Norway

Nadir, Extinction Rituals (2023)

Wayne Edwards, , , , ,

Blackened hardcore metal band Nadir extend their reach with their first full-length album, Extinction Rituals.

From Oslo, Norway, Nadir hit the heavy music scene with the debut EP, The Great Dying, in 2020. That record was largely traditional black metal music, although even then you could hear the beginnings of transformations. On the new album, the musicians have gone much further toward embracing their own identity through their creative compositions. Extinction Rituals looks to be the start of something big. The band is Ole Wik (guitar, vocals), Magnus Wiig (guitar), Jonas Bengtson (drums), and Erik Gullesen (bass).

There are ten tracks on the album, beginning with the intro bit, “Void,” featuring bells and wind, leading into “Iron Lung,” a song that hits a ton. The massive guitars and vocals of savagery set an unmistakable mood. It is a mixture of black metal foundations and other metal structures that is very compelling. “The Old Wind” starts in a similar sense – clear black metal underpinnings, modified in a direction curving toward a heavy music center. In this song, the harshness has more of a crackle than the opener, yet it is still in a similar orbit. The music is energetic and charging. Great song. “Absolute” sounds very different, with a large presence at a reduced tempo, at times fostering doom. This song is my favorite of the set.

I am sold on the combination, the amalgamation, of approaches and influences that go into every song on this record. Each track is melded in a different way, and the whole group is variegated with a clear intention. Some of the other songs that I liked best include “Beyond The Shadow Of Death,” for its depth and heaviness, and “A Name On Every Rope,” which, as a concept, is a dark wonder. The closing stride is the title song, “Extinction Rituals,” which seems like music of conquest, or at the very least, endings. I found the entire album enthralling and the band has captured my attention. Recommended.

Extinction Rituals is out on Friday, May 5th. An good place to get it is Bandcamp, at the link below.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://nadircult.bandcamp.com/album/extinction-rituals

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/NadirCult

© Wayne Edwards

Nadir, Extinction Rituals (2023)

Mork, Dypet (Peaceville 2023)

Wayne Edwards, , , , ,

Norwegian black metal band Mork stares into dark eternity with Dypet.

Mork is an incantation, or perhaps an avatar, of Thomas Eriksen, who himself is known far and wide for is work in heavy music. With Mork, Eriksen has released five previous albums, and a long string of EPs. Writing and recording is done entirely by Erickson. For live performances, The Metal Archives tells us he is joined by Alex Bruun (guitar), Rob (bass), and Daniel Minge (drums).

Talking about the new record, Eriksen states, “… the album title, which translates to “The Deep”, something from the depths has been brought to the surface, “Dypet” was inspired by my life over the last couple of years, the thoughts, feelings, passion and the evolving of creative free will.” Additionally, you hear deeply dark themes echoing the cover art that fit perfectly into black metal framing. “Using the Norwegian coastline as [its] setting, the artwork illustrates a mysterious cult that now worships the ‘Draugen’ (a mythical sea ghost in Norwegian lore) paying homage to the sea dwelling beast of Cthulhu.”

The set begins with “Indre Demoner.” It is like walking through a ruined churchyard in northern Europe. As you get closer to the main structure, your dread builds and you start to notice things that are not quite right. Continuing does not seem like a great idea, but it also dark behind you, so you walk on. Once the music gets rolling, it is surprisingly hooky, with a steady, noddable rhythm. The growling hiss of the vocals reminds you where you are, and even with the smooth production, the threat feels real. “Forfort Av Kulden” follows, balancing melody with sharp edges and a theatrical middle. “Svik” is a sorrowful piece that makes you think about how devastating it is when somebody does something wicked to you – this music captures that feeling exceptionally well.

What strikes me about this album is the combination of the depth of the sinister it is able to conjure and the approachability of the music. It is very unusual to generate such profound emotions of this sort in a relatable way. Songs like “Et Kall Fra Dypet” are musically harsher compared to others in the set, yet still they somehow are inviting – or maybe they are entrancing. I particularly appreciate “Avskum” which has such a deliciously dark cook to it, and the closer, “Tilbake Til Opprinnelsen,” is a mage’s spell told in a nightmare. Recommended.

Dypet is out on Friday, March 24th through Peaceville Records. Choose your path at the links below.

Links.

Mork website, https://www.morkisebakke.no/

Bandcamp, https://peaceville.bandcamp.com/album/dypet

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/MORKOFFICIAL

Peaceville Records, http://peaceville.com/bands/mork/

© Wayne Edwards

Mork, Dypet (Peaceville 2023)

Siberian Tusk, Reapers By Trade (Hidden Noise 2022)

Wayne Edwards, , , , ,

Norwegian stoner rock band Siberian Tusk heat up the strings for their new album Reapers By Trade.

Siberian Tusk was started by three members from the band Traktor in 2014. Two years later they released their first EP, Mammuthus Subplanifrons, and two years after that, another, Paved Ground and Desert Sounds. With the groundwork firmly laid and right on schedule, the band’s debut long-player came out in 2020, Save My Soul. The musical style is stoner rock and adjacent lands. The band is Begil (guitar, vocals), Inge Morten (bass, vocals), Kent Rune (guitar), and René (drums).

“Rich & Poor” starts the set off with a firm hand, laying down rugged riffs and insistent vocals on the heavy side of stoner rock with a steady groove. It is a high-energy song, driving and urgent. The guitar lines move together and alongside the vocals, with a lead flourish breaking out toward the end. “Goes Around” has a more mystical tint. The musical narrative is determined, and here the guitars speak earnestly. And then with “Desert Sun” drama heats up and you can feel jeopardy in the air. Three different looks from the very beginning give you a fair notion of what is to come.

Siberian Tusk works to combine rugged and emphatic elements with memorable grooving riffs in a way that other bands don’t. The unique presentation they achieve is very impressive. They can take a standard set up and turn it in surprising ways, like on “Reaper Blues,” for example, where traditions are both celebrated and expanded upon. Really, on any track you will hear rustic beats of one stripe or another alongside or in tandem with melodic moments, one or the other in prominence, and all working together to achieve a bigger outcome than could have been had alone. It is in this endeavor that the band excels. Recommended.

Reapers By Trade is out now through Hidden Noise Records. Check it out at the links below.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://siberiantusk.bandcamp.com/album/reapers-by-trade

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/SiberianTusk

Hidden Noise Records, http://www.hiddennoiserecords.com/

© Wayne Edwards

Siberian Tusk, Reapers By Trade (Hidden Noise 2022)

Captain Caravan / Kaiser, Turned To Stone Chapter 6 (Ripple 2022)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , , ,

Captain Caravan and Kaiser split vinyl sides on Turned To Stone Chapter 6.

A new chapter in Ripple Music’s Turned To Stone series of splits is always something to look forward to. On the latest, Chapter 6, you can get your fuzz on with Norway’s Captain Caravan and Finland’s Kaiser.

Captain Caravan started in 2015, releasing their first full-length album three years later. They play a heavy brand of stoner music with plenty of fuzz and a charging rhythm. A good example of this is the first track of the five they contribute to the split, “Down.” It is a raucous affair, and is followed directly by the groovy number, “Sailors.” “Painted Wolf,” on the other hand, has a more measured pace. “She Can” casts a bluesy tinge and the closer, “Void,” will bring out the wicked in you. All five tracks are killers and, when it is done, you’ll want to drop the needle at the start and hear all five songs one more time before flipping the record over.

Kaiser has been around for about ten years, laying down trippy stoner vibes all the while. They put out an early EP, and then their debut long-player 1st Sound (2018). The music on the new split is excitingly variegated. The set opens with “Howl,” which is a thinker with an intriguing intro. “Fire” follows and it is a two-and-a-half-minute rocker that stomps and rages. “Black Sand Witch” has a doomier feeling to it and at the same time maintains considerable momentum. There is also a blistering lead guitar break in there. The final piece is the epic “Phoenix,” in three movements. Running over nine minutes, this song is very different from the others while still containing familiar elements. It is entrancing, bewitching, beguiling.

Turned To Stone Chapter 6 is out now through Ripple Music, and we highly recommend it. Check the links below to see if any of the physicals remain. There is always digital, no matter what. At Bandcamp, you can subscribe to Ripple Music and get all their new releases plus a massive tome of back-titles, too. It is the best deal in heavy music, and you will find out about new releases in time to grab the ones you want on vinyl or CD, and listen to it all on digital, too.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/turned-to-stone-chapter-6

Captain Caravan website, https://www.captaincaravan.com/

Captain Caravan Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/CaptCaravan/

Kaiser Bandcamp, https://kaiserfuzz.bandcamp.com/music

Kaiser Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/kaiserfuzz

Ripple Music, https://music.ripple-music.com/landing

© Wayne Edwards

Captain Caravan / Kaiser, Turned To Stone Chapter 6 (Ripple 2022)

Defect Designer, Neanderthal (Transcending Obscurity 2022)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , , ,

Free-form death metal band Defect Designer hoe their own row on Neanderthal.

Constructed in Norway and endorsed by Diskord, Defect Designer is a death metal band that does not closely monitor is sub-genre status. Elements of grind, punk, and hardcore exist and come and go as the musical river rages by filled with objects both blunt and sharp. The band has two previous long-players, Wax (2009) and Ageing Accelerator (2015), and the new one is a tight EP loaded with accelerant. The musicians are Eyvind W. Axelsen (bass), Simen Kandola (drums), Dmitry Sukhinin (vocals, guitar, bass), and Martin Storm-Olsen (vocals, guitar).

The album begins in chaos with the one-minute title track. Growling, howling, beating, and shoving – savage knuckle-dragging punk. Tasty.

“Wrinkles” is a little more linear, in a way. It maintains the ragged power of the opener but it is followable. There is a compelling guitar line walking alongside the vocals in the second stanza and a taunting bridge that is a pure delight. The warbling stays mostly near the rails, and there is a Misfits-like playfulness that surfaces in the second half. “Trolls” then is a beating taken stretched out on a rack. The tension is relaxed and increased in a cycle that is unpredictable.

“Luddites” goes toward the land of doom and the hollow of prog, but it doesn’t actually wander over those borders. The music at first seems straight-forward but soon it reveals itself not to be. It is my favorite track. “Vlad” and “Pigsty” have a comradery in excess. The former is a dead run of brutal badgering while the latter takes a break to go to a jazz lunge for a pop before heading out into the night at the end.

“Time, Forward” shuts the door with an embedded identity of contained plethora. The press release was right about the “maniacal fervour” of this music. It exists in loosely described borders where “rules” is not a concept that is entertained seriously. It is hard, loud, and fast. Recommended.

Neanderthal is out on Friday, July 8th through Transcending Obscurity Records. Examine the options at the links below.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://defectdesignerband.bandcamp.com/

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/defectdesigner1

Defect Designer website, https://www.defect-designer.com/

Transcending Obscurity Records, https://transcendingobscurity.aisamerch.com/

© Wayne Edwards

Defect Designer, Neanderthal (Transcending Obscurity 2022)

Hypermass, Empyrean (2022)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

Progressive death metal band Hypermass release their debut full-length album, Empyrean.

Formed ten years ago in Norway, Hypermass issued a demo in 2013 called Into Oblivion, then the EP Clouded Visions a couple years later. Since 2015 they have been rather quiet on the recording front, raising expectations for their first long-player, Empyrean. Playing progressive death metal that is loaded with grooves, hooks, and technical proficiency, they exist on their own self-constructed plane. The band is Markus Sundet (vocals), Thomas Pedersen (guitar), Sindre Dagestad (guitar), and Martin Nordvik (bass). Torgeir Aambø did the drum work on the new recording.

There are nine tracks on the album, starting with a short on ramp, “The Constant.” “Hivemind” is the first detailed glimpse into the universe of the set and it walks you around the expansive neighborhood, offering clues to the keys to the coming compositions. The hammer drops and the prog breaks out and it is more like a festival than a chemistry class. That is the hallmark of Hypermass – they confident enough in their own ideas that they do not try to fit in anyone else’s mold.

There is a plethora of looks on the album. The grisly “The Degenerate Strain” has its own approachability despite its sharp edges. Watch out for the ripping lead guitar that springs to life unexpectedly. “Null and Void” has the fully formed heaviness, too, that is somehow carried on a musical anti-gravity mechanism that allows it to move toward wherever you are at the time you hear it. It is almost mystical the way it works.

The title track comes near the end of the record and it is an achievement. Whether the sky is coming down or we are rising to meet it the journey is multifaceted and absolutely fascinating. The guitar on this song shines again, and the coarse vocals remind us that existence is multidimensional. Excellent throughout, and recommended.

Empyrean is out now. Bandcamp is a quick place to hear it – at the link below.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://hypermass.bandcamp.com/album/empyrean

YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHw3woqZYJMR4AN9Yf02jRQ

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/hypermassmetal

© Wayne Edwards

Hypermass, Empyrean (2022)

Black Void, Antithesis (Nuclear Blast 2022)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , ,

The flipped coin lands on the Black Void side with Antithesis.

Norwegian band White Void plays a luxurious sort of heavy music; bright and melodic. Black Void is looking at the world from a different perspective. Not like Janus, not to me anyway. These two forces exist together. I read this description of Black Void: “a musical equivalent of a punk with a Mohawk fighting a dude in corpse paint.” I’ll take that one, too. White Void put out a successful album last year, and now we have this alternate look on the world from Black Void, Antithesis. The band is Jostein Thomassen (guitar), Tobias Øymo Solbakk (drums), and Lars Are Nedland (vocals, bass).

The music is described more formally as a combination of black metal and punk. Whenever I hear those two mentioned together my mind immediately skips to Venom, but that is not where Black Void goes. There is a punk sensibility throughout, and you can hear black metal twinges, but they are much more subdued. There are many hooks and catchy moments, and there are also frequent melodic passages. The perfect example is “Tenebrism Of Life,” which has gruff vocals and an aggressive guitar attack. I also offers singable moments and toys with pop-punk catchiness. It is an excellent hard-edged song that gets right in your head.

Top picks for me on the album are “It’s Not Surgery, It’s A Knife Fight” and “Void.” Both of these have the kind of punkitude that brightened me up and made me want to punch the air. The final two songs on the set are heavy hitters, too: “Nihil” and “Dadaist Disgust.” The band has talked about the nihilist aspects (Nietzsche) and the influence of Dadaism on this set. If you are looking for it, go to the end and work your way back toward the beginning. You will not be disappointed. I don’t know what White Void fans will think of Black Void, but I think this record is great. Recommended.

Antithesis is out on Friday, May 27th through Nuclear Blast Records. More info at the links below.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://blckvod.bandcamp.com/album/antithesis

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/BlackWhiteVoid

Nuclear Blast, https://shop.nuclearblast.com/en/products/sound/cd/cd/black-void-antithesis.html

© Wayne Edwards

Black Void, Antithesis (Nuclear Blast 2022)

Warzaw, Black Magic Satellite (2021)

Wayne Edwards, , , ,

Norwegian metalheads Warzaw release their second album of 2021, Black Magic Satellite.

At the beginning of this year, Warzaw unleashed Werewolves On Wheels, a full-length 1980s-metal-inspired album that brought an enormous amount of heavy metal joy. Now they are back to close the year out with an all new long-player, Black Magic Satellite. Points for diligence and hard work. More importantly, the new one branches out a little more than Werewolves did while staying in the broad lane of banging heavy metal. The musicians who make up Warzaw are Daniel Rønning (vocals), Håvard Alvarez (guitar), Trond Jullumstrø (guitar and bass), and Mats Sødahl (drums).

“Santa Mira” gets things going on this eleven track set. It crackles with energy and pace, and offers up an satisfyingly digestible chorus. The melody takes hold of you with hot hands and stands you up for the excellent lead break. This song rips. “Fierce Attitude” comes next, and it is also speedy, plus a little more grizzly. The tempo shifts slightly on the third track, “Send My Regards,” toward the center lane, retaining the heaviness of its predecessors while mixing things up a bit. The lyrics here are rougher, the lead break more raw; a flexing juxtaposition.

Throughout the album, the standard hard rock set-up frames the compositions and deploys that reliable familiarity. The surety of this position allows the band to rub confidently its own scent in every crease and crevice of each song. Other stand-out tracks for me are “Circular Talk” and the closer, “Sabres of Flesh and Blood.” There is not a weak one in the bunch.

This album is every bit as good as Werewolves, and it pledges a bright future for the next one. I really like this band. Recommended.

Black Magic Satellite is out tomorrow, December 31st. Listen to it on Spotify or search the ether for a place to buy the digital album.

Links.

Spotify, https://open.spotify.com/artist/2pJZWxMzv2TwO99Y3HIDFb

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/warzawband

YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZxg45Ijq7UkZQ-37lc0jxQ

FFMB Werewolves On Wheels review, https://flyingfiddlesticks.com/2021/02/11/warzaw-werewolves-on-wheels-2021/

Warzaw, Black Magic Satellite (2021)

Gåte, Nord (Indie Recordings 2021)

Wayne Edwards, , , , ,

Heavy folk band Gåte release their fifth album, Nord.

It has been more than twenty years since Gåte first got together in Norway. They have released eight previous recordings – four each of EPs and LPs. The music is what I call acoustic doom. I am also at peace with doom folk as a label. The musicians are Gunnhild Sundli (vocals and violin), Magnus Børmark (guitar, vocals, and percussion), Sveinung Sundli (Hardanger fiddle, organ, vocals, and percussion) Jon Even Schærer (percussion and vocals).

“Solfager og Ormekongen” has the sound of a soft and soulful tale with persistent tamping percussion, organic huffing in the background, strings, and the occasional impression of woodland creatures. The English translation of the title is “Solfager and the Worm King” and there is a detailed description of the story, too, in the press materials. It is nice to read, and certainly interesting, but it also a little like cheating since I will never understand the lyrics when I hear them sung. Whenever I hear songs in a language I do not know, the vocal becomes a pure instrument with only the literal sound and the emotional expression that comes through the presence of the singer’s voice. It is an incomplete experience but it is also an unclouded one.

I love Gunnhild Sundli’s voice and, listening to it without narrative understanding, I am nonetheless transfixed. This is not metal, not even folk metal. And yet, listen to “Rideboll og Gullborg” and tell me it is not heavy in tone and deep in ponderment. Like doom music. The folk setting and the use of traditional instruments, especially the heavy reliance on percussion, changes the perspective and style, but does not disturb the seriousness or the depth of emotion. To me, it is enthralling. Recommended.

Nord is out on Friday, December 3rd through Indie Recordings. Bandcamp is the place to go in the US for an easy acquisition.

Links.

Website, https://gaate-music.com/

Bandcamp, https://gaate.bandcamp.com/

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/Gaateband

Indie Recordings, https://shop.indierecordings.no/

Gåte, Nord (Indie Recordings 2021)

Sarke, Allsighr (Soulseller Records 2021)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , , ,

Sarke has created another unstoppable metal music amalgam on their seventh album, Allsighr.

Sarke is an unusual metal band from Oslo, Norway. They have released six previous albums, the most recent one being Gastwerso in 2019, and they have been at this for ony a decade. Widely regarded as seminal players in metal fusion, Sarke’s reputation will be embellished by their newest album with its boundless creativity. The musicians are Nocturno Culto (vocals), Sarke (bass), Steinar Gundersen (guitar), Anders Hunstad (keys), and Cato Bekkevold (drums).

There are ten rugged tracks on Allsighr. The opener is “Bleak Reflections,” and it has groove-laced primary riffs that propel it along its dark path. Sarke is known for an atypical mixology, combining basic rock from the 1970s with curious bursts and – least likely to go with the others – black metal infusions. It is crackle and stomp with a gloomy cloak strolling in the swirling mist. The perfect example is the song “Grim Awakening,” which has a mid-tempo riff and dreamy keys and then a chorus that goes, “I leap into cruelty / I leap into hate / a grim awakening / will seal my fate.” Juxtaposition on parade.

There are many songs to admire on this album. A couple of my favorites include “Funeral Fire” for its inventive creepiness and “Beheading of the Circus Director” for its incredible urgency and unstoppable optimism. This music will completely take you over if you let it. And you should let it. Listen to “Through The Thorns” and tell me I am wrong. I am not getting over this album anytime soon.

The drop date for Allsighr is Friday, November 5th through Soulseller Records. Snap it up on-line or at your favorite local music store. It’s a ripper. Recommended.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://soulsellerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/allsighr

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/sarkeofficial/

Soulseller Records, https://soulsellerrecords.aisamerch.com/

Sarke, Allsighr (Soulseller Records 2021)