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
Flukt is a 3 piece band hailing from a small place in Norway named Vennesla who decided to join forces during 2014.They play 'traditional norwegian black metal' and has released an EP named 'Holcocaust' in 2015 and two singles 'As Abow (So Below) 2015 and 'Sadist' 2016.
When I was lucky enough to hear these guys I decided to do an interview with 'em about their future plans as this is a band I would like to hear more from in the future, and as far as I know their 'Holcocaust' EP is still available alongside with t-shirts and other merch. Contact the band if you want to know more. (Contact link in the end of interview) or press HERE to contact.
A.Ø - Vocal, Guitar and Bass
-F.H - Drums
-O.K.F - Guitar, Bass
Hi, and congratrulations with the release of ' Holocaust' EP even though it's a while ago, but how are things going?
- Thanks, it has been a while since the release of our debut Ep. At the moment we are working on some new material for an upcoming release. We are also rehearsing for a gig atJohn Dee in Oslo, 6th May.
Tell us more about the gig, is it you only or is there some sort of festival with other bands?
When do you go on stage?
- This is actually a special night. Flukt along with two other heavy bands will support Martila from Claymords having
a release concert on a project he have done with Steinar Albrigtsen. Steinar Albrigtsen is one of the
Biggest Country / Blues artist from Norway. So this is going to be one of a kind night with lots of good music.
It will be something for everybody, and we believe Flukt will be the raw and primitive act.
FLUKT play primitive,melancholic, yet catchy and mystical kinda like old schoolish Norwegian Black Metal , is there any reason you play the way you do?
- We are playing the music that trancend from the depths of our souls. All of us in Flukt share a passion for Black Metal, especially the early Norwegian style. ( That's easy to hear, meant in a good way ED.)
You're a relatively young band in the scene with only EP released and a few tracks on various compilations.
Is it hard to be recognized as a band today, and do you work much to keep the name 'known'?
-Yes it is hard to be a unknown band, We work hard to get the music out through online zines like Scullfucker etc. Without much support from labels. Actually we have started our own label now. Stench From Below Records.
Ok, tell me a bit more about this label, is it just to release your own stuff or do you plan to run a full-time label and release other music aswell?
-A.Ø: The Holocaust Ep was released with help from
SkyBurnsBlack Records, a diy label based in USA. We was happy about that, but in the end I was doing all the promotions, e mails and stuff. So why not just start my own label for my own bands? Past and present bands.
Is there any agenda behind the music and lyrics? ..And what do you want the audience to know?
-We play music for ourselves. If someone like it that is cool. The lyrics are important to get in the mood for the songs. It reflects personal thoughts on various topics.
Are you under influence of something while rehearsing or do you keep a straight line?
- No, we may have some beers after a show or rehearsal, we try to perform at our best, and that is in our case completely sober. And it is harder to do it without being influenced by substance. You cant hide behind it, and everything is more raw and real.
What personal emotions do you bring into your music? And what inspires you most as a musician?
- O.K.F: I need to be in the right mood to write music, i listen to a lot of other Black Metal bands for inspiration. If i have a bad day that may help to make the music i like.
- A.Ø: To me the emotions this kind of music brings out is raw aggression, frustration and other negative energies. I just love it! What inspires me as an musician is the other member of the band. They keeps me on edge. And of course I get inspired by the music I listen to.
On the 'Holocaust Ep it's pictures of soldiers and tanks ,but the music does not shout out war if you know what I mean? I don't get a warlike feeling while listening, it's rather a dark and sinister journey blended with some melancholy, so my question is, are there any message behind it?
- The front cover on the Holocaust Ep reflects the lyrical theme. It dwells with the brutality on the frontline during WW2, the holocaust it self from a victims point of view and death in general.
I get the feeling you have strong opinions as it reflects somewhat in the music, is it something you want to share with the readers? Religion, politics whatever..
- Flukt is not a political band likeDave Mustaine's. Our music is all about emotions and atmosphere. We know what it means to us, but it is up to everyone else to figure out what it means to them.
What are the future plans/goals for FLUKT? I mean , it's been quite silent for a while now.
-Flukt is a slow but steady ship. As we said earlier we are working on some new music at the moment. Hopefully we will release an album next year, and escalade the gigging.
How did you first get in touch with metal and why did you know that this was for you?
-O.K.F: I started listening to metal when i was about 13 years old, my older sister had a Nirvana cd, and it just got more extreme as i grew older. I have always loved the aggression and the feeling Black Metal gives me.
-
A.Ø: For me it was the first Korn album andMetallicawho introduced me to heavy music. It was a life changer and I have never looked back. The musical taste grew more and more extreme as more I dig in to it. Slayer, Sepultura, Mayhem, Burzum etc. Nowadays I listen mostly to 80s extreme metal and 90s Black Metal.
-F.H: When I was a kid my dad listen to a lot of the heavy rock stuff from the 70s and the 80s. I think it started there and it got more and more extreme as I got older.
Do you remember the first album you bought for your own money?
-O.K.F: Probably a Slipknot or Korn album
-A.Ø: I think it was Nirvana - From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah
-F.H: Nope.
I'm guessing there hasn't been much liveshows,am I right? Are you ready to do liveshows or is it something you want to do?
- We have only done two live gigs. The first one was at theInferno festival in Oslo in 2016. And we have done one club gig in Kristiansand. We have a couple of upcoming gigs later this year. We hope to do more and more gigs in the future, we have some plans, but cant say much about it yet.
If you had once chance to say an album everybody should hear before they die, what would it be?
- O.K.F: There are really too many to pick one, but 1349 - beyond the apocalypse has long been one of my favorite albums, frosts drumming is amazing.
-A.Ø: Not to mention one of the obvious classics (wich is too many to choose from) I would say check out NettleCarrier's debut album from 2012.
F.H: Taake - Hordalands Doedskvad
I have heard from reliable sources that you use extemely much more toilet paper than regular people, so how many meters a week do you use approximately?
- What kind of question is that? As a three pieced we of course use 6 meter each..
Thanx for the interview and best wishes for the future, any last words?
Support the underground by buying physical releases and go to shows!
Visegard is another good band I discovered while visiting Hammerslag Vinterblot Festival a couple of years ago when I bought their EP 'En Hedensk Dødsmarsj'.
Now they are back, stronger,better & more grim than ever with a demo named 'Skogsdømt' which is not to be missed out on! Pagan metal with strong Norwegian roots that shines through Music all the way. Norwegian atmospheric grimness! This is the reason I fuck sculls and dig up rather unknown bands from the masses once in a while, and believe me it's Worth it! I could praise this band more, but I'd rather just say support quality and the smaller bands in the scene today as there is alot of smaller bands and by smaller I mean lesser known bands. Most of you probably know that the hidden gems rarely gets what they deserve and if that's a good thing or bad thing is not for me to judge...
If I was to point out something here it would be that it's too short and I have to start it over again and again and again.
That's all, fuck off ,support and enjoy!
For more information on this you can visit Norskmetal.net as they hold track of most thing lurkin' in the Norwegian scene...
A ghost has risen from Norway's post-Black Metal scene. Its name is MANIMALISM. After releasing two demos in the mid-nineties as TAARENES VAAR, MANIMALISM went quiet; or so it seemed on the outside. Now, 22 years after the band formed in 1992, they are ready to launch their very first album! Composed between 1993 and 1999, this album—apparently cursed from birth—has since been hovering in a near-completed form burdened by a constant barrage of breakdowns, line-up changes, and recording difficulties. Now the wait is over! Slithering from silence is the crew of Kim Sølve, Bjeima, Petter 'Plenum' Berntsen, Member 01, and Joachim Svebo. First up is the single "Demons in Tuxedos", the opening track from their first demo from 1996.
After a 22-year birth, the time has come. From the dark past, we give you: MANIMALISM.
Manimalism is being released on black and gold 12 inch vinyl by Adversum, the label that gave you Yurei, I Left The Planet, Alfa Obscura, and Stagnant Waters. Due to the limited amount of copies being pressed (slightly above 200), we are afraid physical promos are not possible at this point.
Here’s a little taster called Demons In Tuxedos, the opening track from the album and also the opening track from the first demo from back in 1996:
Slegest formed in Leikanger, Norway in 2010 as the solo project of Stig Ese Eliassen who was the guitarist of Vreid from their formation until 2009 and co-produced Windir’s Likferd album.
Initial recordings were based on material that was written but never
used as well as new mterial written in the same vein. The volume of
content justified proffessional recording in Conclave & Earshot
studios and drum recordings in Bergen with the mixing done at home.
Cited influences are Early Black Sabbath, The Ramones and Ese’s own
state of mind resulting in “Dark Primal Metal”.
Stig Ese Eliassen which formerly was a member of Vreid has released a project of his own which is a mixture of doom metal combined with more harsh metal vocals. 'Løyndom' starts of with a typical doomish track 'Ho Som Haustar Aleine' and I have to admit it's pretty good. The riffs reminds of early Black Sabbath and traditional heavy metal but with a touch of old school black metal elements.
The big question here is for me if this works as a piece of music in the long run. I have spun the album for quite some time now, since I had problems digesting it at first, not the music though which is catchy and enjoyable .
What I have to pint my finger is the vocals,does it do any good to this genre adding black metal vocals on top of it. The answer is somewhat divided 'cause yes, it works for the first 3-4 tracks ,but after that the vocals gets somewhat boring and predictable.
Musically this is not bad at all ,but it does not reach to the top here.
I found this somewhat hard to write about as I have mixed emotions about it ,but if I should roll the dice and pick a fair number for this release I guess it would have landed on 3/6 and take note that the low score mainly is due to the vocals 'cause the music is as said very good and I hope he developes his style in the future as it's not a bad idea at all.
I suggest you take a listen for yourself as you might be in for a surprise!
Bernt Sunde was a part of Penitent an act that you might remember if you were into the Norwegian scene in the 90's and released on album "Songs Of Despair" He was also a part of Forlorn as synth player and release the album "Hybernation" ,but now he stands on his own feet & we are eager to hear!
To my surprise I actually got a package in the mail with a cd and printed notes about the release on paper,that's nice,especially when it comes the genre this guy makes. Listening to this it's important to have good sound quality. It's his works from 1999-2003 It's also nicely packaged with a neat cover with pictures & lyrics to describe his art. Cause it's not metal we're talking about here,it's electronically music. I don't know what happened when I put the cd on,I heard some great music,then fell into another world so I have to give it one more listen so I can get the right words to describe how beautiful this release is!
First of all I think you should look upon this as a symphony instead of just listening to one track ,start at the beginning & let the record while you dive into the sounds witch built nicely up throughout the whole album. It starts out with a somewhat dark intro that makes you wonder what the fuck comes next,and that is actually some medieval sounding track with a very victorious feeling to it,note that this guy handle all the instruments himself and use only hardware witch is a plus in itself these days. As I listen it continues into an empty realm,but while passing the track "Boots Of Justice" It's sounds like metal made with electronic instruments & pretty intense stuff. It's built up like "Calm before the storm" music,you never know what to expect next. It's so nicely & chaotic done it1s hard to find words to describe it,the music is not chaotic though, just an expression. The vocals are extremely cool & suits the music very well.
I can hear that he must have used a lot of time making these arrangements so good,if you listen to how nicely he has blended the guitars with the electronic parts alongside with sick beats & twisted breaks you'll hear what I mean as he has managed to get a lot of styles to fit in here without overdoing it. Many people fail when experimenting and making this kind music (I would probably gone mad before the output was ready) ,but this guy really made my day and hopefully yours to. I do hope this release get the attention it deserves,so we can hear more from this brilliant artist. I could go on forever & write a track to track review,but I see no reason other than to tell you to shut the fuck up and buy this album!
"The Category is Cognoscenti. Not This Or That. You will Enjoy The Album"
The by now established band in the metal scene Arvas is now preparing their second cd. 3 years after the debut "Ad Satanas Noctum..." whitch didn't quite get the attention it deserved considering it was a great debut album. Even though the main musicians are experienced & have been into the music scene for years.
V-Rex is the engine behind it all and Fordervelse does the drums. There has been several members in and out,but it seems like the mentioned ones are the permanent members.
I decided to have a talk with the main man V-Rex about the new album & the future.
You have now recorded your 2nd album,what can we expect & is there any working title so far?
-Well the music is quite different compared to the first album, obviously because we have developed even more over these three years both as musicians and myself as composer. Like the last album all songs are made in good advance before even planning any recordings of the songs..
These new songs are made right after the release of the ''Blessed'' album. I made a pre production and that was it, they are all composed within a weeks time, and I haven't really been listening to these songs since I did the pre prod.
The main difference from the last album is that the music is more catchy and very intense and fast, there are alot of different influences from the eighties thrash era etc.
So this time the press will have something to compare us to, on the ''Blessed' Album where they couldn't.
At the same time this is something unique in the genre and there are no bands in Norway who plays this kind of metal today, so hopefully fans of the genre will like this.
The Working title now is ''Upon A Throne Of Satanic Worship''
I know you've had several members during the career,who contributes on this record,is it only you and Fordervelse?
- There has been some line up changes over the years now for sure, but they were only live members and not permanently involved in Arvas in any other way.
This time we have a new live line up, and this time they all are playing on the album. So it has been pretty exiting having the whole band feeling again.
But as always, me and fordervelse are the only permanent fulltime members in Arvas.
Did the recording process go as planned?
- Yes, all has been going as planned, however some delays in the process and unexpected problems has occured though.
One thing I've always wondered ,does the name Arvas mean anything special,how did you come up with it?
- The name does not mean anything at all, I just came up with the name and liked the sound of it and that's it really.
Do you have any plans to promote the new album with gigs,have you found a steady line up to play live?
- We are going to do some gigs as soon as the album is released, when and where is not quite confirmed yet.
Is all the material written by you,or does the other members contribute with something?
- All the material is as usual composed by me, and me alone. Fordervelse has arranged the drum tracks.
Nowadays when arists earn less money since the internet came & all along with it, what motivates you to continue your work?
- Motivation comes from our fans and those who appreciate what we do. We are nothing without them, this is all for the fans.
What's you favorite/most memorable highlight during the career?
You also do the vocals on the excellent swedish act Dødsfall witch is soon available with their second album, can you tell us a bit about that?
- Dødsfall is a project I do vocals for and I really like the music the main man is creating, it is fresh and inspiring to work with.
I only write lyrics and sings. It is always interesting and positive for an artist to work with different projects beside any main band.
Cheers V-Rex.
Thank you for the good answers & good luck with the band & projects in the future!
Arvas will play live in Drammen Norway 22.07.12 Click HERE for more info
Behold! Here comes the Norwegian masters gloomy, doomy & sinister Sludge with an apocalyptic mix of Beauty Vs. Brutality namely DWAAL 
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 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.
