Skygge were formed a couple of years ago in the mighty city of Bergen, Norway, by multi-instrumentalist and composer Kuldegys (of Viðr-fame) and vocalist / lyricist Dáublódir (think: Doedsstraff or Gandreid). They released a first demo in 2012, called Heksekunst, which drew attention of Naturmacht Productions. It gave Skygge the opportunity to record and release a first full length, called Knokkelkraft (‘knuckle-force’ or ‘power of bones’), which the duo recorded with assistance of session-drummer Tulkas, a colleague of Kuldegys in Viðr (and also involved with Beinkjør, for your information). It was originally released on December 6th 2012 on CD-r in a limited edition of hundred copies only.
Skygge call their music Third Wave of Norwegian Svart Metal, but it leaves me confused. What is that ‘third wave’ anyway? But let’s skip that crap, and focus on their interpretation of the Second Wave (as you can see, I’m in a pretty nasty mood right now). So, Skygge come with an extremely harsh-rhythmic form of Nordic-styled Necro-Black with a focus on shadowy atmospheres and varying speed. The latter means: speed-up nasty tempos versus cold Doom-laden passages, and what dwells in between… Yeah, it depends on how fast you can break a skull with your bare teeth, I think…
I’m somewhat stuck in the middle of unlimited enthusiasm and modest scepticism when it comes to this release. You know, there is nothing wrong with the songs or the effective performance. I like the riffs, the vocals, the rhythm, the variation in tempo and structure. At the other hand, I can’t get rid of the idea that I did hear this before so many times. And that’s what makes me confused right now. There are no tracks that are totally memorable, but not once, and I listened to this record three times in mean time (this is the fourth time – well yes, I sleep about two to three hours every day), I had the impression that it started boring me either. Despite the lack of refreshment (I’m always hot, so I do crave for some coldness…), I still enjoy this stuff, even though there is so much comparable material available nowadays. I give them the benefit of doubt, with some improved material in a near future, for my concern…