Thorns - Trøndertun (1992)

Thorns was formed in 1989, by Blackthorn (Snorre Ruch). The original band name was Stigma Diabolicum, but was changed in 1990. The old demos released in the band's early history are some of the most influential recordings from the Norwegian Black Metal scene. Found on these, sometimes crude, demos are ideas that are as dark as they are brilliant. The Trøndertun demo, released in 1992, is no different. This tape was only distributed to a select few at the time, and thus remained a very rare and sought-after item in the years that followed.

From the opening moments of "Ærie Descent", a cold, uneasy feeling is conveyed. The riffs are dark and otherworldly, creating an eerie feeling and building a sense of dread. The pace is slow and creates an atmosphere of doom. The vocals are a little deeper than what one might expect, but are still done in an oldschool manner and nowhere near matching the guttural method of the Death Metal of that period. The tremolo melodies sound very familiar, as they seem to have been utilized for the Mayhem full-length (on which Blackthorn played guitar). Late in the song, there is some indecipherable chanting that adds to the darkness that is present here. For a cassette demo of this period, the sound is surprisingly good. Of course, the most important thing is the black aura that hangs over this. Though the word has been overused in the years that followed this, the music on this demo is the pure definition of grim.

"Funeral Marches to the Grave" picks up where the previous song leaves off and maintains the dreadful atmosphere. Early on, there are some eerie sounds that appear to be a guitar mimicking the moans of a damned soul, trapped beyond in a realm of suffering and pure torment. The vocals seems a little deeper on this one, but still work well with the sound. The highlights are the dismal tremolo melodies that weave in and out of the song, creating a feeling that is beyond description. It really is a shame that Snorre was imprisoned, as one has to wonder what brilliant music would have been produced had he been free to record albums during this period.

If ever you wish to hear a form of aural darkness similar to what is found on De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, you are urged to seek out the early demos from Thorns. Sadly, upon his release from prison, Snorre opted to modernize his style of songwriting, so we'll never know what could have been. But it is all too clear, to surmise from the obscure material recorded in the early 90s ,that this band was on its way to something truly monumental.

Incarnator - Nordic Holocaust (1992)

Incarnator was a Black Metal band from Norway, that existed for a short time in the early 90s. Zypranius was responsible for all instruments and vocals, and did quite a good job of handling everything. I first became aware of this band, many years ago, reading an interview with Euronymous of Mayhem. After being mentioned alongside such bands as Darkthrone, Immortal, Burzum and Malfeitor, it seemed wise to assume that Incarnator must be of some quality, or else this would not be spoken in the same breath as the aforementioned bands. It took quite some time to locate someone with a cassette copy of this, but it was worth the search.

Released in 1992, the Nordic Holocaust demo contains only two songs. However, they are more than enough to satiate anyone with a thirst for the oldschool Black Metal sound. There is a very strong influence from early Bathory. "Part I" actually sounds nearly identical to "Born For Burning", from The Return... For some, this might be a turn off as certain listeners demand something entirely unique from bands. However, as a fan of old Bathory, it's always a welcome thing to discover more music in that vein. The riffs are quite familiar, but the similarities do not end there. The guitar sound is very close as are the vocals. Zypranius managed to get the same raspy and serpent-like sound that Quorthon possessed in the old days. The song is very powerful and there's enough of a variation from the original that influenced this to be worth listening to. As a matter of fact, you may have a difficult time getting this out of your player.

The second song, "Part II" (this guy wasn't terribly creative with the song titles, for whatever reason) is a bit slower and begins with the sound of cold winds blowing. The bass is audible enough to add a more menacing feel to the music. This song appears to have some Celtic Frost influence, mixed in, but it's not terribly overt. The cold winds continue to blow as the song progresses, and the pace picks up after the halfway point.

"We burn their churches
Set the skies ablaze"

Nordic Holocaust is a very good demo of oldschool, filthy Black Metal that sounds like it could have been released in 1985. For anyone with an interest in this style, this is highly recommended. It's nothing revolutionary, but it's a solid addition to the legacy of the ancient ones.

Ancient Wisdom - For Snow Covered the Northland (1996)

For Snow Covered the Northland is the first full-length album from the Swedish Black Metal band Ancient Wisdom. Previously known as Pain and then as Ancient, this band was formed in 1992 by Marcus Norman. The original line-up also included Fredrik Jakobsson, of Throne of Ahaz. After a couple demos, the band entered Garageland Studio in December 1994, to record their debut album. There were some technical issues with the recording, but it was finally released in 1996.

The album begins with "A Hymn to the Northern Empire", which sets the stage for what is to come. This intro starts with the mournful howling of wolves, soon joined by a sombre piano and tortured vocals. The feeling is very dark and a sense of dread falls over the listener.

"In the Land of the Crimson Moon" starts out with tormented screams and a melancholy guitar riff. This is slow-paced and possesses almost a Doom-like quality. There are some keyboards, yet they seem to fit in well with what's going on. The melodies become darker and more miserable as the song progresses. The vocals are very anguished and add well to the gloomy vibe of the song. This isn't terribly far removed from some of the stuff that Throne of Ahaz was doing, just a little more slow and melodic. Very briefly, there are some clean vocals, but this is never the focal point. The song slowly fades out, as a new keyboard melody joins the affair to accentuate the main riff.

The next song is "They Gather Where Snow Falls Forever". It opens with another mid-paced riff that is joined by a sorrowful lead solo and more agonized screams. After the first verse, the pace picks up a little, but not too fast. It almost feels like a cross between Throne of Ahaz and early Bethlehem. By the middle, there's a nice solo that lends some epic feeling to the song, followed by some utilization of classical guitar. The main riffs returns for a couple minutes, then gives way to keyboards and more clean guitars, joined by the miserable vocals. This is very atmospheric and works well to create a cold and dismal feeling.

"Through Rivers of the Eternal Blackness" follows this, possessing a faster pace and the first real use of tremolo riffs on the album, though used only to accentuate the main power chords. This icy effect is only temporary, but gives way to a very nice lead solo that is introspective and though-provoking. Lyrically, it's quite similar to early Immortal, though the overall tone is far more depressive. The feeling is somewhat reminiscent of the more bleak moments from the first Ophthalamia album. Perhaps, that results from the doom vibe that is infused into the sound. This is best described as majestic and epic, while being dismal and somewhat painful to hear. In the latter half of the song, there's one particular solo that feels as if it is cutting right through you, pulling your empty heart out of your chest and utterly annihilating it. You are left hollow and useless, with blades of ice falling from the sky and piercing you. The sound is quite familiar. Then it becomes clear that this final riff was stolen. It was lifted directly from the ending of Metallica's "Fade To Black". The band loses points for this thievery, but it still works well within this context.

"At this place I have always longed to be
To enter the dead, I have crossed the endless river"

This hymn of mourning is succeeded by "The Journey of the Ancients". The atmosphere of the previous song carries over into this one, as it begins with a slow and hopeless riff and more anguished vocals to fill your mind with thoughts of dread and despair. The pace picks up a bit, soon joined by another haunting solo. It's fairly minimalist, but effective. That could very well describe the song as a whole; it's somewhat bare and simplistic, almost lulling you into sort of a trance.

"As Snow Covers the Northland" is an instrumental that features more clean guitars, creating an eerie feeling that soon turns quite despondent. It's rather brief, but the effect if haunting and gives you yet another push toward the edge of despair.

Funeral bells chime in the cold northern breeze, signaling the beginning of "No Tears At His Funeral", which soon unleashes yet another mid-paced riff of sorrow and desolation. There is some variation in the pace, and the riffs become more and more grim and hopeless as the song progresses. The strained vocals only add to this. The emptiness is all-consuming, and you are being pulled down by emaciated hands that stretch out from beneath the surface. The black grave beckons...

"Forest of Summoned Spirits" starts out with a rather mid-paced riff, though the drumming gives some speed to the opening moments. Soon enough, the open-arpeggio riffs are joined by tormented screams and some keyboards. The tension is slowly building and the shadows move ever closer. Once again, the solo work adds much life to the music, so to speak. It's difficult to say such a thing, given the dreary feeling possessed by this album.

The next song is the longest one on the album, clocking in at over eight minutes. "A Raven's Reflection of the Ancient Northland" feels like a gravestone being dropped on your chest. It is slow, dreary and utterly desolate. The riffs are mournful and recall to mind sorrowful memories from the cold dark past. There is a brief section where things speed up a little, but this is only to add some sense of dynamics to the song, as it soon returns to the slow and plodding riff which strangles the hope out of your useless body. This is followed by an exceptionally hypnotic melody that is lifeless and cold, imbuing the listener with a true sense of nothingness. It's almost as if a vacuum exists within your chest and the pain is unreal, but soon a fleeting solo passes through and fills you with yet more distress. As the song slowly fades to oblivion, so too any remaining hope that you had foolishly held onto.

"The Serpent's Sleep Is Not Eternal" is another instrumental piece, consisting of clean guitars and thunder in the background. The vibe is somewhat peaceful, in the sense that you can now feel the end is soon drawing near and the suffering of a lifetime is soon to pass.

The next song sustains the feeling of doom and misery. "At the Other Side" begins with more mid-paced riffs, with the occasional section of increased speed. It's slightly reminiscent of the first song from Bethlehem's debut album, during certain moments. There are some riffs that don't seem to fit in, around the middle of the song. Thankfully, the song transitions to something else though the atmosphere that was crafted with the previous songs seems to be lacking, somewhat.

"The Sleep Within" is the final song, and starts out with a relatively heavy mid-paced riff, sounding almost like something from the first Throne of Ahaz record. However, there is a bit of a Death Metal feeling to some of the riffs. Perhaps the album should have ended with the last instrumental. The sound is mid-paced and filled with doom, but there's less of the cold sorrow that permeated the rest. The song ends with more appropriate riffs, conveying a sense of doom through a style borrowed from early Black Sabbath.

For Snow Covered the Northland is an ambitious work, containing nearly 60 minutes of music. It can be described as atmospheric Black Metal or even as some Doom hybrid; maybe even falling into the category of Dark Metal. Really, none of these labels is necessary. What you'll find here is something absolutely miserable and yet beautiful in its own dark way. It's strange that this album seems to be so unknown. Seek this out, if at all possible.

Desultory - Visions (1991)

Desultory was a Swedish Death Metal band that formed in 1989, based in Södertälje. The overall style is somewhat a mix of fast and violent riffs and more epic doom riffs, sounding much like a combination of old Amorphis and Dismember. In 1991, they released their second demo, Visions, recorded in Studio Sunlight, handled by Tomas Skogsberg. This should be a strong clue, regarding what to expect.

The first song is "Forever Gone" and, as the title might imply, the sound is quite epic and mournful. The opening riffs are very similar to what one might find on The Karelian Isthmus, It's mid-paced and sorrowful, with a good guitar sound. It's not the typical Sunlight buzzsaw sound, as there is a little more bass present and the style of riffing does not really lend itself to that particular sound. The vocals are rather high-pitched, compared to many other Death Metal bands of this era. After a minute or so, the song speeds up and there is some nice solo work to be found here.

"Darkness approaches, death calls I hear"

"Depression" starts out with a good fast-paced Death Metal riff, and slightly more forceful vocals. This is the longest song on here, though it doesn't do much to really stand out, in the early moments. It's fairly standard, but still enjoyable. Things slow down, near the middle, and the atmosphere becomes quite a bit darker, with a sombre lead solo accentuating this and adding some epic feeling as well. As the song closes out, the speed picks up as does the intensity.

"Now life seems to cease
Nothing will be the same again"

The final song is "Visions", and it begins with a monster of a riff that imbues the listener with a sense of dread. Following this, we have fairly standard Swedish Death Metal, with a somewhat epic feeling to some of the riffs. The solos are well done and they certainly help bring life to the song. There are moments where you suspect things will be rather average; however, it's at these moments where they unleash some new riff or solo to prevent you from drifting.

All in all, Visions isn't a bad demo. It shows a lot of promise, but it's nothing absolutely essential. This is, mainly, for fanatics of the early 90s Swedish/Finnish Death Metal sound.

Swordmaster - Wraths of Time (1995)

Swordmaster may be best known for featuring the younger brother of Jon Nödtveidt, Emil (Night). Formed in mid-1993, this band was soon signed to Full Moon Productions. After stabilizing the line-up, they began work on their debut release. The Wraths of Time E.P. was recorded in Studio Fredman, in early 1995 and released some months later. Thankfully, the sound is not similar to many of the useless albums that were created there.

"Wraths of Time" begins at full speed, and the first thing that is noticed is the, relatively, strange guitar tone. It definitely has a Black Metal sound, but it is not as clear as what one might expect. Within a few moments, your ear gets used to it and the tremolo melodies seep into your brain, alternating with some rather epic thrash riffs. In all honesty, the comparison is one I wished to avoid, but these riffs sound as if they'd fit well on Storm of the Light's Bane. The vocals possess the standard raspy sound, though some brief bits of deeper vocals come along near the middle. There are some nice, cold melodies here. Nothing extraordinary, but solid and memorable.

The next song is "Upon Blood and Ashes", which starts with a slower pace and a sorrowful lead solo. It gets moving with a bit of a melancholic thrash riff, before transitioning to faster drums and tremolo riffing. The production favours the guitars over the rest, which is a good thing. The drums keep a steady pace, without dominating the sound. More frozen melodies sweep through, near the middle of the song, leaving a good impression.

"Conspiracy - Preview" is a brief song that starts with a keyboard intro and some indecipherable vocals, before the guitar fades in and plays a mournful riff. This fades into a more intense section that sounds a lot like a sped-up version of "Do or Die", by Testament. It's not bad, but it doesn't really fit in with the rest. It doesn't last long, and the song then fades to nothingness. I'm not sure what it was a preview of, since this song didn't appear on any later release that I know of.

The final track is merely some useless gargling and really adds nothing to the E.P. at all.

In the end, there are two decent songs and a couple throw-away tracks. It's definitely worth checking out, but for less than 15 minutes of music, I wouldn't recommend spending too much for it.

Cardinal Sin - Spiteful Intents (1996)

Cardinal Sin was formed by John Zwetsloot, in 1994, after leaving Dissection. He was joined by Magnus "Devo" Andersson and Joakim Göthberg, previously of Marduk. By 1996, they recorded the Spiteful Intents E.P. To date, this is their one and only release. The style is not far removed from the early material from Dissection, possessing a similar style of composition and arrangement. This is best described as melodic Black Metal, but with some Death Metal influences.

"Spiteful Intent" begins with an acoustic piece that also features some clean spoken word part in the background. The atmosphere is very calm and serene, suddenly building to an explosive release. The cold tremolo melodies and blasting drums are accompanied by very raspy vocals. The atmosphere is not as Black as on The Somberlain, for example, but it never strays into Lunar Strain territory either. There is some use of overdubbed vocals, with the higher-pitched style joined by a deeper growl. This effect is ephemeral, thankfully. There's some interested solo work, as well, showing Zwetsloot's classical background.

The next song is "Probe With A Quest", and it begins with a brief open-arpeggio riff that creates a dismal feeling, before transitioning to a more epic riff, that builds a majestic and sorrowful aura. The main riff could have, easily, fit a Dissection album, though the drumming isn't nearly as tight as that of Ole Öhman. By the middle of the song, things slow down and the feeling is more sombre. The mournful melodies sweep over you like frozen winds, before shifting back to the main mid-paced thrash riff. The final moments have a rather epic vibe going on.

"The Cardinal Sin" follows this, breaking the serene feeling with thrashier riffs and faster drumming. There is a heightened sense of urgency, though I wouldn't exactly say this is terribly intense. It's more straight-forward than the previous songs, and shorter as a result. There are some decent riffs here, but it makes one wonder how this material would have sounded in Zwetsloot's prior band, as it seems to be lacking something. It's not bad, by any means, but it doesn't feel complete in some way.

The E.P. ends with the brief classical guitar piece, "Language of Sorrow". As the title would suggest, the feeling is somewhat introspective and bleak. It's much in the same vein as "Crimson Towers", from The Somberlain, and serves as a fitting way to end this release.

All in all, there's nothing terribly groundbreaking or essential here. While it's solid material and is of particular interest of those who wish to follow what John Zwetsloot did after leaving Dissection, it simply cannot compare with that godly band (then again, few things can). It's worth picking up, if you get the chance.

Vinterland - Welcome My Last Chapter (1996)

This album is a bit of a mystery. This is the one and only full-length album from Sweden's Vinterland. Prior to this, they'd only released a couple of demos. Upon releasing this album, they seem to have vanished. Such an occurrence, in itself, is not all that strange. However, when coupled with the fact that the material is of such high quality, it becomes difficult to understand how and why Vinterland became such an obscure band. Even more mysterious is that they seem to have been one of the few Black Metal bands to avoid getting raped by the typical Unisound/Hellspawn production demons, namely Dan Swanö. Not only does Vinterland share a similar sound to the mighty Dissection, in that they play cold and melodic Black Metal, but they also survived Swanö's unreliable skills as a producer, during the winter of 1995. Released in the autumn of 1996, on No Fashion, Welcome My Last Chapter offers one final mystery in that (as the story goes) the original title of the album was meant to be Wings of Sorrow. This makes sense, as it is also the title of the epic song that closes the record. For whatever reason, the other text was present on the cover and they changed this to the official title.

I first discovered this band during the freezing winter months and was, immediately, drawn to it. I had been seeking something else in the vein of early Dissection as well as Sacramentum's Far Away From the Sun and Sorhin's I Det Glimrande Mörkrets Djup. This was soon recommended to me and I made haste in acquiring it. It was exactly what I was looking for, and more. It's amazing that it took so many years after its release for me to discover this gem.

"Our Dawn of Glory" begins with a clean/acoustic passage that creates a calm feeling, which is abruptly ended by the furious and razor sharp attack of the bitter cold guitar riffs and the unearthly screams. Everything is very clear and powerful, much like the sound on Storm of the Light's Bane, though the overall atmosphere is more somber, especially as it concerns the vocals. The opening moments are as intense as they are memorable. The drums simply beat the life right out of you and the frozen tremolo riffs carry your spirit far beyond on the cold winds of nothingness. The pace is very dynamic, with many twists and turns, and even some tasteful keyboard usage, handled by Dan Swanö. This song is defined as much by the blindingly fast and powerful parts as it is by the slower, more melancholy melodies. It's this structural contrast that lends so much to the epic nature of the song, and the entire record. The track then ends with a similar clean section to that which began things. This is definitely the way to begin an album.

Following this is "I'm An Other In the Night", which starts out with a mournful guitar melody and truly sorrowful vocals. The speed slowly builds up, until it erupts in a fury of hatred and misanthropy, fueled by the tremolo picking and blasting drums. There's some variation in the drumming that adds well to the overall dynamic and keeps things interesting. The vocals have an icy feeling to them, as they're not entirely clear. The bleak feeling becomes even more harsh, later in the song, as things slow down a bit. In this sense, the harshness is not defined by speed but by the feeling conveyed. As the acoustic guitar, briefly, joins the rest, there's some added sense of hopelessness. As the track progresses, the intensity builds and builds, until the pace suddenly slows down again, and the effect is similar to that of slicing open your flesh and the relief that you feel as you see the blood wash over your flesh and drip down onto the snow-covered ground.

"So Far Beyond... (The Great Vastforest)" continues from where the previous song left off, featuring a variety of nocturnal sounds, such as that of wolves howling at the full moon, accompanied by a somber piano piece. This creates a very calm and introspective atmosphere, though one that calls to mind unpleasant thoughts and desires of an ultimate ending to this feeble existence.

The instrumental interlude fades into "A Castle So Crystal Clear", which unleashes a dark and mournful feeling that is not too far removed from old Katatonia. The song is rather slow-paced, as the percussion dictates, despite the tremolo picking. This changes, after a couple minutes, and things pick up a little bit. There are some interesting down-picked parts that work well to add a new dimension to the sound, while the drumming keeps a blistering pace beneath.

"As I Behold the Dying Sun" starts with the sounds of falling rain, distant whispers and clean guitars all coming together to create a dark and sorrowful feeling. As the rest of the instruments come in, the tremolo riffs blend with the doomier parts to keep things interesting and dynamic. Again, the early moments possess a similar vibe to that of old Katatonia, before going back to the melodic and cold Black Metal sound that dominates most of the album.

The next song is "Vinterskogen", beginning with a slow and melancholy vibe. The cold and mournful melodies are accompanied by tortured screams and some eerie spoken word passage that adds to the mysterious feeling. The atmosphere is accentuated by simple utilization of the keyboards and acoustic guitar. The feeling is very calm, yet depressive and hopeless. The lead guitar melody, near the end, adds to the overall aura.

"Still the Night Is Awake" bursts forth with frostbitten tremolo riffs and more otherworldly screams. This one is fairly fast-paced, keeping the frozen intensity and the epic structure, despite the relatively short length. Later in the song, things slow down and the atmosphere becomes more majestic as the blizzard engulfs your spirit and carries you toward oblivion.

This is followed by "A Winter Breeze", which has a strange opening riff. It's not as cold as the majority of the album, though the bleak and hopeless feeling is more present than ever. The typical frozen riffs do weave throughout the song, as well as slower open-arpeggio riffs that add to the desolate feeling. The middle section of the song is reminiscent of early Burzum in structure and vibe. This one works as a good lead-in to the final track.

The album concludes with "Wings of Sorrow", which features slow and mournful riffs, a spoken word passage that is accompanied by tormented screams in the background and some acoustic bits as well. This is the longest song on the album, clocking in at just under nine minutes. It takes its time to build up, creating an atmosphere of cold nocturnal sorrow.

"Come, come please and grab my hands
And may the frozen winds caress my empty soul..."

Something about this part reminds me of the first Ophthalamia album, A Journey In Darkness. The vocals are even more unrestrained than on the previous songs, giving this one added passion and intensity of a different kind. The guitar melodies are memorable in a very haunting sense, sure to flow through your veins like ice water. The songwriting is absolutely brilliant and makes one wonder how and why this band faded into obscurity after this release, especially considering how many inferior bands were left standing. By the end of the song, the guitars and drums fade out as a somber piano outro ends this epic song.

"Let the wings of grief carry me to the kingdom far beyond all light"

This is an amazing album that should be sought after by anyone with a preference for cold and somber Black Metal, in the vein of Dissection, Burzum, Sacramentum, etc. My only disappointment comes from the fact that Vinterland only made one full-length and that it took me so long to get my hands on it. Buy this and let it carry you on frozen winds...