Nordvis Produktion

Stilla – Ensamhetens Andar Review

Stilla – Ensamhetens Andar Review

“Sometimes, when you hear a new band, you are reminded of a long-forgotten gem that is hidden in the recesses of your mind. As years pass, you forget certain things, sure, but it’s always interesting when something jostles your memory banks and brings back a flood of missing memories. Stilla, the alter ego of Sweden’s Bergraven plus vocalist A. Petterson (De Arma) are an interesting proposition. Atmospheric, moody, and cold, Stilla have a very creative little gem of an album with Ensamhetens andar [Spirits of Loneliness in translationAMG], their second full-length. In their pursuit of atmosphere and the desire to be at one with nature, they opened up an unexpected floodgate.” Grymm waxes nostalgic for black metal’s younger days as he examines some new darkness. Ah, black stuff….

Lustre – Wonder Review

Lustre – Wonder Review

“It was about five years ago that I heard Lustre’s very first EP, Serenity, and it wasn’t awful I suppose. It was incredibly soft as black metal goes, to the point where I wouldn’t even call it black metal any more. It had a very prominent keyboard melody over the top of the “black metal” and just went on and on, but since the melody was good it didn’t feel too overlong. Where I didn’t really enjoy the EP all that much, I did see some kind of potential if the dude actually worked towards evolving his songwriting past the *cough* “hypnotic” structure, in which he steals Burzum’s flair for repetition and forgets everything that makes repetition actually work. Five years later I check out his latest recording and it’s pretty much as dreadful as it possibly could be. What on earth happened?” Noctus unleashed a vicious indictment againt the lack of progression by a black metal act and in related news, water is still wet.