Angry Metal Guy

Vintersorg // Jordpuls
Rating: 4.5/5.0 — The Perfect Record for Spring
Label: Napalm Records
Website: myspace.com/vintersorganic
Release Dates: EU: 2011.25-28.03 | US: 04.05.2011

After a wintry silence of 4 years about a new solo record, Vintersorg is finally releasing the long awaited follow-up to Solens Rötter. If you consider the early solo career of Mr. V, this is actually pretty surprising. His fecundity has been next to almost none, producing a record a year, as well as having a myriad of other excellent projects (like Otyg, Waterclime, Havayoth, Gravisphere, being in the mighty Borknagar and I’m sure someone will correct me on something I’ve missed). But for this Angry Metal Guy the new record coming has been a worrisome thing, as the taste that was left in my mouth by Solens Rötter was a bit bitter. To date, the record is my least favorite of everything that has been released under Mr. V’s solo moniker and the decision to ditch the amazing Steve Digiorgio and Asgeir Mickelson and bass and drums, respectively, was definitely felt. So I guess the question for Jordpuls was… what next? Continue reading

Abigail Williams // In the Absence of Light
Rating: 2.5/5.0 – Needs a lot more of something interesting.
Label: Candlelight Records
Websites: myspace.com/abigailwilliams
Release Dates: EU: 27.09.2010 | US: 09.28.2010

Symphonic black metal, a genre fraught with many a trap, snare and pitfall awaiting the unwary band that wants to go down this grim and icy road. Overproduction, bloating, too much keyboard, not enough keyboard, all can bring the metallic symphony to a halt faster than a black metal miser can frown. Even if one avoids all these dangers, the music must be interesting and compelling at its core or trouble ensues. It’s that last nagging little issue that drags down In the Absence of Light, the sophomore album by New York’s own Abigail Williams. Continue reading

Istapp // Blekinge
Rating: 4.5/5.0 — Retarded good.
Label: Metal Blade
Websites: istappofficial.com | myspace.com/istapp
Release Date: EU: 04.06.2010 | US: 06.08.2010

Sweden’s Istapp (translation: icicle) was a big surprise for this Angry Metal Guy. A Swedish melodic black metal from Blekinge Län (which is basically the far south of Sweden) I had never heard of them. They’ve been around in the scene for a while, apparently, having released several demos and then a demo compilation (with practically the same track list as Blekinge). More surprisingly, the band’s vocalist is reported to have been in Spawn of Possession until 2009, which is a strange connection given that the band is at almost the opposite side of the spectrum from the well known and worshiped tech-death band. But while Istapp isn’t going to win any awards with the hardcore fans of black metal with their clean vocals, their pristine production and their melody, they are certainly going to win a lot of fans who like their metal fast, melodic and, more importantly, awesome.
Continue reading

Dark Tranquillity // We Are the Void
Rating: 3.5/5.0 — Dark and brooding, very good but with some miscues
Label: Century Media
Websites: darktranquillity.com | myspace.com/dtofficial
Release Dates: EU: 01.03.2010 | US: 03.09.2010

Dark Tranquillity is a living legend. Don’t kid yourselves: they’re a band that has managed to maintain their credibility in a scene where many of the bands that have stayed around have lost that credibility (see: In Flames). They have consistently put out good records, even into their less progressive era, that excite their fanbase and and attract new fans with their catchy melodies, creative arrangements and the energy of their music. There are, however, two sides to Dark Tranquillity‘s music. The first is a fast, heavy melodic style of thrashy death metal that has long been associated with them and the Gothenburg death metal scene. The second, and the part that has long appealed to us personally, is the blackness and dark emotional content that borders on gothic metal. We Are the Void embodies both of these sides and may be the darkest album the band has produced since the much-maligned Projector.

On a structural level We are the Void is quite similar to Fiction. The production is thick and loud, with the drums moved into the higher, tinny range in order to facilitate hearing them. There is a certain lifelessness that’s been on both of these last two records that I don’t like very much. However, the tones on this record are better than on Fiction, even if they don’t live up to the production on Damage Done and Character. The tracks are generally more chuggy with the keyboard creeping in heavier than ever on this album—thickening up the choruses on  nearly every track and being used to great effect in nearly every song. On top of that, the melodious, harmonized Iron Maiden meets Slayer kind of guitar work has lessened over the years and is even less visible on We Are the Void than on any previous record.  Instead, this style has been replaced instead by breakdowns and stop time riffs like the introduction to “The Fatalist” or the main riff from “The Grand Accusation”. The songs are generally slower across the board and lacking the blast beats that were also more common on previous releases.

We Are the Void does not need the trappings of old Dark Tranquillity tracks to be good, however. Instead, where it differentiates itself is in the dark, almost gothic approach to the tracks that we haven’t heard from the band since Projector. I don’t think we’ve heard as much of Mikael Stanne’s clean vocals, a beautiful baritone tone that fits the darker, slower music very well, as much since Projector—which was unfortunately ripped to shreds by the band’s more elitist fans in the late 90s. But it is these dark, Moonspellesque tracks like “Her Silent Language”, “The Grandest Accusation” and “Iridium” where the band feels fresh, honest and where the real energy is to be found. The final crescendo of “Iridium” only being outdone by the dour, haunting “Arkhangelsk” which borders on Dimmu Borgir or Borknagar territory on the chorus with its use of keyboards and gothic dissonance.

Bringing it all together, We Are the Void is a record that starts out weak, but gets stronger and stronger by the end; reaching its emotional peak on the track “Iridium” and leaving the listener desirous of more. Unlike previous DT albums, which are always fun to listen to because the guitar work and the speedy pace, this record hooked us with its emotional content and feel—which unfortunately cheapened some of the faster tracks and made them feel out of place. This isn’t entirely the case, there are some fantastic faster and more technical parts as well, like the introduction to “In My Absense” and the bridge of “Her Silent Language”, that are more reminiscent of times gone by, but there is a sense that the band maybe just needs to back off that sound for a while to recharge those batteries and put out music that really shows off that inner void that Stanne is screaming about.

Borknagar // Universal
Rating: 3.5/5.0 — Very good, feels unfocused at times and its definitely a grower..
Label: Indie Recordings
Websites: myspace.com/borknagar
Release Dates: EU: 22.02.2010 | US. 03.02.2010

Borknagar is a class act and has been for a long time. Reaching all the way back to their first, self-titled release, this band has separated itself from the herd by being just plain more interesting and unique. Eventually they just separated themselves from the modern black metal scene altogether, heading towards more progressive pastures. Universal continues a trend away from the raw and simple towards the highly complex, dynamic and progressive—but the question is whether or not the band’s fans and general public will want to follow the band in this direction. Well, and whether or not where the band is leading is somewhere worth going.

Make no mistake about it Borknagar is a seriously talented and fantastic band. Even with the departure of longtime drummer Asgeir Mickelson, the band didn’t miss a beat (oh, hahahaha, I’m so funny) when they picked up American drummer David Kinkade who performs admirably while filling some of metal’s biggest drumming shoes. Vintersorg sounds fantastic as well, though he’s mixed quite far back on this record, more so than on previous albums. On a close listen, Universal is a record of incredible layers. All of the instruments are painting complex, elaborate, detailed and beautiful portraits which come together sometimes to create a grand tapestry of sound.

Unfortunately, all this epicness and detailed playing also leads to what I see as the biggest problem from which this record suffers: a lack of focus. While every song on the record has shining moments of beauty and clarity, Universal seems messy and hard to follow at times. Intros to tracks can feel like total non sequiturs when the verse actually starts, (see: “For A Thousand Years to Come”) or sometimes the instruments seemingly clash with each other instead of working together to create beautiful chords and harmonies. Particularly in my normal speakers, I found myself just wandering off mentally when this record started overload my ears with information that seemingly clashed. However, a deeper listen with earphones helped me see through this sort of foggy mix (metaphorically speaking) and helped me come to a better understanding of these tracks.

And let me say: there are some really strong tracks on this album. The opener, “Havoc” is sort of your standard Borknagar opener, but it has done its job and stuck in my head. “My Domain” which features a guest appearance from Simen Hestnæs is another track that stands out for its epic build, particularly to the end of the song and stands as a reminder of what a fantastic vocalist Simen really is (and what Dimmu Borgir lost). “Abrasian Tide” is probably the most reminiscent of Quintessence and Empiricism on the whole record, and it’s just a solid track from start to finish. But my personal favorite track on the album is probably “Fleshflower” which, while quite short by metal standards, features a fantastic neo-classical kind of melody and some really convincing vocal performances. All of these awesome tracks point me to the same conclusion, when the band stays focused, they are able to produce epic, fascinating and powerful tracks. The big problem is when they let their progressive urges get ahead of themselves and the tracks start to wander.

Of course, the above tracks are not the only ones on the album I like. Every song on here has stand out moments, but I still do feel like I just get lost at some points and really, this is the first album by Borknagar where I’m able to say that. I admittedly had some issues with Epic at times, but even that one I felt like had a lot more good than bad and I can honestly say that I never had to work at liking that record. Universal, on the other hand, is a record that I have put a ton of effort into dissecting and trying to enjoy because of the high regard I hold this band in. While in the end I still think that this is a pretty good record, it certainly didn’t manage to live up to my expectations and had I not been forced to write a cogent review of it, I don’t know whether or not I would have given it more than just a couple listens.

Dark Fortress // Ylem
Rating: 3.0/5.0 — Good, but too damn long…
Label: Century Media
Websites: thetruedarkfortress.com | myspace.com/darkfortress
Release Dates: EU: 25.01.2010 | US: 02.09.2010

An unfortunate side-effect of not being omniscient is that I have not listened to the back catalogues of every band that I receive promos for. Sometimes this results in a large amount of unnecessary griping from fanboys on forums, and sometimes this means that I’m taken completely by surprise by an album that might not be as good as a band’s earlier work—but as it’s the first thing I’ve heard I can laud it as an amazing album. Of course, this leaves a listener in an odd place, as one has nothing to compare the music with or a style-reference. I feel like I’m wandering in pretty blind with the band Dark Fortress who has a new album called Ylem on the way (or out, depending on when you’re reading this), as the band has been around in the German scene since 1994—that’s 16 years of releases that I’ve never heard.

At first I was unimpressed. Dark Fortress, at first blush, just sounded like another black metal band to me. Blasting, coupled with atmospheric keyboards and trem-picked guitars and the girl from The Exorcist on vocals. You know the sound as well as I do, I’m sure: it’s a sound that was amazingly novel when I first listened to Emperor, Borknagar and Arcturus back in my chrysalis-stage but that has been getting more and more stale as the years move on. The similarity to Emperor and earlier Dimmu Borgir isn’t lost on the listener, really. The style is straight forward.

Fortunately one doesn’t write reviews after the first listen. The more I have listened to this record the more impressed I am with the depth and the originality that is exhibited within a genre that is actually quite banal in its old age. While the band hasn’t taken to the minimalistic 14-minutes-of-boring approach that so many modern black metal bands have taken, they’ve continued with the older style and they’ve improved on it by making sure that while their songs are heavy and interesting they still have good hooks. Sure, most black metal guys wouldn’t think of them as hooks, but that’s what they are. They have subtle groove, subtle melodies and a lot of texture that is perfectly mixed to not be so obvious or straightforward.

I was especially impressed by the uncommon approach to black metal drums—that is, the half-time blast drummer Seraph uses over slower parts. It adds an oddly progressive feel to a sound that is becoming anything but progressive. The guitar work, as well, is understated and melodic while still maintaining the extremity that one would expect from black metal. But mainly, Dark Fortress understands that dynamics make interesting music and that breakneck speed and extremity all the time raise the bar, but don’t necessarily increase the extremity of the final product. Instead, they have a lot of old school groove and simplistic rock style riffs that older fans sometimes miss from modern black metal.

While there is a lot of interesting stuff going on the record, it still feels a bit stale here and there. That’s not to say that there aren’t highlights: “As the World Keels Over,” offers excellent melodic material oddly reminiscent of Dark Tranquillity, mixed with off-time blast. “Evenfall” is a compelling doomy track which is offset a couple tracks later by the black metal theme “Satan Bled”, a song that is probably killer live. These strong songs are offset by the record dragging on, however. The band probably could’ve cut 3 tracks off and produced a perfectly timed album that didn’t overstay its welcome. Instead, the album clocks in at 70 minutes.

Ylem is an interesting, sinisterly dark record, and it’s worth giving a shot as a fan of black metal. I don’t hear a lot of black metal that really sells itself these days, and on a dry run Dark Fortress has made a pretty good sales pitch for themselves. To be sure I’d go back and check out their discography, but this record is probably as good as any to check out. What the band is doing is no longer cutting edge extremity, but I guess neither is black metal.

Well, apparently this is another two (or possibly three if you count Gravisphere) Andreas Hedlund (Vintersorg, Otyg, Havayoth, etc.) record year. The first of the year will be the February 22nd release of Universal by Borknagar! Yes, yes, yes! I’m very interested to hear this album, as the stuff that I’ve heard thus far has been fantastic.

Here’s the official press release from Indie Recordings:

Borknagar’s upcoming album Universal will be launched for a worldwide release the 22^nd of February 2010 through Indie Recordings.

Comment about the artwork:

“We are really proud to finally reveal the cover for Universal. It has been a long process to circle in and establish the perfect visual approach for this album. A cover that is able to visually represent the album. We firmly believe that we have achieved that with the new cover and the general designs (including CD,CDL, LP and CD BOX) represent nothing less.”

The tracklisting is as follows:

1. Havoc
2. Reason
3. The Stir of Seasons
4. For a Thousand Years to Come
5. Abrasion Tide
6. Fleshflower
7. Worldwide
8. My Domain (featuring guest vocals by I.C.S Vortex)

The artwork is also totally awesome.

According to a post that Vintersorg made on his forum, he and Matias are slowly at work recording the follow up to 2007′s Solens Rötter.  While a name hasn’t been given for the new record yet, he teased today that in fact all the lyrics have ended up being in Swedish—and that this is entirely unplanned.  A few titles to illustrate this:

Mörk Nebulosa
Vindögat
Palissader
Klippor och Skär

According to the enigmatic Mr. V himself:

We’ve slowly started to record stuff and it sounds beautiful.

Looking forward to it!

Some may have read recently the post that made it on Blabbermouth, but was sent to anyone who was on Indie Recordings’ list about the restructuring and the fact that Borknagar and In Vain are going to have their records pushed back until 2010.  Of course, this is a bit of a shame as I was really looking forward to the new Borknagar record.  However, what I thought was definitely the coolest thing was getting to see the release list for 2010, honestly.  This is seriously fucking awesome.  Next year is going to kick ass for those of us who dig a lot of the Norwegian bands and the bands on Indie’s roster.  Here’s the list that was included: