Post by nocturnaliridescence on Oct 18, 2017 22:32:21 GMT -6
Whether it's the constant blastbeats of Nattesorg; the lengthy, minimalist droning of On the Throne / Nahum Nineveh; or the brutal, experimental static and/or ear-piercing blacknoise of Frostnoise, Kenneth "Nattesorg" Holsen releases very niche music. Kenneth knows what styles he likes, and he works excellently in them, but these styles are very, very underground -- either you like brutal/experimental music, or you don't, it's as simple as that. And that will probably make or break the better part of his discography for you, including and especially Nattesorg.
For those who haven't heard this project yet, get ready. This is "black metal", but probably not like you've ever heard. There are no acoustic sections on this album. No ambient interludes. No breakdowns. Not even intros. This is a 100% constant assault. This is basically Armageddon Holocaust's early material, taken to its logical extreme. The guitars are a mass of static that's just honed-in enough that you can hear the riffs playing throughout each song, if you pay attention. The drums start, and do not stop. Ever. Check that, they do stop sometimes - for less than one second, before going right back into the near-constant blasting. The vocals are a bit tough to describe; picture the more "croaky", less "screamy" kind of black metal vocals, but with a kind of grindcore attitude to them. It's an overall chaotic listen, but that's NOT a bad thing.
For those who are familiar with this project, it becomes easier over time to notice the subtle differences over the course of each album, so it's easier to talk about details. The most obvious difference you'll notice is the vocals - there's no reverb on them for most of the songs. A few tracks (10-12, as I recall) have reverb, but for the most part, it's missing from this album. Whether this works for or against the album is up to personal opinion, basically. On the plus side, it adds to the overall more "raw"/"buzzy" production of the album. On the down side, the production on the vocals is a bit thin/flat, so the vocals don't "blend in" with the music as well as they do on other albums. Kind of like the vocals are sitting on top of the music, rather than directly contributing to the storm itself. This problem doesn't really apply to the tracks that do have the reverb, though.
Overall, the album does seem to have a bit more variation than the other Nattesorg material I've heard. There are frequent drum fills. The tempo changes quite noticeably on a few tracks. (Edit: And yes, for newcomers, the fact that the tempo changes to a noticeable degree denotes "variation" on this album. That's the level of fast-paced insanity we're talking about here.) "Power of God" really stands out in that regard, including not only "normal" blastbeats, but sections where the drums pick up the pace even more, making the song even more chaotic. "Flames Around Me" and "White Throne of God" also stand out, for having somewhat slower tempos. Not slow enough that the album loses energy, not in the slightest, but let's say, slow enough that casual fans of black metal can probably get into them. "The Hour Has Come" mixes more normal tempos with blasting.
The only "complaint" I really have is ... the album is still a bit one-note. While the variation on here is 100% definitely appreciated, there are still a lot of tracks where the songs seem to blend together a fair bit. I chose this album somewhat randomly, but this one single criticism applies to several I've heard from K. Holsen over the years -- that an album might have been better as a demo or EP. In the case of this specific album, I'm thinking a few songs* could have been put on a demo, and then the other ones (say, tracks 2-8) could have been worked on a bit more behind the scenes, and then be given a chance to show their full potential on a later release. But as it is right now, a lot of the songs here have fairly similar tempos, fairly similar structures, fairly similar ideas... and the album just starts to lose its impact after awhile. The noise/brutality comes less "surprising" the longer the album goes on.
... But don't get me wrong -- my criticism here is meant to be constructive, not a warning to avoid the music. Quite the opposite - there's a LOT to appreciate here, and fans of raw / lo-fi / brutal music should DEFINITELY give this a chance. You will hardly find music this in-your-face, this cutthroat elsewhere. Or if you have given it a chance in the past and weren't a fan, give it another shot. Kenneth, as I said, is VERY talented in the niche market he appeals to, and those willing to dig a little bit will find a lot to enjoy. Kenneth has begun uploading both old and new music to Bandcamp again, and I genuinely look forward to seeing what he has to offer next.
Recommended for fans of Armageddon Holocaust, Verdelger, Wintersoul
* Standout tracks: Power of God, Flames Around Me, White Throne of God, The Hour Has Come, His Kingdom is Not of This World
For those who haven't heard this project yet, get ready. This is "black metal", but probably not like you've ever heard. There are no acoustic sections on this album. No ambient interludes. No breakdowns. Not even intros. This is a 100% constant assault. This is basically Armageddon Holocaust's early material, taken to its logical extreme. The guitars are a mass of static that's just honed-in enough that you can hear the riffs playing throughout each song, if you pay attention. The drums start, and do not stop. Ever. Check that, they do stop sometimes - for less than one second, before going right back into the near-constant blasting. The vocals are a bit tough to describe; picture the more "croaky", less "screamy" kind of black metal vocals, but with a kind of grindcore attitude to them. It's an overall chaotic listen, but that's NOT a bad thing.
For those who are familiar with this project, it becomes easier over time to notice the subtle differences over the course of each album, so it's easier to talk about details. The most obvious difference you'll notice is the vocals - there's no reverb on them for most of the songs. A few tracks (10-12, as I recall) have reverb, but for the most part, it's missing from this album. Whether this works for or against the album is up to personal opinion, basically. On the plus side, it adds to the overall more "raw"/"buzzy" production of the album. On the down side, the production on the vocals is a bit thin/flat, so the vocals don't "blend in" with the music as well as they do on other albums. Kind of like the vocals are sitting on top of the music, rather than directly contributing to the storm itself. This problem doesn't really apply to the tracks that do have the reverb, though.
Overall, the album does seem to have a bit more variation than the other Nattesorg material I've heard. There are frequent drum fills. The tempo changes quite noticeably on a few tracks. (Edit: And yes, for newcomers, the fact that the tempo changes to a noticeable degree denotes "variation" on this album. That's the level of fast-paced insanity we're talking about here.) "Power of God" really stands out in that regard, including not only "normal" blastbeats, but sections where the drums pick up the pace even more, making the song even more chaotic. "Flames Around Me" and "White Throne of God" also stand out, for having somewhat slower tempos. Not slow enough that the album loses energy, not in the slightest, but let's say, slow enough that casual fans of black metal can probably get into them. "The Hour Has Come" mixes more normal tempos with blasting.
The only "complaint" I really have is ... the album is still a bit one-note. While the variation on here is 100% definitely appreciated, there are still a lot of tracks where the songs seem to blend together a fair bit. I chose this album somewhat randomly, but this one single criticism applies to several I've heard from K. Holsen over the years -- that an album might have been better as a demo or EP. In the case of this specific album, I'm thinking a few songs* could have been put on a demo, and then the other ones (say, tracks 2-8) could have been worked on a bit more behind the scenes, and then be given a chance to show their full potential on a later release. But as it is right now, a lot of the songs here have fairly similar tempos, fairly similar structures, fairly similar ideas... and the album just starts to lose its impact after awhile. The noise/brutality comes less "surprising" the longer the album goes on.
... But don't get me wrong -- my criticism here is meant to be constructive, not a warning to avoid the music. Quite the opposite - there's a LOT to appreciate here, and fans of raw / lo-fi / brutal music should DEFINITELY give this a chance. You will hardly find music this in-your-face, this cutthroat elsewhere. Or if you have given it a chance in the past and weren't a fan, give it another shot. Kenneth, as I said, is VERY talented in the niche market he appeals to, and those willing to dig a little bit will find a lot to enjoy. Kenneth has begun uploading both old and new music to Bandcamp again, and I genuinely look forward to seeing what he has to offer next.
Recommended for fans of Armageddon Holocaust, Verdelger, Wintersoul
* Standout tracks: Power of God, Flames Around Me, White Throne of God, The Hour Has Come, His Kingdom is Not of This World