high quality release and is recommended for any Black Metal fan. Whether you happen to be into the more recent Swedish sound, or a fan of the early '90s releases, this should appeal to you. This E.P. Is a good starting point for anyone interested in exploring the music of Ondskapt, though it may be that you find this superior to all that they released afterward.

Worship - Last Tape Before Doomsday (1999)

Spawned within the German underground in the late '90s, Worship emerged onto the Funeral Doom scene with a very monumental recording. Originally released on cassette, in limited numbers, Last Tape Before Doomsday made an impact like few others. It has been reissued on a variety of formats, with the name changing accordingly, since it was first heard in April 1999. It goes to show just how important this is, that several labels have made sure to keep it alive and available, throughout the past decade or so.

Containing only four songs, this demo still manages to clock in at over 46 minutes, which is average length for an L.P. The material does well to uphold the traditions set forth by bands like Thergothon and Skepticism, while also taking some influence from the likes of Bethlehem and Mournful Congregation. In a sense, this takes the whole concept of Funeral Doom to a new extreme, with the majority of the material crawling at such a deathlike pace that it may tax the listener's patience. However, for that very reason, it is best to listen to this when you are actually in the right mood, rather than just tossing it in casually. The songwriting is very primitive and minimalist, with so little going on at times that the slightest change makes that much more of an impact. Each song features a lot of subtle changes, while rarely straying too far from the main theme. To experience Worship's Last Tape Before Doomsday is to die a slow death, being tortured the entire time. Just hearing the anguished vocals of Max Varnier, combined with the mournful riffs and the oppressive atmosphere, is to suffer in torment. The gloomy melodies have a way of reaching deep within you and pulling all of the misery and sorrow of an entire lifetime right up to the surface, to be felt at full force once more. This is most evident on the song “Solicide and the Dawning of the Moonkult”, which has to be the most effective and memorable piece of music on this release. From the very beginning, the dismal riffs and life-weary vocals drain the energy right out of you and leave you eagerly awaiting a swift death. And yet the end will not be painless. The utter despair that grips you is unlike anything that you have ever known, and you are imbued with an inescapable hopelessness. As the music slowly progresses, additional riffs are gradually introduced, along with quieter acoustic bits that hearken back to Bethlehem's prime. There is something epic about the arrangements, yet this is no fantasy trip that you are taken on. This is an involuntary journey through pitch-black darkness and the ultimate realization that there is no purpose for the horror and misery that you feel deep within. You begin to see the world for what it really is, and a powerful longing to leave this life behind grows inside of you. Just as you think that you may be able to tolerate it and to persevere, it intensifies and lays waste to what little resolve you still possessed.

While the first two songs may be more depressing and recall heartbreaking moments of absolute melancholy, the second half of the album builds upon this in an unexpected way. While the approach is still very much the same, with the songs slowly crawling from the blackness, the riffs convey more of a bleak feeling that goes beyond personal tragedies and agonizing memories. There is something more sinister and all-encompassing about “Eclipse of Sorrow”, in particular. In this case, it may be that there is a more direct link to the underlying malevolence that lies at the root of all insurmountable afflictions. This is where the record manages to avoid simply being a one-dimensional batch of depressing tunes, and still calls forth to the primordial evil that waits in the dark shadows, ever-watchful. While the final melodies of “Whispering Gloom” slice into your flesh and begin the wretched bloodbath, “Worship” is more of a reminder than no one will even be around to mourn your loss and that it was all for nothing. You remember just how insignificant you are, and that your immeasurable suffering is as meaningless as the rest of your pitiful existence.

"There will never be a dawn again
Our darkness has begun"

As one would expect from a demo, this is pretty under-produced. It is, by no means, as necro as a lot of demo-quality Black Metal, but it possesses a rawness that truly suits the atmosphere and the songwriting, giving it a stronger sense of of genuineness that would have been lost if these songs had been recorded in an expensive studio. Though the compositions are very strong, that would have rendered them rather stale. Thankfully, Worship got just the right sound for this. The guitars are suffocating, the bass is audible enough to add a layer of woe to the proceedings, while the vocals and drums are leveled-off enough to keep them from overpowering the soul-crushing riffs. The guitar tone is flawless, working well to emphasize the miserable melodies, enabling them to instantly drain the energy from your body and to give you a disturbing sinking feeling. There is enough clarity to hear what is going on, at all times, but not so much that the music would lose something.

For fans of Funeral Doom, that have not yet heard this, you are doing yourself a disservice. Worship has not made as much of a name for themselves as they should have, partially due to Max's suicide in 2001, but what the band has released is on par with anything else that the sub-genre has to offer. If you are annoyed with the older Death / Doom releases for not being grim enough, or the ever-flowing stream of Doom bands that incorporate too many romantic elements in an effort to create something 'pretty', Last Tape Before Doomsday is certainly for you. Now, listen to this and then kill yourself.

Bathory - Destroyer of Worlds (2001)

The story of Bathory is one with many twists and turns. From the early period, inspired by hardcore punk and the likes of Motörhead and Venom, on through the more epic Viking-era and then to the strange midlife crisis that characterized the band's mid-'90s output, Quorthon created a musical legacy like no other. And so, six years after the last Bathory full-length, the band released its tenth L.P. Titled Destroyer of Worlds, this record had a lot to live up to. According to interviews, the original material was a bit progressive and ended up being totally scrapped as, once word that a new Bathory album was spread, Quorthon received a lot of fan mail that indicated that what the fans wanted was a return to earlier styles. As the story goes, the band hastily wrote new songs, based on this feedback, and this is what was released to the world in October 2001. Unfortunately, if this is true, it would mean that the only fans that cared enough to write were those with bad taste, as the end result is completely disappointing.

The record begins on somewhat of a positive note, with three tracks that hearken back to the Nordic style that was featured on classic albums such as Hammerheart and even Blood On Ice. “Lake of Fire”, “Destroyer of Worlds” and “Ode” are mid-paced songs that possess an epic feeling that would surely be pleasing to fans of the band's Viking-era. Everything is there, from the acoustic bits to the choir vocals to the memorable guitar melodies. The first and third songs would not have been out of place on Twilight of the Gods, for example. The title track fits in, somewhat, but is the weak link of these three, being a bit repetitive and less-inspired. “Ode” has the most feeling behind it, with Quorthon's vocals really conveying a sombre mood not heard since “Fade Away”, from his second solo effort. Had Destroyer of Worlds been an E.P. That featured only these songs, then it would have been a much more successful endeavour. However, these tracks are followed up by material that is not worthy of the Bathory name.

It is difficult to comprehend the mentality behind the rest of the songs. The music does not encapsulate the band's entire career, as it merely touches upon the Viking sound and then meanders through a miserable hell of garbage that is reminiscent of Octagon. It is a mixture of bad Thrash with a lot of unbearable groove nonsense. There are occasional moments where Quorthon obviously tried tying things together with a choir or acoustic part, here or there, but it does nothing to salvage this filth. The thing that makes this so depressing is that he has always been such a talented musician and songwriter, yet sometimes churns out ridiculous trash for his own amusement, possibly. As a longtime Bathory fan, it is truly disturbing to even attempt to listen to the rest of this and it is strongly recommended that no one does so, unless you wish to punish yourself. The production is rather shoddy, but not so terrible. It is not bad in the same sense as the early albums, where it actually adds some rawness to the atmosphere. It just sounds muffled and flat, throughout the majority of the recording. It tends to hold back the few good songs, just slightly, while making the rest all the more atrocious.

If you consider yourself to be a die-hard Bathory fan, find some way to acquire “Lake of Fire” and “Ode”, and then forget that the rest even exist. You will forever regret it, if you decide to let curiosity get the better of you and try exploring the rest of the album. It is one of the most bloody awful things to happen within the realm of Metal and truly sickens and offends me as a loyal member of the Bathory Hordes. Avoid this like the plague, or like a hooker with oozing sores around her mouth. Destroyer of Worlds is a despicable blemish on Bathory's legacy and may have been the final nail in the coffin, if not for the brilliant Nordland releases. If this represents what the fans wanted, then all those that wrote letters should be tracked down and massacred.

Abruptum - Evil (1991)

The music of Abruptum is something that can be difficult to describe. Released in November 1991, the Evil E.P. possesses more elements of actual Metal, compared to the later works issued under this name. However, it would be equally appropriate to label this as some sort of ambient effort, long before the likes of Burzum or Beherit wandered into such territory. Whatever tag one may attach to this, the title of the album remains just as accurate.

What one can expect with Evil is a horrific descent into the darkest shadows, where no light survives. The absolutely hellish sounds have very little structure, which better enables listeners to get lost in thought. In a sense, the lack of arrangement serves to carry you off into the deepest nightmare imaginable, and you only realize it once it is already too late. Demonic voices call to you, from all sides, summoning you forth. The guitar riffs are very slow and doom-like, with a murky tone that adds to the atmosphere of torment. Keyboards come and go, sounding like something from an old Italian horror film. Everything about this is incredibly unsettling, if experienced in the right way. Much like the music, the vocals have absolutely no recognizable pattern; rather, the voices are simply one more element that adds to the overall effect. The two tracks, here, only amount to about ten minutes and yet that is all the time necessary for one to suffer an eternity of torture.

For one to be introduced to this now, two decades after its initial release, may be less impressive than in 1991. However, this was certainly the most evil and hellish thing to emerge from Sweden during this time period and should be heard for historical value, if nothing else. Still, it is quite likely that, if you listen to this in total darkness and solitude, you will feel the overwhelming horror that was intended. 

Carpathian Forest - Morbid Fascination of Death (2001)

Morbid Fascination of Death is the third full-length album from Carpathian Forest, released on Avantgarde Music in 2001. This is the last record to feature both Nattefrost and Nordavind, as the latter would depart the band after this. Their final effort together sees their creation coming full circle, as this album seems to be the most natural successor to their 1995 mini-album, Through Chasm, Caves and Titan Woods. The music is much more straightforward, with only minimal experimentation. Sadly, even after removing most of the worst elements, the end result is still below-average and unimpressive.

The album begins with “Fever, Flame and Hell”, which is an odd intro track that features cheesy, horror-inspired synth. It really does not fit in very well, taking away from the overall impact of the rest of the material and getting things off to a bad start. This is the sort of thing that one would expect from Rob Zombie, not a Norwegian Black Metal band.

The first real song is “Doomed to Walk the Earth as Slaves of the Living Dead”. The title may be ridiculously long, but this is one of the most memorable tunes ever recorded by Carpathian Forest. It does a good job of setting the tone for the rest of the record, while also making up for the nonsense that preceded it. The old school Celtic Frost-meets-Mayhem vibe is still present, as is the less serious vibe that characterizes a lot of this band's output.

With only a brief rest in-between, the title track bursts forth in a furious manner. This song is a lot faster and more intense than the last one. There is not a lot of variation on display, but that is probably a good thing as it offers less opportunities for the band to play around and ruin a good thing. “Morbid Fascination of Death” gets right to the point, bludgeons all in sight and then vanishes as quickly as it appeared.

“Through Self-Mutilation” features more technical bits, with the riffs and drumming becoming a little overactive, at times. The band seems to be channeling later Immortal, during those brief moments at the beginning and end; however, the rest is more simplistic. This would be a rather average song, but the strange vocal effects, near the end, make it unbearable.

This is followed by “Knokkelmann”, which gets things back on track with a decent slab of old school Black Metal. Again, the primary influences seem to be Celtic Frost and Mayhem, which is not a bad thing. There is a thrashy part that could have been toned down, just due to how awkwardly it fits in, as well as unnecessary synth that does nothing to benefit the track. If Carpathian Forest had focused on the more primitive and nasty riffs, they might have accomplished much more.

“Warlord of Misanthropy” is filler, more or less, and is very much out of place on this album. Most of the riffs would have been better suited for a modern Death Metal album, and it all comes off as very disorganized. Even the slower riffs are fairly worthless and do little to create any sort of feeling, whatsoever.

The next song is a very good example of how inconsistent and lost Nattefrost and Nordavind often were. “A World of Bones” starts out with a more Rock-based rhythm, early on, yet changes its identity a couple times. The middle section sees the pace slow down, as the band attempts something more atmosphere, only to abandon what little momentum they build up in order to throw in more random ideas to close the song out.

Following this abomination is one of the best songs on this album, “Carpathian Forest”. Unfortunately, it is merely a re-recording of a song that previously appeared on their debut E.P. This version is pretty faithful to the original, except that it is slightly less enjoyable due to the very minor differences in tempo and so on. Nattefrost's vocals are weaker and less sinister, as well. There was no reason to record this song again, other than to try resurrection the brief period when Carpathian Forest had a little bit of potential.

“Cold Comfort” is more of an experimental track, which would possess sort of a sombre vibe (with a melody reminiscent of the main theme from the 1980 horror film, 'Maniac'), but the atmosphere is ruined by what sounds like a saxophone. Whoever came up with this idea should be blinded with a railroad spike, as it kills what little chance this had of being decent, while also introducing yet another foreign element into the sub-genre.

“Speechless” is a similar track that utilizes only minimal guitars and synth, with whispered vocals, sounding more like an outro than anything else. At least, in this case, the approach is pretty consistent and there are no more ridiculous appearances by instruments that have no business being used by a Black Metal band. 

Ending the album is a cover of an old Mayhem song, “Ghoul”. They pull it off rather well, maintaining the filthy, old school attitude of the original, just with better sound quality. In terms of songwriting and performance, this has to be the very best track on this record. The sad thing about that is the fact that another band wrote the song. Furthermore, the execution is not that great, just better than on the rest of the songs. It says a lot about your band when the songs you cover destroy your original material.

In the end, this is another disappointing release from a band that should have done so much better. The music is based in '80s Black Metal, mixed with Rock influences as well, but the songwriting is just so half-hearted. Only a few of the songs are worth listening to, more than once. For a band with such a good background and worthy inspirations, Carpathian Forest just never managed to live up to its potential. This is even worse when considering that Nattefrost is one of the most recognizable vocalists from the Norwegian scene, especially when he put forth his best effort. Morbid Fascination of Death is just another reason to hate this band, not for being terrible, but for not being anywhere near as good as they should have been.

Seviss - ...Et Pleure Le Bâtard (1996)

Seviss was yet another short-lived alter-ego of the French Black Metal band Vlad Tepes. For this project, Vorlok was responsible for the guitars and vocals, while Wlad handled the drumming duties. The band's only release was the August 1996 demo, ...Et Pleure le Bâtard. Right around the same time that so many other bands were straying from their roots and turning their backs on true Black Metal, these two were upholding the primitive and hideous traditions with their various projects.

The atmosphere of this release is quite different than what Vlad Tepes was doing. The music is more chaotic, in a sense, and seems to possess more of an old school vibe. Rather than the type of epic melodies that helped to characterize their primary band, Seviss takes a more primitive approach that allows the listener to get carried back into the dark past, revisiting the same demonic forces that were present on Bathory's The Return.... The songwriting consists of a lot more Black / Thrash, though with a handful of tremolo riffs thrown in. Vorlok's vocals give the feeling that he is being tormented in the bowels of Hell. This is a bit different from Quorthon's style, which made him sound more like the torturer than the victim. Though the musical style and production might give one reason to expect poor musicianship, the truth is that Wlad and Vorlok are very capable and their skill enables each track to come to life, fully. The songs are similar to one another, yet there is enough variety for them to stand out from one another, whether due to a nicely timed thrash break or a slower and moodier section. One gets the sense that a lot of time went into the arrangement of each song, resulting in the high quality material found on ...Et Pleure le Bâtard. The overall vibe of the release is aggressive and filthy, but there are brief moments that touch upon the underlying darkness that never quite rears its evil head, until the infernal descent of the final song. Seviss makes sure that things never devolve to the point where it becomes mindless fun, and do well to maintain the spirit of old school Black Metal. They show a great understanding of what they are doing, something that was lost on later generations.   

The production is decent for an LLN demo, though horrible by any other standard. There is an overwhelming sense of chaos, regarding the songwriting and the sound quality, and this only helps add to the hellish feeling that is created by this demo. The guitar and vocals are the most dominant elements, though the bass can be heard every now and then. The drumming is kept at a healthy level, loud enough to be noticed but not too much.

If you have never heard of Seviss, it is highly recommended that you seek this out, immediately. This possesses everything that one could possibly want from this style of music, more or less. It takes many basic elements from old Bathory, without sounding like an exact copy (such as the Incarnator demo), and mixes them with aspects of Vlad Tepes to create something dark and hellish. This should appeal, equally, to fans of the LLN and of the First Wave of Black Metal.

Celestia - A Cave Full of Bats (1999)

Celestia was born from the would-be ashes of Seyiren, in 1995. The band's creator, Noktu, chose to split up the latter in favour of the former, yet one of the other members decided to carry it on for a few extra years. In the meantime, Celestia released several demos of varying quality. The style was something more convoluted that what most of the other French bands had done, prior to this. However, by 1999, Noktu has managed to put together the band's first proper release, through Drakkar Productions, entitled A Cave Full of Bats. Ignoring the fact that the cover image looks like it was stolen from the Bela Lugosi film, 'The Devil Bat', depicting a single giant bat in a laboratory (rather than an entire cave full of them), this E.P. is fairly decent. Celestia takes three songs from one of their demos and reworks them in a way that more fully capitalizes on the melancholic atmosphere of the compositions.

The first song is “A Dying Out Ecstasy”, which starts with a sombre bass line and sparse drums, before the first main riff emerges. The first thing one may notice is that the sound is a lot clearer than on the demo version, and the same applies to the other re-recorded songs. The listener is able to better appreciate each individual element on display here, particularly the bass, which adds another layer of gloom to the overall sound. The mournful guitar riffs are memorable and would not have been out of place on an old LLN release, though with more primitive execution. Noktu's vocals are also in line with the band's predecessors, possessing a lot of the same character. Though hateful and raspy, his voice does not capture the raw misery that is heard on the Mortifera debut. This track is rather repetitive, but does not wear out its welcome, in any way.

The next song is “A Silent Night in a Silent Castle”, which picks up the pace a bit and really demonstrates what the Black Legions might have sounded like with better production and more competent drummers. That said, the drumming is distracting, at times, doing a little more than is necessary. Still, the melancholic guitar melodies convey a sense of despair and sorrow, joined by the twisted misery of Noktu's voice. If only the percussion was a little lower in the mix, so as to place more emphasis on the guitars, the impact would be even stronger. By the middle of the song, things slow down for a bit, introducing a melody that sounds reminiscent of something from Katatonia's Brave Murder Day, though utilized differently. The effect is quite disturbing, imbuing the listener with an oppressive sense of anguish that seems as though it will persist, endlessly.

“The Forest Was A Neverending Place” picks up from where the previous song left off, moving forward at top speed, carried by dismal guitar riffs and Noktu's miserable voice. One has to wonder why he did not handle the vocal duties for Gestapo 666, being that his capabilities surpass those of the vocalists he has employed. This straightforward track is one of the best, and shortest, on this release. Despite its length, it makes just as much of an impression as the rest, if not moreso.

The final song is “Prisoner of a Morbid Cradle”, which is the longest track on A Cave Full of Bats, clocking in at over seven minutes. The atmosphere remains the same as before, though the melodic tendencies are even more on display. The keyboards make this one a bit less grim than the rest, as well as the arrangement of the guitar riffs and the overall vibe. This is not horrible, but it is kind of disappointing, when compared to the earlier tracks. After a brief quiet section in the middle, there is another memorable riff that is introduced, though it is drowned out by synth, as it progresses.

A Cave Full of Bats is a decent release and probably one of the few from Celestia that should be bothered with. While it does well to carry on some elements of the French Black Metal spirit, it fails to realize its potential and shows a handful of limitations, such as the reliance on synth and overuse of drumming, at various points. Despite this, the material is strong enough to warrant a positive recommendation.