Filed under: Reviews | Tags: Arckanum, Asmund, Burzum, Grauzeit, Horna, Suidakra, Summoning
So a year later and I’m finally in the swing of things enough to get this shit going again. Here’s stuff.
Horna-Askel Lähempänä Saatanaa 
Country: Finalnd (Lappeenranta/Tampere)
Label: World Terror Committee
Released: 3.08.2013
I got to see Horna last year when they decided to stick around longer after Maryland Deathfest and play some east coast shows. Luckily I wasn’t at one of the ones where Shatraug decided to piss on the audience, which he had done in Boston the night before. Honestly, I was up front and also desperately drunk so I don’t remember too much of the show. Except I woke up the next morning on my couch with all my clothes on and my pockets stuffed with blood-soaked pages from a Bible. That has no bearing on this record. This record wasn’t even out yet. The story fills space because it’s a Horna record; you know what you’re getting. You’re getting a cold dose of fairly dynamic and endlessly punishing black metal. Another solid release from Horna.
5/5
Grauzeit-Tyrannei der Tristesse
Country: Germany (Hamburg/Bavaria)
Label: Self-Mutilation Services
Released: 5.21.2013
I’ve been gone for a year now. I didn’t even listen to new black metal in that year (except the new Darkthrone record). I return to the desk of judgement only to find that this shit is still going on. I was certain the whole first Bathory record meets Discharge meets Motorhead thing would have totally overwhelmed this shit by now. But no, we still have suicidal depressive post-black metal getting released. To say that this record is weak is as huge of an understatement as can be. There are moments on here where it sounds like the band is at least aware of what black metal sounds like. If you combined those moments, they would be about 1 minute in duration. I’m afraid if I listen to this for too long, my balls may drop off.
1/5
Arckanum-Fenris Kindir
Country: Sweden (Mora)
Label: Season of Mist
Released: 5.10.2013
There is a chance that I only started reviewing records again because I was subconsciously aware that a new Arckanum album came out. This is kind of like the Horna release in that it almost isn’t even worth reviewing: you know what it’s gonna sound like before you listen to it. Do you like Arckanum? If so, you’d probably like this. If not, you’re fucking stupid. The dude wears a fucking grandpa mask and walks around with a walking stick covered in knives. Plus, Arckanum writes the songs I wish I’d thought of. Except mine would be in English.
4/5
Summoning-Old Mornings Dawn
Country: Austria (Vienna)
Label: Napalm Records
Released: 6.05.2013
The first time I heard this band, I fucking hated them. In fact, I kept hating them. Then one day, it all made sense to me. In reality, I still don’t really like it that much. This record I dislike significantly less than their past releases, but it’s really not my thing at all. The synthesizer overdose mixed with the shittiest guitar sound I’ve ever heard and what I think might be the occasional presence of hand drums are all really just not my thing. However, there are at least 1 or 2 songs on this record that I sort of enjoy. Only problem is, all the songs are like 9 minutes long so even if I do enjoy them, I’m mind-numbingly bored by the end of them. Plus, the whole Lord of the Rings schtick is wearing really fucking thin. But as I said, I hate it less than Oath Bound and I think I understand it now.
3/5
Suidakra-Eternal Defiance
Country: Germany (Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia)
Label: AFM Records
Released: 5.24.2013
TERRIFIC! MORE FUCKING SYNTHS! This is just my lucky fucking day, isn’t it (and I’m not even close to being done with the synths yet)? And laughing and horse-drawn cart soundbytes. What the fuck have I gotten into? But then the second track starts. And holy fuck. In all honesty, this is much more of a folk metal release than a pure black metal release. There are a lot of bagpipes. But, and I don’t say this lightly, this is one of the best folk metal albums ever recorded. Somehow, this manages to avoid all the hokey stupidity of the genre’s forefathers and is, in actuality, a pretty terrific record.
4/5
Asmund-К чертогам Славы*
Country: Russia (Kaluga)
Label: Der Schwarze Tod
Released: 5.08.2013
What NI review set would be complete without the presence of blatantly fascistic black metal records from Eastern Europe? There’s a part of me that just wants to give this an automatic 0/5 because it’s a nazi-glorifying record from Russia and that is fucking stupid. But I’m a masochist so I actually listened to the record. I was shocked at how good the production value is. It’s a black metal record. From Russia. Made by neo-fascists. Why the hell can I hear what’s going on? Overall, this isn’t the worst Russian fascistic black metal record I’ve ever heard. It’s pretty repetitive and pretty weak as far as the guitars are concerned. The drumming isn’t half bad, neither are the vocals. I’m sure if I spoke Russian I would be deeply offended. Overall, if someone other than neo-nazis from Russia had released this identical album (with a different cover maybe. Also that cover is fucking stupid) it would probably do quite well.
1/5
Burzum-Sôl Austan, Mâni Vestan*
Country: Norway/France (Bergen/Limousin)
Label: Byelobog Productions
Released: 5.27.2013
Funny story. Given the declining quality of the past 2.5 Burzum releases, I was 100% prepared to hate this release with all of my heart. And I’m willing to guess that most people will hate this release. I do not. I didn’t hate Dauði Baldrs or Hliðskjálf. When Varg said he was going to start releasing black metal again, I was hoping for basically a new Burzum/Aske or Det Som Engang Var. Instead I got a rerecorded version of that record and Varg attempting to make something that sounds like a black metal album. It was sort of a let down. When I read that this record was going to be a synthesizer record like the two he made in jail, I wasn’t sure what to think. But this sounds like the logical next step. It’s like Belus or Fallen or From the Depths of Darkness or Umskiptar never happened. In the case of the latter two, I wish they hadn’t. I think Burzum should probably just keep making this record from now on. Since when does Varg give a fuck about fans?
4/5
Expect one of these a month until this computer breaks or I die or something.
Warbastard’s notes: From now on a * next to the artist-title implies that it is an NS/Racialist release. I’ll put something about that somewhere.
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