Vinyl lovers rejoice...for Indie Recordings is re-issuing Warduna's debut album (originally released by the band in 2009, with the label release happening in 2012) on your beloved music carrier! For those unfamiliar with this Norwegian Dark Folk act, a short background.
Patria are a Brazilian Black Metal formation, forged in 2008 by two very experienced musicians: multi-instrumentalist Marcelo ‘Mantus’ Vasco, known from e.g.
Norway’s Glittertind are a project by Torbjørn Sandvik, who started this outfit at the age of sixteen, more than twelve years ago. In the past, Glittertind released two albums via Karmageddon (the full length Evige Asatro in 2004, and the mini Til Dovre Faller in 2005), both as solo-project for Torbjørn.
Anaal Natrakh, Burzum, Darkthrone, Satyricon, and some other Norwegian black metal come into my mind when I listen to the songs of Unravel, at times very hymnic and melodic, then icy cold and fast, combined with the bone-dry production sounding basic as Gehenna does without any detours. Yet this album has one big flaw for my ears, yes, again, the vocals which destroys much of any upcoming atmosphere.
Norwegian musician Thomas Bergli (drummer for Khold and Tulus, and formerly for Old Man's Child -in 1997 – and Sensa Anima – with whom he recorded the 2000 album Synthetic) akà Sarke had been toying with the ideas for a solo project for a couple of years already.
Obliteration’s debut album Perpetual Decay, Tyrant Syndicate 2007, was probably my favourite Norwegian non-Black Metal album that very same year. Their second full length, Nekropsalms (label: Fysisk Format), was even awarded (in different mags, like Natt Og Dag), and voted as best album of the year (Osloprisen). It leaded to a tour in both Europe and North America, and the band could perform live on stage at different huge festivals.
Whoever SAHG are, they’re good at it. Good at peddling classic/heavy/prog/stoner metal they knock it off here with taste and unashamed panache which keeps most of these 8 songs pretty appealing. Norway is where they come from a part called Bergen to be exact and this happens to be their fourth album..
Norwegian act Extol return after a long period of relative silence. The band was formed during the first half of the nineties, and throughout the years, they recorded a couple of EP’s (1999’s Mesmerized and 2001’s Paralysis) and four full lengths: Burial (1998), Undeceived (2000), Synergy (2003) and The Blueprint Dives (2005). The latter, by the way, was nominated in Norway for a Grammy Award.
The name should already point into the right direction. Normally I'm not responsible for writing black metal reviews because I'm not the biggest fan of this music and that’s an understatement. But From The Vastland from Iran certainly can claim to be very different from other bands in that genre.
With crushing album after crushing album, somehow multi instrumentalist Munkeby and his blackjazz legion of lethal musicians demand of themselves to kick it up several notches every time they come near a studio.
