| Veles' Scrolls | Nokturnal Mortum | Goat Horns | Mar 30, 2010 at 12:50 AM |
| Awaiting The Dawn | Primordial | Imrama | Mar 30, 2010 at 12:44 AM |
| Beneath A Bronze Sky | Primordial | Imrama | Mar 30, 2010 at 12:40 AM |
| To The Ends Of The Earth | Primordial | Imrama | Mar 30, 2010 at 12:35 AM |
| Let The Sun Set On Life Forever | Primordial | Imrama | Mar 30, 2010 at 12:30 AM |
| Mealltach | Primordial | Imrama | Mar 30, 2010 at 12:29 AM |
| The Giant's Laughter | Thyrfing | Vansinnesvisor | Mar 30, 2010 at 12:22 AM |
| Havenless | Enslaved | Below The Lights | Mar 30, 2010 at 12:16 AM |
| Reuzenmacht | Heidevolk | Uit Oude Grond | Mar 30, 2010 at 12:11 AM |
| Morning Sun | Savatage | The Wake Of Magellan | Mar 30, 2010 at 12:05 AM |
| Ceremony Of Opposites | Samael | Exodus | Mar 30, 2010 at 12:00 AM |
| Du Nordavind Rerecording | Arcturus | Disguised Masters | Mar 29, 2010 at 11:55 PM |
| Pyramid Texts | Senmuth | Deadbook I | Mar 29, 2010 at 11:36 PM |
| The Old House On The Hill | Carpathian Forest | Defending The Throne Of Evil | Mar 29, 2010 at 11:33 PM |
| The Fires | Primordial | Imrama | Mar 29, 2010 at 11:26 PM |
| The Darkest Flame | Primordial | Imrama | Mar 29, 2010 at 11:21 PM |
| Here I Am King | Primordial | Imrama | Mar 29, 2010 at 11:10 PM |
| Infernal Summer | Primordial | Imrama | Mar 29, 2010 at 11:10 PM |
| Fuil Arsa | Primordial | Imrama | Mar 29, 2010 at 11:05 PM |
| Mont Blanc Providence Crow | Solefald | In Harmonia Universali | Mar 29, 2010 at 10:58 PM |
06 April 2010
3/30/10
29 March 2010
3/23/10
| Sun's First Rays | Primordial | Storm Before Calm | Mar 23, 2010 at 12:54 AM |
| Cast To The Pyre | Primordial | Storm Before Calm | Mar 23, 2010 at 12:45 AM |
| Fallen To Ruin | Primordial | Storm Before Calm | Mar 23, 2010 at 12:35 AM |
| The Heretic's Age | Primordial | Storm Before Calm | Mar 23, 2010 at 12:30 AM |
| Drap | Finntroll | Nifelvind | Mar 23, 2010 at 12:22 AM |
| Nehalennia | Heidevolk | Uit Oude Grond | Mar 23, 2010 at 12:17 AM |
| Naturens Galleri | Vintersorg | Cosmic Genesis | Mar 23, 2010 at 12:11 AM |
| Ars Memoravita | Vintersorg | Cosmic Genesis | Mar 23, 2010 at 12:06 AM |
| Twilight Of The Thunder God | Slaughter Of The Blugrass | Slaughter Of The Blugrass | Mar 23, 2010 at 12:02 AM |
| Galgasang | Finntroll | Nifelvind | Mar 22, 2010 at 11:58 PM |
| Stella Win | Senmuth | Sekenenra | Mar 22, 2010 at 11:45 PM |
| Choir Kaem Uaset | Senmuth | Sekenenra | Mar 22, 2010 at 11:30 PM |
| Sekenenra Tao II | Senmuth | Sekenenra | Mar 22, 2010 at 11:30 PM |
| Under The Banner Of Tetisheri | Senmuth | Sekenenra | Mar 22, 2010 at 11:15 PM |
| Hqa XAwst | Senmuth | Sekenenra | Mar 22, 2010 at 11:12 PM |
| Divination Hemhepry | Senmuth | Sekenenra | Mar 22, 2010 at 11:06 PM |
| Release Me | Rotting Christ | Genesis | Mar 22, 2010 at 11:01 PM |
23 March 2010
Damn it
I said I'd update this more often, didn't I? Well, tonight's playlist will be up upon its conclusion but in the meanwhile, here's a review for Thyrfing's "Farsotstider" that I wrote over summer:
“Farsotstider” translates to “times of plague”, and such a title couldn’t be more appropriate for Thyrfing’s fourth release. There’s a decidedly dark atmosphere on this album-one that’s sinister, unrestrained and chaotic, calling to mind such a plague that strikes at random and kills without warning, a chaotic evil rather than a calculated one. Such a tone comes as a marked change from Thyrfing’s earlier works of Viking glory and bombast, and one would be led at first to think that they’re yet another traditionally “upbeat” band releasing their “heaviest and darkest yet”™ to garner support from a less exuberant-minded crowd-After all, they already started this sound on the preceding album Vansinnesvisor. But the attempts at this new sound are not slapdash-they fucking nail it. Indeed, Vansinnesvisor is often hailed as Thyrfing’s masterpiece, as the changes in style and substance were most dramatic when compared to their earlier work. While Farsotstider doesn’t have as drastic of a change, one shouldn’t be quick to write it off, as the atmosphere and emotion here are so meticulously crafted that it easily outdoes its comparably tame predecessor.
Such a pretentious and wordy buildup should damn well merit a deserving album, and Farsotstider lives up to it. The album opens with a lot of piss and vinegar, starting with the deliciously unsubtle “Far åt Helvete” (meaning “Go to Hell!”) As if that title alone wasn’t enough to convince us that the days of Valhalla-this and Asgard-that were over, lead singer Thomas Väänänen’s maniacal shriek at the song’s intro dispels any further traces of the band’s musical past. His vocals alone are one of the most surprising and enjoyable things about this album-while Vansinnesvior’s yells and shrieks marked a change in his singing from the growly rasps of the past, Farsotstider showcases him sounding absolutely psychotic. Every word is spewed (and honestly, this is one of the few times when a singer actually merits the word “spewed”) out in a sharp, heavy performance that’s very memorable. The instruments shortly follow suit-there’s a discordant riff at the beginning of “Jag Spår Fördärv” and some bombastic, staccato strings that open the title track.
After having the maniacally demented vibe sealed into place with these three, I was ready on first listen of Farsotstider for the remaining album to be equally visceral. But “Höst”, “Själavrak”, and “Elddagjämning” threw me for a loop, as they’re slower-paced and more forlorn than the abrasive openers. They even sounded somewhat plain at first, and I was about to write off the album as only halfway-successful. But repeated listens eventually bought a different view into place: These songs are not the “crazy evil” type I’ve been rambling about so far, but speak more of a sorrowful, tragedy-spawned madness-Bringing images of someone who’s sanity and goodwill have fled from the ravages of the plague rather than the plague itself. (Thomas’ mournful screams on the chorus of “Höst” are possibly the best example.) It’s these dueling emotions that make Farsotstider such a satisfying album, as they show the band not willing to sit on their laurels after having mastered just one type of atmosphere.
And atmospheric it is. The other thing I didn’t catch on my first several listens was just how wide and intricate a variety of keyboards have been spread about. They’re certainly easy to miss at first glance, seeing how as they’re not carrying the melody and blasting in your face like they were on Valdr Galga. The subtlety of the keys certainly makes for a striking dichotomy with the bluntness of the guitars and vocals. Yet they always spring up at the right moment-for instance, the strings creating a climax at 1:13 in “Höst”, and a bombastic marching tune at the opening of “Själavrak.” Yet they don’t work alone-other instruments pop up from time to time, like a melancholic dueling piano/accordion melody at the end of “Elddagjämning.” Thankfully, Thyrfing doesn’t fall prey to the “buried guitars” that so many of their peers do, remaining high in the mix and ripping out with some rather unusual-sounding riffs-after the chorus of “Höst” and towards the end of “Själavrak”, to name a few. Truth be told, one of the album’s few faults lies in the guitars-there are some times during songs where they’ll sort of amble around aimlessly during a bridge between a more intense or atmospheric passage, although such occurrences are relatively infrequent. The other problem being that despite the constant instrumental innovativeness, the songs themselves are all slightly above mid-tempo in speed, and thus at times seem just a touch repetitive in structure. Such concerns, however, remain minor when viewing the album as a whole.
“Baldersbålet” and “Tiden Läker Intet” bring back the aggression and madness for a solid ending, the latter being my favorite as it blends the best of all the previously ranted-about emotions into one climactic offering. The pounding strings (backed by one of the faster drum lines in the album) at the beginning sound downright malicious, and there’s a cool “fade-out/fade-in” between two melodies at the end. The last thirty seconds have an ominous tremolo sound, as if saying “it’s not done yet…”
I’m sure my wordiness has almost worn out its welcome, so I’ll leave the conclusion straight and to-the-point. Farsotstider is an incredibly complex and varied album, with a dark atmosphere and enough innovations and randomness to show that Thyrfing wasn’t just messing around with Vansinnesvisor. Pardon the hokeyness, but this is one plague you’ll want to catch.
“Farsotstider” translates to “times of plague”, and such a title couldn’t be more appropriate for Thyrfing’s fourth release. There’s a decidedly dark atmosphere on this album-one that’s sinister, unrestrained and chaotic, calling to mind such a plague that strikes at random and kills without warning, a chaotic evil rather than a calculated one. Such a tone comes as a marked change from Thyrfing’s earlier works of Viking glory and bombast, and one would be led at first to think that they’re yet another traditionally “upbeat” band releasing their “heaviest and darkest yet”™ to garner support from a less exuberant-minded crowd-After all, they already started this sound on the preceding album Vansinnesvisor. But the attempts at this new sound are not slapdash-they fucking nail it. Indeed, Vansinnesvisor is often hailed as Thyrfing’s masterpiece, as the changes in style and substance were most dramatic when compared to their earlier work. While Farsotstider doesn’t have as drastic of a change, one shouldn’t be quick to write it off, as the atmosphere and emotion here are so meticulously crafted that it easily outdoes its comparably tame predecessor.
Such a pretentious and wordy buildup should damn well merit a deserving album, and Farsotstider lives up to it. The album opens with a lot of piss and vinegar, starting with the deliciously unsubtle “Far åt Helvete” (meaning “Go to Hell!”) As if that title alone wasn’t enough to convince us that the days of Valhalla-this and Asgard-that were over, lead singer Thomas Väänänen’s maniacal shriek at the song’s intro dispels any further traces of the band’s musical past. His vocals alone are one of the most surprising and enjoyable things about this album-while Vansinnesvior’s yells and shrieks marked a change in his singing from the growly rasps of the past, Farsotstider showcases him sounding absolutely psychotic. Every word is spewed (and honestly, this is one of the few times when a singer actually merits the word “spewed”) out in a sharp, heavy performance that’s very memorable. The instruments shortly follow suit-there’s a discordant riff at the beginning of “Jag Spår Fördärv” and some bombastic, staccato strings that open the title track.
After having the maniacally demented vibe sealed into place with these three, I was ready on first listen of Farsotstider for the remaining album to be equally visceral. But “Höst”, “Själavrak”, and “Elddagjämning” threw me for a loop, as they’re slower-paced and more forlorn than the abrasive openers. They even sounded somewhat plain at first, and I was about to write off the album as only halfway-successful. But repeated listens eventually bought a different view into place: These songs are not the “crazy evil” type I’ve been rambling about so far, but speak more of a sorrowful, tragedy-spawned madness-Bringing images of someone who’s sanity and goodwill have fled from the ravages of the plague rather than the plague itself. (Thomas’ mournful screams on the chorus of “Höst” are possibly the best example.) It’s these dueling emotions that make Farsotstider such a satisfying album, as they show the band not willing to sit on their laurels after having mastered just one type of atmosphere.
And atmospheric it is. The other thing I didn’t catch on my first several listens was just how wide and intricate a variety of keyboards have been spread about. They’re certainly easy to miss at first glance, seeing how as they’re not carrying the melody and blasting in your face like they were on Valdr Galga. The subtlety of the keys certainly makes for a striking dichotomy with the bluntness of the guitars and vocals. Yet they always spring up at the right moment-for instance, the strings creating a climax at 1:13 in “Höst”, and a bombastic marching tune at the opening of “Själavrak.” Yet they don’t work alone-other instruments pop up from time to time, like a melancholic dueling piano/accordion melody at the end of “Elddagjämning.” Thankfully, Thyrfing doesn’t fall prey to the “buried guitars” that so many of their peers do, remaining high in the mix and ripping out with some rather unusual-sounding riffs-after the chorus of “Höst” and towards the end of “Själavrak”, to name a few. Truth be told, one of the album’s few faults lies in the guitars-there are some times during songs where they’ll sort of amble around aimlessly during a bridge between a more intense or atmospheric passage, although such occurrences are relatively infrequent. The other problem being that despite the constant instrumental innovativeness, the songs themselves are all slightly above mid-tempo in speed, and thus at times seem just a touch repetitive in structure. Such concerns, however, remain minor when viewing the album as a whole.
“Baldersbålet” and “Tiden Läker Intet” bring back the aggression and madness for a solid ending, the latter being my favorite as it blends the best of all the previously ranted-about emotions into one climactic offering. The pounding strings (backed by one of the faster drum lines in the album) at the beginning sound downright malicious, and there’s a cool “fade-out/fade-in” between two melodies at the end. The last thirty seconds have an ominous tremolo sound, as if saying “it’s not done yet…”
I’m sure my wordiness has almost worn out its welcome, so I’ll leave the conclusion straight and to-the-point. Farsotstider is an incredibly complex and varied album, with a dark atmosphere and enough innovations and randomness to show that Thyrfing wasn’t just messing around with Vansinnesvisor. Pardon the hokeyness, but this is one plague you’ll want to catch.
09 February 2010
Show ???
Bloody hell, it's been a while. Guess you could say I got lazy for the second half of last semester. However! The new time slot seems to be bringing quite a few new viewers, so I figured it was time I got my arse back into gear and began posting again. Expect some cool new features (reviews, interviews, and such) in the near future-in the meanwhile, here's this morning's playlist...
| Stjerneheimen | Enslaved | Mardraum Beyond The Within | Feb 9, 2010 at 12:52 AM |
| Krigaren Eg Ikkje Kjende | Enslaved | Mardraum Beyond The Within | Feb 9, 2010 at 12:46 AM |
| Ormgard I Kvalt I Kysk Hogsong | Enslaved | Mardraum Beyond The Within | Feb 9, 2010 at 12:41 AM |
| Mardraum | Enslaved | Mardraum Beyond The Within | Feb 9, 2010 at 12:38 AM |
| Aeges Draum | Enslaved | Mardraum Beyond The Within | Feb 9, 2010 at 12:33 AM |
| Necrodyssey | Solefald | Black For Death | Feb 9, 2010 at 12:27 AM |
| A Dialogue With The Stars | Vintersorg | Cosmic Genesis | Feb 9, 2010 at 12:22 AM |
| Thunderforge | Skyforger | Thunderforge | Feb 9, 2010 at 12:17 AM |
| Wodan Heerst | Heidevolk | Walhalla Wacht | Feb 9, 2010 at 12:09 AM |
| En Maktig Har | Finntroll | Ur Jordens Djup | Feb 9, 2010 at 12:05 AM |
| The Second Key Of A Harmonious Component Sound | Senmuth | Light Sound Sacral Geometry Energy | Feb 8, 2010 at 11:51 PM |
| Khas Koo Ahn Energy Of Galactic Family | Senmuth | Light Sound Sacral Geometry Energy | Feb 8, 2010 at 11:47 PM |
| Kha Ahn Energy Of A Personal Spiritual Way | Senmuth | Light Sound Sacral Geometry Energy | Feb 8, 2010 at 11:43 PM |
| The First Key Of A Harmonious Component Light | Senmuth | Light Sound Sacral Geometry Energy | Feb 8, 2010 at 11:34 PM |
| Ormgard | Enslaved | Mardraum Beyond The Within | Feb 8, 2010 at 11:26 PM |
| EntranceEscape | Enslaved | Mardraum Beyond The Within | Feb 8, 2010 at 11:18 PM |
| Daudningekvida | Enslaved | Mardraum Beyond The Within | Feb 8, 2010 at 11:15 PM |
| Storre Enn Tid | Enslaved | Mardraum Beyond The Within | Feb 8, 2010 at 11:07 PM |
| Astray Within The Coffinwood Mill | Diabolical Masquerade | The Phantom Lodge | Feb 8, 2010 at 11:02 PM |
20 October 2009
Show 5
| Queen Of Winter Throned | Cradle Of Filth | Vempire | Oct 20, 2009 at 2:51 AM |
| Metal Stricken Terror Action | Aborym | Kali Yuga Bizzare | Oct 20, 2009 at 2:46 AM |
| Midnight Sunrise | Turisas | Battle Metal | Oct 20, 2009 at 2:39 AM |
| Torsteins Kvaedi | Tyr | Ragnarok | Oct 20, 2009 at 2:36 AM |
| The Wand Of Abaris | Therion | Live Gothic | Oct 20, 2009 at 2:26 AM |
| I Am The Black Wizards | Emperor | In The Nightside Eclipse | Oct 20, 2009 at 2:26 AM |
| Vredesvyrd | Dimmu Borgir | Death Cult Armaggedon | Oct 20, 2009 at 2:15 AM |
| The Eerie Obzidian Circuz | Diabolical Masquerade | Nightwork | Oct 20, 2009 at 2:09 AM |
| Hibernation Sickness Complete | Arcturus | Sideshow Symphonies | Oct 20, 2009 at 2:05 AM |
| Liber Omega And The Macrocosm Manifest | Arthemesia | AOa Alpha Omega Alpha | Oct 20, 2009 at 1:53 AM |
| The Noble Elements | Arthemesia | AOa Alpha Omega Alpha | Oct 20, 2009 at 1:42 AM |
| AOa | Arthemesia | AOa Alpha Omega Alpha | Oct 20, 2009 at 1:35 AM |
| Patheme | Arthemesia | AOa Alpha Omega Alpha | Oct 20, 2009 at 1:20 AM |
| Valkoinen Susi | Arthemesia | AOa Alpha Omega Alpha | Oct 20, 2009 at 1:12 AM |
| Of The Sound Of Nature | Arthemesia | AOa Alpha Omega Alpha | Oct 20, 2009 at 1:11 AM |
| Love The Death As The Life | Aborym | Fire Walk With Us | Oct 20, 2009 at 1:02 AM |
13 October 2009
Show 4
| Het Bier Zal Weer Vloeien | Heidevolk | Der Strijdlust Is Geboren | Oct 13, 2009 at 2:59 AM |
| Cordelia | Senmuth | Planetary Dust | Oct 13, 2009 at 2:51 AM |
| Titan | Senmuth | Planetary Dust | Oct 13, 2009 at 2:48 AM |
| Saturn | Senmuth | Planetary Dust | Oct 13, 2009 at 2:40 AM |
| Jupiter | Senmuth | Planetary Dust | Oct 13, 2009 at 2:32 AM |
| Amalthea | Senmuth | Planetary Dust | Oct 13, 2009 at 2:30 AM |
| Empire Falls | Primordial | To The Nameless Dead | Oct 13, 2009 at 2:19 AM |
| Black Hole | Samael | Above | Oct 13, 2009 at 2:16 AM |
| The Genuine Pulse | Borknagar | Empiricism | Oct 13, 2009 at 2:11 AM |
| Virus Bomb | Anaal Nathrakh | Hell Is Empty And All The Devils Are Here | Oct 13, 2009 at 2:08 AM |
| Whence And Whither Goes The Wind | Arcturus | Aspera Hymns Symfonia | Oct 13, 2009 at 2:00 AM |
| Shackled To The Trilithon Of Kutulu | BalSagoth | The Chthonic Chronicles | Oct 13, 2009 at 1:57 AM |
| Kipumylly | Korpiklaani | Korven Kuningas | Oct 13, 2009 at 1:52 AM |
| Vakirauta | Korpiklaani | Tales Along This Road | Oct 13, 2009 at 1:50 AM |
| Bring Us Pints Of Beer | Korpiklaani | Karkelo | Oct 13, 2009 at 1:47 AM |
| Completion Of Science In Agony Part II Of II | Mayhem | The Grand Declaration Of War | Oct 13, 2009 at 1:45 AM |
| To Daimonion Part III Of III | Mayhem | The Grand Declaration Of War | Oct 13, 2009 at 1:45 AM |
| To Daimonion Part II Of III | Mayhem | The Grand Declaration Of War | Oct 13, 2009 at 1:44 AM |
| To Daimonion Part I Of II | Mayhem | The Grand Declaration Of War | Oct 13, 2009 at 1:41 AM |
| Completion In Science Of Agony Part I Of II | Mayhem | The Grand Declaration Of War | Oct 13, 2009 at 1:28 AM |
| Crystallized Pain In Deconstruction | Mayhem | The Grand Declaration Of War | Oct 13, 2009 at 1:24 AM |
| A Bloodsword And A Colder Sun Part II Of II | Mayhem | The Grand Declaration Of War | Oct 13, 2009 at 1:23 AM |
| A Bloodsword And A Colder Sun Part I Of II | Mayhem | The Grand Declaration Of War | Oct 13, 2009 at 1:18 AM |
| View From Nihil Part II Of II | Mayhem | The Grand Declaration Of War | Oct 13, 2009 at 1:17 AM |
| View From Nihil Part I Of II | Mayhem | The Grand Declaration Of War | Oct 13, 2009 at 1:14 AM |
| A Time To Die | Mayhem | The Grand Declaration Of War | Oct 13, 2009 at 1:12 AM |
| In The Lies Upon Where You Lay | Mayhem | The Grand Declaration Of War | Oct 13, 2009 at 1:06 AM |
| The Grand Declaration Of War | Mayhem | The Grand Declaration Of War | Oct 13, 2009 at 1:05 AM |
| Wehrmacht Kali Ma | Aborym | Kali Yuga Bizzare | Oct 13, 2009 at 12:58 AM |
06 October 2009
Show 3
Song | Artist | Album | Date Played |
| Het Wilde Heer | Heidevolk | Walhalla Wacht | Oct 6, 2009 at 2:57 AM |
| Wallhala Wacht | Heidevolk | Walhalla Wacht | Oct 6, 2009 at 2:51 AM |
| Koning Radbound | Heidevolk | Walhalla Wacht | Oct 6, 2009 at 2:47 AM |
| Saksenland | Heidevolk | Walhalla Wacht | Oct 6, 2009 at 2:42 AM |
| Sky Is Mine | Amorphis | Skyforger | Oct 6, 2009 at 2:37 AM |
| From The Heaven Of My Heart | Amorphis | Skyforger | Oct 6, 2009 at 2:32 AM |
| Silver Bride | Amorphis | Skyforger | Oct 6, 2009 at 2:25 AM |
| Sampo | Amorphis | Skyforger | Oct 6, 2009 at 2:17 AM |
| Samaveta Asura | Senmuth | KaaraNa | Oct 6, 2009 at 2:14 AM |
| Ahamkara | Senmuth | KaaraNa | Oct 6, 2009 at 2:08 AM |
| Vasayati | Senmuth | KaaraNa | Oct 6, 2009 at 2:05 AM |
| Procession Of The Dead Clowns | Blut Aus Nord | The Work Which Transforms God | Oct 6, 2009 at 1:53 AM |
| Density | Blut Aus Nord | The Work Which Transforms God | Oct 6, 2009 at 1:53 AM |
| Inner Mental Cage | Blut Aus Nord | The Work Which Transforms God | Oct 6, 2009 at 1:50 AM |
| The Howling Of God | Blut Aus Nord | The Work Which Transforms God | Oct 6, 2009 at 1:42 AM |
| Devilish Essence | Blut Aus Nord | The Work Which Transforms God | Oct 6, 2009 at 1:42 AM |
| Our Blessed Frozen Cells | Blut Aus Nord | The Work Which Transforms God | Oct 6, 2009 at 1:35 AM |
| The Supreme Abstract | Blut Aus Nord | The Work Which Transforms God | Oct 6, 2009 at 1:31 AM |
| Metamorphosis | Blut Aus Nord | The Work Which Transforms God | Oct 6, 2009 at 1:23 AM |
| The Fall | Blut Aus Nord | The Work Which Transforms God | Oct 6, 2009 at 1:22 AM |
| Axis | Blut Aus Nord | The Work Which Transforms God | Oct 6, 2009 at 1:20 AM |
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