Unleashed - Where No Life Dwells (1991)

Where No Life Dwells is the first full-length album from Unleashed. It is also one of the first Swedish Death Metal albums that I heard, many years ago. To be honest, I wasn't quite sure what I was hearing at the time, since most of my Death Metal experience had been with American bands. I was also getting into a lot of second wave Black Metal bands, around this time. The spirit of this album seemed to fall in line more with the Black Metal that I had been listening to, rather than Death Metal. Of course, the obscure cover art and even the inverted cross that is bound in with the logo added to this perception. I discovered this around the same time that I was first exposed to albums such as Left Hand Path, Like An Everflowing Stream and Into the Grave. This was something darker and colder than any of those.

In 1989, Johnny Hedlund found himself ejected from Nihilist, thus moving on to form Unleashed. After a series of demos, the band was signed by Century Media Records. In April 1991, they went to Woodhouse Studios in Dortmund, Germany to record their debut L.P. Where No Life Dwells does not possess the same sound as the many Swedish Death Metal albums that were recorded in Sunlight Studio, under the watchful eye of Tomas Skogsberg. While this does share some characteristics with bands such as Entombed, Carnage / Dismember and so on, it is also quite different. Indeed, the music of Unleashed embodied a lethal coldness of a brutal winter storm, offering no mercy in its attack while destroying all in its path.

The album begins with "Where No Life Dwells", a brief and fragile acoustic intro that is absolutely torn to shreds by the barbaric assault of "Dead Forever". This is a fitting portrayal the band's world view. The song erupts with crushing mid-paced riffs and an overpowering roar. The riffing alternates between fast tremolo riffs and slow power chord breaks. The drum work isn't something really outstanding yet it's extremely frantic and fits totally with the riffing. The bass isn't very prominent and is mixed down with the guitar riffs giving their already dark sound a lower range. The vocals of Johnny Hedlund are dry and cold. They are similar yet different from the classic Swedish style, being very rough (but not too deep) with occasional piercing screams of mortal horror. Guitar solos are short yet intense fast tremolo that have the same tone of the rhythmic guitars.

This album possesses more of an old school feeling than many of its peers, as there are many galloping riffs and thrashy sections, as seen on "Before the Creation of Time". This alternates with the faster tremolo riffs and blast beats that seem to come out of nowhere, thus maximizing the effect. However, where the band truly shines is during the slow power chord breaks, as this allows the your mind to drift into the gaping abyss.

The sound on this album is immensely heavy, with the drums given a pounding, hammering presence through music that takes on the form of a deadly nighttime blizzard. This has a very cold sound to it, but not quite the same as listening to early Darkthrone. An album like Transilvanian Hunger freezes you with bitter cold winds shredding through your flesh. Where No Life Dwells is more like being crushed between two sheets of glacial ice.

As the previous song ends, you hear icy blizzard winds blowing over the frozen plains which serve as an intro to "The Dark One". This song begins with an atmosphere of pure doom. The slow riffs transition, suddenly, into a frostbitten blast of tremolo riffs and pounding drums. Hedlund's dry screams are filled with fury. The rage found here is tempered by a descent into a slower passage, anchored by mid-paced double bass. The guitars then re-emerge from these darkened depths to revisit the previously established theme. This is probably one of the best songs on the album. Also worth mentioning is that the lyrics are inspired by Tolkien.

The lyrical themes of this album are, mostly, anti-Christian but there is also a strong Viking Metal approach as many songs speak of great battles and approach death as an unavoidable fate for all those who live, yet this grim destiny must be faced with courage. "Into Glory Ride" embodies this spirit quite well, and mentions Odin, Thor and Valhalla. This would seem to foreshadow the type of themes that Unleashed would become most known for.

"...And the Laughter Has Died" begins with much the same barbaric fury as can be found all over this album, yet here we find some of the darkest atmosphere created by this band. In the heat of battle, you have been fatally wounded. The blood is pouring from the gaping wound in your chest. As the riffs slow down, a truly haunting and abysmal lead melody coils around your cold body, suffocating you near total lifelessness. A terrified shriek wakes you from this dark winter nightmare. The song speeds up, once more, as you realize that the battle is not quite finished.

As through many of the songs, "Where Life Ends" features many slow doom riffs that are accompanied by the double bass rumbling beneath, creating a suffocating feeling. The only complaint here would be the lack of the funeral bell that was on the version of this song found on the ...And the Laughter Has Died E.P. as it added a nice touch.

At its most energetic, the songs on Where No Life Dwells carry an absolutely barbaric feeling. During the slower sections, the atmosphere is dark and filled with dread. As with most bands, Unleashed made their defining statement with the first L.P. so this one is the most essential of their catalogue.

Darkthrone - Soulside Journey (1991)

The band that would become Darkthrone formed during 1986 in Kolbotn, a small suburb of Oslo. They were a death metal group by the name of Black Death, and its members were Gylve Nagell, Ivar Enger and Anders Risberget. In 1988 the band changed their name to Darkthrone and were joined by Ted Skjellum and Dag Nilsen. During 1988 and 1989 the band independently released four demo tapes: Land of Frost, A New Dimension, Thulcandra, and Cromlech. As a result, the band was signed by Peaceville Records.

Early on, they appeared to have ties with some members of the Swedish Death Metal scene, as Tomas Lindberg (of Grotesque / At the Gates) assisted in the creation of the Darkthrone logo and Uffe Cederlund (of Entombed) was present in the studio during the recording of their debut L.P., Soulside Journey, in 1990. The album was produced by Tomas Skosgberg, in Sunlight Studio (known for such albums as Sumerian Cry, Left Hand Path, Dark Recollections, et cetera). This is the only Death Metal album that the band recorded, as they went for a primitive Black Metal style, not long after this was released.

Soulside Journey begins with a brief, horror-inspired intro before the song "Cromlech" comes thundering in. To those not familiar with the band's origins, it may sound strange to hear technical Death Metal from these guys, but here it is. One of the first things to notice is the fast tremolo riffs. This style was already somewhat common in Swedish Death Metal, yet Darkthrone utilized these riffs far more efficiently. This goes to show that the band didn't change so drastically, with the albums that followed this. As for differences, Nocturno Culto's vocals are deeper, yet not too deep, and Fenriz is quite active behind the drum kit, showing his high level of skill.

"Sunrise Over Locus Mortis" continues down the same dark path as the first song. There are a lot of tempo changes on these songs and quite a bit of doomy atmosphere created during the slower sections. In those early years, it didn't seem to matter what Darkthrone did. Whether they were playing Death or Black Metal didn't make a difference, as they excelled at both. Honestly, there wasn't much of a reason to continue with the same musical direction after this album as they had accomplished something great.

The opening moments of the title track sounds pretty close to what the band would be doing a couple years later, beginning with cold tremolo melodies and fast drums. Of course, the speed does not remain the same as there are so many different riffs and tempo changes. Even on the instrumental track that follows this, "Accumulation of Generalization", it is clear that the riffs are the most important thing to this band, despite Fenriz's technical prowess being difficult to hide. The atmosphere, throughout the album, is one of horror and doom, as one can easily gather from the opening moments of "Neptune Towers". When keyboards are used, it is very sparingly and only to add to the dark atmosphere, like a horror score.

"Sempiternal Sepulchrality" is, possibly, the most energetic and thrashy song on the album. This is filled with riffs and is one of the faster and more aggressive songs found here. This is counteracted by "Grave With A View", which returns to the doomy atmosphere and features a nice part in the beginning, with some chorus of demons calling from beyond. This song also features a brilliant solo. Nocturno Culto truly excelled when it came to lead solos, far beyond many of his peers.

As "Iconoclasm Sweeps Over Cappodocia" plays, one cannot help but think that Soulside Journey features more use of the freezing cold tremolo riffs than many of their other albums. They are separated by many doom riffs and even some thrashier moments, yet they are all over this album. Songs like "Nor the Silent Whispers" and "The Watchtower" display influences that range from old Slayer and Kreator to Death and even Black Sabbath.

The album concludes with "Eon", a brilliant instrumental that features some use of keyboards to accentuate the dark and foreboding atmosphere, possessing a sinister and twisted feeling quite similar to the score of a 70s horror film. There is also a very noticeable Death influence found here.

There is some debate as to what subgenre this belongs to, as the lyrics and atmosphere, as well as many of the riffs, seem to belong to Black Metal. However the percussion and the song structures, despite the unorthodox timing, belong very much to Death Metal. The vocals also lean more in this direction, as well. Whatever way you wish to classify this album, you must appreciate the music

For those who seem to think of Darkthrone as terrible musicians because of the primitive and minimalist path that they chose after this, you really need to give this a listen and realize that it was, indeed, a choice. Many that wish to emulate them simply hide behind the low-fi production and primitive musicianship because that is all that they're capable of. The members of Darkthrone are masters of creating dark atmospheres, regardless of the way in which they set about achieving this.

This is recommended to those wishing to see the early days of this band. Also, for anyone into the early Swedish Death Metal bands such as Tiamat, Entombed, Carnage / Dismember, Unleashed, et cetera, this will probably appeal to you, though this has as many differences as similarities with the early albums from those bands. This is actually far superior to most (if not all) of them.

At the Gates - The Red In the Sky Is Ours (1992)

At the Gates rose from the ashes of Grotesque, a Satanic Swedish Black / Death Metal band from the late 80s. With the Gardens of Grief E.P. the band already showed a definitive shift from the sound of Grotesque to a heavier, more bottom-heavy sound more related to other bands of the time. The vocals were much deeper as well, for the most part, but the release showed promise.

The Red In the Sky Is Ours is the debut full-length from Sweden's At the Gates. This is truly a masterpiece of an album, and far surpasses anything the band would go on to release. The spirit of Grotesque lives on here, but in much different form. This is not typical Swedish Death Metal, at all. It is actually much more reminiscent of early Burzum. In many aspects, this album possesses a similar feel and the structures are quite more complicated than most Death Metal. However, it does feature some of the rhythmic structures of that subgenre.

Vocally, Tomas Lindberg's style is a terrible shriek, that fits alongside that of Varg Vikernes. It works brilliantly with the hauntingly miserable melodies of this album. It sounds much less controlled than on later releases and is one of the best aspects of this album.

"The Red In the Sky Is Ours / The Season To Come" starts off furiously with tortured screams, blasting drums and fast tremolo riffs. This album gives the impression that the band could have easily chosen to go down a different path. They could have made the transition to Black Metal, such as Darkthrone did, and been quite successful. One can even find minor similarities between this and Soulside Journey. It is a shame that At the Gates chose a simpler way, following this album. At the conclusion of the opening track, there is the sound of thunder and rain, accompanied by a violin. This seems to accentuate the atmosphere very well.

To explain the production, the sound is clear enough but not overdone. It's not exactly raw, either. To best describe it, one would have to compare it to the first two Burzum albums and even Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism from Immortal. The guitar is definitely audible, but not very sharp. Really, the album may have benefited from the guitars being a little bit louder in the mix, but this is a minor complaint. The drums drive the songs nearly as much as the guitars do, so it may not be right to bury them in the mix.

In some places, one can find doom-inspired riffs, maybe in the vein of Dissection's The Somberlain. There is definitely a dark and somber atmosphere being created with this work. "Through Gardens of Grief" is one of the best songs on here, and features brilliant harmonies. There is also another violin piece in this song, going further to add to the depressive feeling. The song is mostly fast-paced, but not entirely. The vocals really convey a deep hopelessness here.

The epic feeling continues on the next song, "Within." It begins with a doomy riff, yet manages to get up to full speed later on. There is even another violin passage that blends in, seamlessly. And it is at this point the listener must realize the pure genius of this record. Here, At the Gates have created an absolute masterpiece, yet it seems to have occurred naturally. Many bands try to achieve such lofty goals, only to fall short. They try too hard. On The Red In the Sky Is Ours, the members of At the Gates flawlessly executed their goal. They brought their vision to life, and it was only a coincidence that it turned out so brilliantly. It was an extension of their creativity, which seemed to have no boundaries at this point. Only later on would they appear to limit themselves and thus suffocate this brilliance.

As the album continues, "Windows" offers great melodies filled with tension and dread. "Neverwhere" is certainly one of the standout tracks on this album. The dark melodies, agonized vocals and lyrics flow together, perfectly.

"Life doesn't belong here."

"The Scar" seems to be more of an extension of the previous song. The mood is much the same, though the delivery is much more subdued. Though quite simple, the song does well in painting a very bleak picture.

"The end, it reaches out for me. My soul still calling to be free."

This short piece manages to, effectively, create a very bleak and hopeless feeling. As the album draws to a close, the pace picks back up, somewhat. We also get a new version of "City of Screaming Statues" which was originally released on the Gardens of Grief E.P. This song is blindingly fast, most of the way through, yet it is a fitting close to this monumental album. Such an achievement would never again be equaled by this band or any other that attempted to follow in its wake. This album represents that peak of creativity for At the Gates. If you have not yet heard this, then you do not truly know this band.

Necrophobic - The Nocturnal Silence (1993)

The Nocturnal Silence is the first full-length L.P. from Sweden's Necrophobic. The album was recorded in Sunlight Studio in Stockholm, in March 1993 and it was produced by Necrophobic and Tomas Skogsberg. Despite being recorded in this well-known studio, the album definitely has its own atmosphere and is not typical of most Swedish Death Metal. It sounds as if the band consciously avoided going for the typical buzzsaw guitar tone made popular by bands such as Entombed and Dismember. The more raw feeling really suits the overall atmosphere, as this music is much darker than anything being done by their peers.

Necrophobic formed in 1989, and had gained much attention through the release of two demos, Slow Asphyxiation and Unholy Prophecies. Far from being stagnant or sounding just like everyone else, it was clear that this band was on a different path right from the start. They stood out from the mass of bands in Stockholm by possessing a bit more technical skill, Satanic themes and a vocalist with more of a raw and hateful voice. Anders Stokirk utilizes an approach similar to Masse Broberg of Hypocrisy, but not as deep. In general, everything about The Nocturnal Silence possesses more of a blackened sound and really embodies the more evil feeling that was given off by some of the earlier Death Metal bands, such as Morbid Angel.

The album begins with a short keyboard intro, that could easily fit in a horror movie. The slow, creepy riff that follows really sets the mood for the album. Then, in typical Slayer fashion, Hell is unleashed. "Awakening..." is a pretty fast-paced opening track. The musicianship is high quality and David Parland's guitar work is excellent. His is an easily identifiable sound, no matter what band he plays in. The first song already displays a decent variety of speeds. The production is very good, being clear enough to hear everything well but also raw enough to convey the right feeling. The vocals and riffs combine, perfectly, to create a rather hateful and abrasive feeling.

The albums continues on with blasphemy and an ever-darkening atmosphere. "Before the Dawn", especially the slower riffs with the brief spoken passage, was very successful in creating an evil feeling. The solo really does well to add a sense of gloom to everything. This album really seems positioned in between Black and Death Metal, as it doesn't entirely belong to one or the other. As the album progresses, "Unholy Prophecies" features more of the same hellish aura that has been produced thus far. However, at certain points, one would expect things to really speed up but it never quite gets fast enough. This is only a minor complaint.

One of the real gems of this album is the title track, "The Nocturnal Silence." The acoustic intro and the brilliant solo that starts the song really imbue the listener with visions of the full moon in the blackened night sky. Then, the Satanic ritual begins as the song takes off. The vocalist sounds as if his throat has been shredded by broken glass and the result is very good. The song has a certain doomy quality, until things speed up. Here, the fast tremolo riffs dominate. The intensity builds as the song progresses, with a very morbid section coming late in the track. Parland's "nocturnal" solo near the end is perfect as well. The solos really help to set Necrophobic apart from the other bands in the Stockholm scene, and add a lot of depth to the music. There really is little or nothing to complain about when it comes to this album. This song is definitely one of the highlights.

"A freezing silence descends in the night
Cold winds whisper damnation
Deathlike shadows rising on the ground
The call from the lords of creation"

This is followed by the brilliant instrumental, "Shadows of the Moon", which really continues the feeling that was created by the slower parts of the title track and serving as the perfect bridge between the first and second half of the album, doing a fantastic job in leading into "The Ancients Gate". Though fairly brief, it is as memorable as anything else on this album. Unfortunately, this track is not present on most versions of The Nocturnal Silence, due to some miscommunications with the label. "Inborn Evil" was supposed to be left off, as the band didn't think that it possessed the right feeling, but the instrumental was dropped instead. Only the American pressing, by Cargo Records, includes the proper track listing as the band wanted.  

From the demonic voices in the beginning to the brilliant solo that follows, "The Ancients Gate" proves to be a real classic. This track is very dynamic and feels somewhat epic, at times. For a song to stand out on an album filled with such greatness truly means something. It begins with a rather subdued pace, featuring an almost hypnotic lead solo, before bursting forth with demonic fury. The slower section, featuring the acoustic bit, adds a sense of gloom to the atmosphere, before returning to an absolutely hellish and evil sound.

"Sacrificial Rites" is another uncompromising track, dropping the mid-paced part from the demo version and just exploding out of the darkness and going right for your throat. The riffs are intense and powerful, with Stokirk's frenzied vocal delivery really lending a sense of urgency to the song. Despite being released in 1993, this is another song that shows that the band's creative forces were really rooted in the '80s. Once again, another masterful solo appears near the end.

"Father of Creation" includes a lot of slower (by comparison) riffs and allows the listener a little bit of a break, though the diabolical hatred is no less than on the previous songs. The real highlight of this track, for me, is the old school drum break in the middle, sounding much like something from ten years earlier. Parland's solos not only demonstrate his skills, but really add a total nocturnal feeling to this song and most of the others, conjuring up images of dark forests illuminated by moonlight and blood rituals being performed by torchlight in old and forgotten cemeteries.

Somehow, though the entire album is bursting at the seams with memorable riffs, "Where Sinners Burn" manages to open with yet another one, coupled with a haunting lead solo. Like much of the album, it possesses many speeds and it is dripping with evil. This song really does well to close out the album, as there is just some sense of finality put forth by nearly every riff and vocal line. The song ends with a particularly gloomy riff that just fades into the nothingness.

The Nocturnal Silence is an incredibly strong debut album. The fact that this band did not gain as much of a following as many of their inferior contemporaries (in Sweden and elsewhere) is an absolute crime. This puts most every other Death Metal release from this time to utter shame, even including the much-hailed Covenant, released by Morbid Angel just a couple months earlier. This shows the value on toiling in the underground, playing shows and recording demos before putting together an album. Not only is the musicianship excellent, the songwriting was well thought-out and Necrophobic easily achieved what they set out to do. This is a classic piece of Satanic Death Metal history and one of the best albums to ever be recorded at Sunlight Studio. If you have not heard this, you've been missing out.

Nifelheim - Servants of Darkness (2000)

Servants of Darkness is the third full-length from Sweden's Nifelheim. As always, this band gets better and better with each release and continually display why they are among the elite. This was the first Nifelheim album I had ever heard, years ago, and I managed to pick it up at Sound Pollution, in Stockholm.

The album begins with the sound of wind blowing and bells chiming in the distance. A short acoustic passage stands in contrast to the full on Black/Speed Metal assault of "Evil Blasphemies." This song is filled with speed, chaos, fury and a wickedly haunting melody. Nifelheim are masterful at creating songs that, no matter how short, possess some sort of epic feeling to the harmonies. This is no exception.

"Sadistic Blood Massacre" and "Black Evil" continue on with the same frenetic pace as the opener. As with many Nifelheim songs, the beginning is much more wild and psychotic, and the melodic part seeps in later on. The melodies are really haunting and eerie, and no one does it like this anymore. There is a certain intensity to the vocals as they spew forth uncontrollably and the pace hasn't really let up yet. The war has only just begun...

The pace slows down a bit for the next song, "The Bestial Avenger." This is pure old school madness. This is the longest song on the album, and one of the most memorable. This is fucking evil perfection! This owes much of its existence to 80s Metal. I cannot emphasize enough just how brilliant this band is. This song, like so many others, is like a Satanic anthem. The pace slows down a bit, midway through, and then builds the intensity back up. Definitely one of the best on here.

"War of Doom (Armageddon)" was the first Nifelheim song I ever heard. Without knowing who it was, my first thought was that it was some gem from the 80s that I had missed. I thought that, surely, this was made not long after the classic Bathory albums. I was somewhat shocked when I learned that it was only a year or so old, at the time. Words cannot do justice to this song and its epic nature. The song title is very appropriate, as this sounds like a war march. Varying paces and otherworldly lead solos make this another stand-out track.

The pace picks back up with the title track and "Infernal Desolation." The album continues on with a variety of paces, epic arrangement and furious playing. The production is perfect for this kind of music. It sounds strong and powerful, while still being easy to mistake for something twenty years old. Even the bass is audible at certain parts, adding something to the sound. Oddly enough, I've read idiotic reviews claiming that Nifelheim made noisy, chaotic, talentless music. Such losers should stick to their favorite glam rock albums, as this is not for them. This is classic Black/Speed Metal and is definitely some of the most memorable stuff I've heard.

As we near the end of our Hellish journey, we go "Into the Morbid Black." This is one of my favorite songs on the album. Again, this starts fairly slow, compared to the others, but doesn't fail to speed up here and there. The song title is appropriate, as there is a very morbid atmosphere created with this one. During the slower parts, the vocalist sounds like a possessed corpse that has recently risen from the grave. There is no way that I will ever be able to articulate the brilliance of this song, along with the album closer "Sacrifice to the Lord of Darkness." I don't want to be repetitive, but this song is definitely defined by its intensity and epic nature. Those themes are present throughout the whole album, and most of Nifelheim's albums. This is just one more example of why they are among the elite.

If you don't own this, kill yourself and do it now.

Dark Funeral - The Secrets of the Black Arts (1996)

The Secrets of the Black Arts is the first full-length album from the Swedish Black Metal band, Dark Funeral. It features cover artwork from the legendary Necrolord. Originally, this was recorded at Dan Swanö's Hellspawn/Unisound Studios, the same as the self-titled E.P., but Blackmoon was dissatisfied with the sound, insisting that it be re-recorded at Peter Tägtgren's Studio Abyss. As somewhat of a perfectionist, he fought hard to not release the first version of the album. The sound is a vast improvement over their previous release, which is odd to say as the Abyss sound is not always so good; however, on this album it was done just right and there is little to complain about. After this, many other bands began using the same studio.

When most people think of Dark Funeral, a very useless band comes to mind. You are filled with apathy at the thought of a meaningless style of music, which seems to be made to please the ignorant masses. This is understandable, as the band has not been relevant in many years. Yet The Secrets of the Black Arts is from a different time. At this point, Necrophobic-mastermind, David Parland (Blackmoon) was still the main creative force and the music benefits from this. As a matter of fact, Lord Ahriman was so intoxicated during the recording process that Blackmoon often played both guitar parts.

My first encounter with this band was around the release of Vobiscum Satanas, which made a bad impression. Actually, it was so bad that I almost didn't bother to listen to their earlier material. However, as I glanced over their debut L.P. for a brief moment, something caught my eye. I noticed David Parland on the back cover and, being a fan of his work in Necrophobic, I knew that I had to give this a listen. In some ways, this could be considered a companion piece to their second album, Darkside.

The Secrets of the Black Arts begins with a very brief intro, "The Dark Age Has Arrived". This does little more than to lower the listener's guard. As you put the CD in, you are expecting something, of course. This intro helps to maximize the impact as the first real song erupts with hellish blasphemy.

Spilling forth from the gates of Hell, the title track begins with icy cold tremolo riffs, blast beats and some of the most demonic vocals, ever. The one thing that seems to dominate the sound is the guitars, which is as it should be. The songwriting is nothing short of amazing, as everything is arranged perfectly. Even the drumming has enough slight variation to keep things from being boring or too typical. The freezing melodies possess a very nocturnal quality.

"My Dark Desires" is a little less violent than the previous song. This song first appeared on the Dark Funeral E.P. This new version would seem to be the superior one, especially considering Themgoroth's evil and maniacal vocal performance. The fast parts are always well-balanced with more mid-paced overtures, in order to give oxygen to the sinister energy that lies among these notes. So often, the glacial, sharp touch of the guitars is mixed with dark, gloomy melodies and this adds a sense of ritualism to the sound.

"The Dawn No More Rises" begins with a slow pace, but not for very long. Themgoroth's hellish vocals rise from the abyss like a chorus of demons and the song explodes with malevolence. The tremolo melodies are like razors of ice, carving through your flesh, creating a grim and cold nocturnal atmosphere. This song goes well with Immortal's "The Sun No Longer Rises", Marduk's "The Sun Has Failed" and Sacramentum's "Far Away From the Sun" as yet another cold northern hymn of darkness.

The next song starts off as if already in progress. "When Angels Forever Die". This song is actually more straight-forward and, probably, used as a template for the band's later sound. The difference is that, although this is pure tremolo riffs and blast beats all the way through, the dark and sinister feeling is never lost. It is done with purpose and accomplishes its goal.

"The Fire Eternal" continues on with this hellish pace, yet is is easily discernable from the previous song. There is more of a somber element to the melodies on this song. Technically speaking, there is nothing groundbreaking, here; minor chords, tremolo strummed with a treble heavy guitar tone, arranged into riffs which shift in dissonant and chromatic fashion. The important thing is that this all comes together in creating a sense of darkness and evil. That is what separates this release from so many others; everything is done for a reason.

"Satan's Mayhem" features simple and cold melodies that often move counter to the harmonies in a device to create tension and an unsettling sensation of fundamental dischord. Themgoroth sounds as if his throat is being shredded, yet he never relents. The furious and intense drumming of Equimanthorn is very precise. Blackmoon's dark and frigid guitars serve as the centerpiece of the song.

"Shadows Over Transilvania" is another song that was originally released on the debut E.P. It is difficult to decide which version is preferable, as the original is probably more familiar, yet the guitar tone is superior on the L.P., in most places. All in all, it was probably done better the first time. This is one of the best songs on the album, as it is morbidly consumed with nocturnal atmosphere. The slower sections and the haunting melodies found therein are key to allowing the sinister energies to grow.

"Bloodfrozen" enters the soundscape with a very slow, doomy pace. The open-arpeggio riffs work well in establishing a dark and sorrowful feeling of dread. As the song speeds up, this feeling remains. Very few guitarists have ever been so successful at harnessing the nocturnal forces quite like Blackmoon. The title of the song is appropriate enough, as the blood freezes in your veins, while listening.

The next song is a cover of Von's "Satanic Blood". There is not much to say about this. It is straight-forward and does not stray from the original. Blackmoon does the vocals on this song. This song doesn't really contain the same atmosphere as the rest of the album. One could say it serves as a break from the rest, so that it is more appreciated when it returns or that it is out of place and, maybe, belonged on an E.P.

"Dark Are the Paths to Eternity (A Summoning Nocturnal)" returns the listener to the cold depths of the nocturnal abyss, bereft of life or light, surrounded by the dark forces from beyond. Themgoroth has become fully possessed, at this point. It is obvious that some vocalists hold back or simply put forth minimal effort, yet one can easily hear all of his being pouring forth in his performance. The riffs are the epitome of true darkness. This is like a hymn to the majesty of the eternal night sky and blackness so dark that even shadows cease to exist. As the song slows down, there is a clean-spoken part that adds to the atmosphere being created by this nocturnal ritual. The guitars are cold as ice and the melodies build a sense of tension, as you are being led toward the great unknown. As the brilliant guitar melodies fade into silence, so too does Dark Funeral's true potential fade into obscurity.

Sacramentum - Far Away From the Sun (1996)

Sacramentum is from Göteborg, but certainly does not have anything to do with the sound that city is known for. This is cold Black Metal in the vein of early Dissection. Far Away From the Sun is their first L.P. and was recorded in Unisound Studios in mid-1995. The production is much stronger than some Black Metal albums recorded in the same studio; i.e. Those of the Unlight, Opus Nocturne, etc. The band is represented very well here.

The album begins furiously, with no intros or anything of that nature. Within the first minute, the skill of these musicians becomes very apparent. The music is violent and melodic at the same time. The atmosphere is cold and nocturnal and is best listened to on a Winter night. Many of the songs begin very fast but the melodies always find their way through the chaos. The tremolo riffs are all around, and dominate the album. The guitar tone is not quite like any other album I have heard. The song structures are more complicated than some bands, with an abundance of tempo changes and atmosphere. Vocally, I have to make the comparison to Jon Nödtveidt. The vocals are in much the same style. There are also brief bits of clean, spoken lines which remind me of Necrophobic's The Nocturnal Silence. The melodies have a classical feel to them, making this album a dark journey through ancient times forgotten. Some old school 80s drum beats are utilized, particularly on "When Night Surrounds Me."

I would compare this to Dissection, Necrophobic (Darkside), and Sorhin; however that is not to say that this sounds just like any of those bands. All too often, it seems that Sacramentum have fallen victim to the label of "Dissection-clone" and this is obviously promoted by those who are too ignorant to see that this record stands on its own, despite being somewhat similar to the aforementioned band. Definitely, fans of the more melodic and nocturnal Swedish Black Metal (as opposed to the blasting, lifeless garbage coming out of there now) will definitely appreciate this. I have to wonder if this album influenced Sargeist at all, because I can even hear similarities there as well.

This album is so good that I cannot recommend individual songs. This is something that needs to be experienced in its entirety. Far Away From the Sun is another Swedish classic of Cold Nocturnal Black Metal.