Taake (NOR) - Avvik - Review by Gravarson

 Dark Essence Records

     Release: 2 July 2021 

Taake is back with a collection of all their singles which never really fitted into any album and thus was released on different labels together with Whoredom Rife,Helheim & Deathcult over 3 different split 10".

"Avvik" translates to anomaly or deviation and is a fitting title for the release of these tracks.

There are cover tracks of Darkthrone's Ravnajuv here and Dr Mikannibal of SIGH did the honour of adding her saxophone on a slightly longer version of the Sisters Of Mercy cover "Heartland".

Both covers sound good and are in the familiar Taake style.

Taake has developed over the years in a good direction but still kept to the core basics and that is quite impressive I'd say.

All tracks are good in their own way and I see no reason to avoid "Avvik" if you are a black metal fan or just want to own all the tracks on one album.

The ingredients for Taake's music seems to be good and melodic melodies mixed with grim harshness.

Let's not forget the acoustic version of the classic track "Nattestid Ser Porten Vid I" which is done by their live guitarist Gjermund and is exclusive for this release and it's a very enjoyable and mellow cover which brings some nostalgia to mind.

This is surely something for collectors or just fans of good black metal as said.

Love it or hate it, I still enjoy Taake very much and the path they have taken.

The promo letter says that "Avvik" closes once chapter for Taake and opens a new one, this sounds very interesting as one never knows what these guys are up to.

Gravarson_almighty 

     Tracklist:

1. Ubeseiret
2. Heartland
3. Nattestid ser Porten vid I
4. Slagmark
5. Ravnajuv
6. Brotne Bein og Mannefall
7. Ein Baat i Foss

For more info, biography and more: https://www.facebook.com/taakeofficial

Dwaal (NOR) - Gospel Of The Vile - Review & Video Preview

DWAAL - GOSPEL OF THE VILE

SKULLFUKKER - REVIEW   07.02.20 

6 traxx & neraly 60 mins

 Dark Essence Records - Release date 06.03.20

Behold! Here comes the Norwegian masters gloomy, doomy & sinister Sludge with an apocalyptic mix of Beauty Vs. Brutality namely DWAAL

Gospel of The Vile is this 6 headed monster from OLSO Debut Album

Gospel Of The Vile is the 3rd track on the album and the tracks are loooong and you feel like you're just are being drawn down into the pits of hell of this sinister,at times agressive, still actually positivity strikes trough or happines. I'm afraid people will kill me for using wrong words here.

I was supposed to write from beginning to end, the two first tracks 'Ascent' & 'Like Rats' started out with what I choose to call a warning sound, cause this is the most slow & perverted way you can get to hell, they don't stop there. When you're down they drag you even more down under muddy places that can only be described as glue or quicksand. Holy fuck! Now the 4th track started named 'Obsidian Heart Burns' and it started out with a fuckin' awesome signature riff and a beginning that will put you into trance even if you're highly medicated for AD/HD!

The vocals was a little bit more raspy, raw & evil, kinda like a voice telling you that you're below hell and even worse and yeah, I think this is their job 'cause it's sludge and me and the mentioned genre well.. Dwaal really manages to convince me with this monument of an album ''Gospel Of The Vile'

There is a nerve going on throughout the whole album and there are some nervous wrecks, it's funny as I'm actually preparing who I can get out of my house or make quiet pretty fast, or the last part that I prefer which is to play this with likeminded individuals invite some geeks over just to throw sticky candy at them. The athmosphere is perfect with various synth noise and some tribal like , but also schizophrenic vocal that suits very well.

I was sure we were at the last track, but again. Behold! It's not it's the blasphemous track 'The Whispering Ones.. I love the lyrics here ' My Death Is A Feast, No Grave,No Funeral,Only Funeral,cmy Fate Has Been Sealed, My Doom Is Unmarked,My Lady,She is Cold, She is Old, I live only to Join Her... '

The vocals are in strict English and very blasphemous as they merge between deathlike (silence) & blacklike vocals.

It's hard to explain how this album can build up after all words, but The Whispering Ones' was without doubt the "highest" highlight on 'Gospel Of The Vile'

The last opus named 'Descent' and has a duration on 16.28 almost I'd Rather Die In Battle Now' & 'Ready To Fight' is the lyrics I get and also that he can't bedriven from his post of violence and destruction, send your demons to attack. There is very much violence & Destruction in this track but they rasp the guitar first in a bad way and then in a good way and even feel like this journey beneath & above the pits of screaming corpses, and all of a sudden the beautiful cleand but distorted guitar and the nicest synth I've heard since '92 appears slowly fading in of course.

The vocals now are more like they are trying to sing the moon a lullabye. Speak of the devil.. Violence,destruction & attacking demons are back ' I am The picture that you fear, I am all your sins.

The light that you see is not of the skies.

Dwaal was a new name to me being out of the scene for a while and their album 'Gospel Of The Vile' is amogst the best, if not the best doom,sludge album we've listened to as far as I remeber.
If you're into this style you'll be in for a fuckin' masterpiece! A very talented,dareful,playful and majestic debut album. This is not by far the last we'll hear from this monster. I do guess they need another while to create this beautiful insanity so perfectly. Gospel Of The Vile is so dramatic & chaotic yet, beautiful and relaxing so you don't grow tired easily. At first listen I listened 3-4 times through the entire opus and did not get bored once. I'd go so far as advice you to check it out even if you're not typically into this genre.

For fans of Neurosis, Cult of Luna, YOB, Thou & Amenra

             Words By Gravarson_aLmighty

Mistur - In Memoriam - Review

Mistur was started in Sogndal, Norway, by Espen Bakketeig and Andre Raunehaug, and the band was joined shortly after by Stian Bakketeig (Vreid, ex-Windir, ex-Cor Scorpii). After a demo, they landed a deal with Einheit Produktionen, and the debut album "Attende" was released in 2009 to rave reviews. Apart from some festival shows and a tour, the band became inactive for shorter periods, before the work on the follow up album started.

Dark Essence Records

Mistur wants to share more of their 'Sognametal' with us,but
the question is : Do we want it?

Personally I enjoyed their debut 'Attende' back in 2009 so I'm excited about 'In Memoriam'

The first thing that strikes me is the word majestic as the record spins.

When bands combining synth onto their metal or whatever, it can go so terribly wrong in many ways.

One thing is overdoing it, luckily that isn't the case here.

The album start up with a majestic & epic feel to it, I think 'majestic' is the keyword for 'In Memoriam'

Mistur has obviously grown in
every aspect and it clearly shines throughout the entire album.

For me personally, this is a step further than 'Attende'

The vocals are pitch'ed down a bit and there is some nicely fit clean vocals.

This is thanx to their new vocalist Oliver Øyien, and they also have a new drummer this time named Tomas Myklebust
, perhaps two new band members was the fresh breath the band needed.

I also enjoy the gitars whitch is what very much participates to the 'Sogna Metal' sound, allthough this time they have pushed the boundaries.

I'd say towards more complex and aggressive, yet they have kept the core essence of their style.

A must fans of Windir, but also such as Amon Amarth,Insomnium,Månegarm

Tracklist :

1.Downfall

2.Distant Peaks

3.Firstborn Son

4.Matriarch's Lament

5.The Sight

6.Tears Of Remembrance

Available on CD 26. April 

Taake - Stridens Hus - Review,info and tour dates

Taake - Stridens Hus Dark Essence Records Release : 8 December 2014 

 After the traditional 3 year wait the sixth album is complete,  as you might have noticed they released a 4 track EP named 'Kulde' recently,  which contained  the tracks Det Fins En Prins,Stridens Hus,Cold & Manndaudsvinter, the last one was something I never had expected and was my favorite way back. 

Nicely done and without loosing it's nerve.

Whilst enjoying 'Kulde' and overall satisfied with it, all of a sudden I find 'Stridens Hus' like a punch i the face, mainly because I thought I knew what to expect after listening to 'Kveld' which I assumed was a good pointer on what to expect, and I just want to point out that 'Kveld' & 'Stridens Hus' are two separate releases even though the ep contains two album tracks.

  

Behold, it's Taake we're talking about,  somehow Hoest always manage to put some new elements from his personal taste surprisingly well into their classical well-known musical warfare and the reason to why I'm still listening and respect the band, they dare to do what others don't.

There are few bands I know of who are, or has been capable of keeping the listeners attention like this for such a long period

Once again, Hoest plays all the instruments himself, but this time the Taake live band has contributed to the recording, alongside producer Bjørnar E. Nilsen.

 

 While most bands fade away or develops into something so progressive it's hard to even recognize the band, Taake marches straight forward pushing many boundaries while standing steady to what we know as Taake.

'Stridens Hus' reveals in itself an intense energy and a nerve that shines throughout the album.

Especially the vocals and guitars variate more then previous releases and do the unexpected expected.

Normally you would end up shaking your head and wonder what they're trying to achieve. 

In this case everything blends so natural in a twisted, yet brilliant way, and it's what makes Taake what it is . 

I can't imagine other bands doing what Hoest manage to do here. 

Few bands manage to pull of something like this without loosing their identity.

 

This is the reason why Taake remain strong and keep their position at the top of the league. Stridens Hus carries influences from thrash,punk,old unholy black metal, and even some eighties sounding riffs that could fit into a Swedish dance music band.

It's hard to explain these wonderful contrasts in words.

 It's a solid and unique album that can take the listener far away into the sound scape if you want, still an easy to like and outgoing album in many ways though.

 Fans of the more old school Taake have no reason to despair 'cause it's still what it is, these elements he combines just make it more entertaining,at times melodic and it's like he's slowly breathing life to a new genre, I know that is big words, but listen to this one closely a few times lean back and you will know what I'm talking about.

Few bands manage to stay so close to the roots while on the other hand being so innovative and creative at the same time. Hoest once again shows how it's done properly! 

Tracks

1. Gamle Norig
2. Orm
3. Det fins en Prins
4. Stank
5. En Sang til Sand om Ildebrann
6. Kongsgaard bestaar
7. Vinger

  Band website: http://taake.svartekunst.no/                                              Label website: www.darkessencerecords.no  Confirmed shows:
14.NOV2014: TAAKE - Black Flames of Blasphemy - Helsinki (FI)
05.DES2014: TAAKE - John Dee - Oslo (N)
23.JAN2015: TAAKE - Hulen - Bergen (N)
01.MAY2015: TAAKE - Karmøygeddon - Koppervik (NO)
25.JUL2015: TAAKE - Stonehenge Festival - Steenwijk (NL)
14.AUG2015: TAAKE - Rockstadt Extreme Fest - Rasnov (RO)

Alfahanne's (Swe) debut 'Alfapokalyps' soon to be released by Dark Essence Recordings

Dark Essence Records Release: 10 February 2014

With a mix of Black Metal with Classic Rock and Punk, and topped off with some New Wave and Goth influences, Alfahanne has created a style of music that is powerful and beautiful, yet ugly at the same time. 

Alfahanne might be a fairly new name to a lot of people, but the band’s members, which include Pehr Skioldhammer on Vocals and Guitar, Fredrik Sööberg on Guitars, Niklas Åström on Drums and Jimmy Wiberg on Bass,  have been around the Black Metal scene since the early ‘90’s, playing in bands like Vinterland and early Maze Of Torment. Formed in 2010, Alfahanne’s debut release came in 2013 with the appearance of the “Grym” split 7” with Sweden’s Shining.

The Debut “Alfapokalyps”, contains 10 tracks that stands on their own, all sung in Swedish. There’s a lot of variation on the album, and the songs goes off in very different directions. The overall sound combines a unique mix of the dark and grim atmospheres of Black Metal, the attitude and energy of Punk and Classic Rock and the melodies and feeling of 80’s New Wave and Goth. The band have been able to attract the services of Taake’s Hoest, Shining’s Niklas Kvarforth, and Helheim’s V’gandr as guest vocalists, on one song each.

With Alfahanne, there is one way in and no way out!



 TRACKLIST 
 
1. Bättre Dar
2. Ormar Af Satan
3. Såld På Mörkret
4. Dödskult
5. Rocken Dör
6. Syndarnas Flod
7. Alfa Hordes
8. Indiehora
9. Där Drömmarna Dör
10. Alla Ska Mé


Band website: www.facebook.com/alfahanneofficial
Label website: www.darkessencerecords.no