Odium - The Sad Realm of the Stars

Obscurity can be both a blessing and a curse when it comes to black metal. On one hand, being lesser-known has its benefits in the form of a devoted fanbase, not to mention the underground appeal, but it also ensures that the greater works never get the recognition they deserve. One such work is The Sad Realm of the Stars, the debut (and only) full-length album by the Norwegian Symphonic Black Metal band, Odium. Released in 1998 via Nocturnal Art Productions, the album apparently received positive praise, but not much recognition, despite its placement alongside more relatively popular bands such as Limbonic Art. Only in recent times, with the 2013 remastering and repress on CD and LP by Blood Music, has the album started to become more widely known.

Symphonic Black Metal is a tricky genre to master, what with so many different bands utilizing it at great musical cost. Too subtle, and the symphonic aspect can seem like an afterthought and pointless, but too heavy and it degrades the black metal aspect, resulting in music that's mediocre at best and outright parody at worst (you know who you are). When mixed together just right, however, it can create art both haunting and mesmerizing. Thankfully, Odium pulls off the latter, with keyboard parts that provide atmosphere without minimalism, and musicality without being overwrought. These all blend together with skilled songwriting and harsh black metal, creating a cohesive work that truly sticks with the listener long after its 40-minute span has ended.

Despite the high praise for the symphonic aspect of the album, the album's representation of the genre's source is certainly not weak, either. There's plenty of tremolo picking lines and blast beats to be had here, but the moments where the album truly shines is when it slows down its pace to channel the astral melancholy that the music evokes. Astounding music can be found throughout the album, such as the central riffs on Through the Sorrowfilled Forest, the keyboards on Thy Eternal Nightfall, and the phenomenal title track. The only great shame is that the album holds little room for experimentation. The outro of the closing track, Riding the Starwinds, holds some outstanding choral clean vocals not dissimilar to Emperor, but still well-executed in their own right; far too good to be relegated to the last minute of the album.

The Sad Realm of the Stars is a perfect example of how Symphonic Black Metal should be done. Great riffs and melodies, memorable songs, and an effectively melancholic yet blistering atmosphere make this one of the best, yet most overlooked albums to come out of Norway during the 90s. With the recent Blood Music pressing, there's some hope that this album finally gets the exposure that it deserves.

Thrawsunblat - Wanderer on the Continent of Saplings

Now here's something interesting: a band that, previous to today, I knew nothing about, that I had heard no buzz about in any way, releasing one of the most exciting Folk Metal albums I've ever heard. The songs here are powerful and passionate, rife with plenty of epic, emotional melodies and hooks, with an atmosphere and production that's larger than life. Starting with the jaunty opening track, I was hooked and intrigued. By the time I was halfway through the emotive, highly melodic second track, "Once Fireveined," I was being effectively blown away, a feeling that did not vanish, or even lessen, throughout the remainder of the album. 

With Thrawsunblat's creative and diverse songwriting, the band manages to bring something new and fresh to the now overdone combination of Folk and Black metal. They can be raw and aggressive when they want to be ("We, the Torchbearers"), only to turn around with an extremely melodic and emotional track ("Wanderer on the Continent of Saplings"). 

Thrawsunblat's brand of nature-themed Blackened Folk Metal was, to me, nothing short of amazing. The album is well-composed and well-executed, playing to the feelings of the listener by means of skillful melodies and powerful, gripping composition. This album is definitely a winner, and has a good shot for our end of the year Best Albums of 2013 list.

-Andrew Oliver

Wolves' Winter - Spell of Necromancy

It's a scientifically-proven fact that wolves are the most black metal beings in the animal kingdom. It's also scientifically proven that Argentina isn't exactly the ideal country for black metal. Of course, black metal can be produced from anywhere, but any tr00 kvltist worth his Luciferian frost knows that the best results are from grim and frostbitten countries such as Norway. Spell of Necromancy is the debut demo of Argentinian raw black metal band Wolves' Winter, who, thus far, have not released anything since this save for a live recording and two tracks for a split. The real question, however, is not when they'll release new material, but if they should.

The first track, "Witchcraft", begins the demo with a minute or so of ambiance and wind samples before the raw-as-fuck guitars that we've all come to know and love burst in. Grim guitars, blast beats, howling vocals, all mixed together in a lo-fi production style... nothing too exemplary, but not bad. It's pretty much the same basic drill for all four tracks... except the third track, "Distant Horizons of the Spotless Mind". This is where the potential shines. The first half is very effective, mid-tempo black metal, with the guitar riff increasing in complexity until giving way to a blizzard of blast beats and some well-executed tremolo picking. The atmospheres evoked in this piece far surpass the monotony of the other three tracks.

There's plenty of potential for Wolves' Winter to be something superior to the "am I kvlt yet?" wave of black metal bands that's been cropping up these last few years. They could very well be Argentina's answer to projects such as Satanic Warmaster, if they continue down the promising path hinted at on "Distant Horizons...". I'm looking forward to their first full-length to see what comes of it.

Ulver - Nattens Madrigal - Aatte hymne til ulven i manden

I have been absolutely obsessed with this album for the last month now. I don't know exactly what the circumstances were for my love of Nattens Madrigal, be they mood, certain subjects of interest to me at the time, etc. But no matter the the reason, I immediately took to it and never let go. Although Nattens Madrigal is a 90s Norwegian black metal album, it is anything but simplistic, far surpassing bands like Burzum and Darkthrone to create a complex and musical album behind the walls of noise.

Ulver are a highly... polarizing band, to say the least. After their first three albums, each in a different style but all influence in some aspect or another by the 90s Norwegian Black Metal scene, they decided to leave their roots behind and start making avant-garde, industrial, electronica, dark ambient, 60s psychedelica, and other such genres. The discrepancy between the band's eras has caused much conflict among Ulver's fanbase. While I enjoy each of their albums, a special place in my library (and heart) is reserved for Nattens Madrigal - Aatte hymne til ulven i manden (or, in English, The Madrigal of Night - Eight Hymns To The Wolf In Man). And yes, that relatively lengthy title describes perfectly the contents of the music.

If you ask any random metalhead about Nattens Madrigal, chances are the first thing to come to mind is the production. The production here is almost indescribably raw and harsh, and I cannot deny that to the unseasoned ear, it will take quite a bit of getting used to. It may very well be a turn-off for some people. But that is not to say that the production quality is completely pointless, as I find it to be an extension of the atmosphere and musical content contained within. Despite the harsh, lo-fi sound, surprisingly, there is one aspect found here that almost no other black metal album ever provides: Beauty. The riffs are harsh, yet quite musical, with sections covering the gamut of human (or otherwise) emotions. Yet another aspect is the lyrical concept. The album is a tale of a man's transformation into a werewolf at the hands of Satan, and the events which transpire that mark his unholy gift as both blessing and curse. Although the lyrics themselves are written entirely in a Norwegian dialect, there are also English translations, which reveal the lyrics for what they truly are; some of the most haunting, almost romantic lyrics in all of black metal. The music reflects the story perfectly, with both unspeakable violence and haunting melody where called for.

In this manner, Nattens Madrigal stands as a testament to dichotomies. Nature's beauty and its relentless harshness. The wolf's majestic yet animalistic behavior. Human love and hate. Death as a part of life, and life as a part of death. No matter what your thoughts are on the music itself, it is without a doubt an experience that will stick with you for quite a while. Its morbid-yet-alluring atmosphere and poetic lyricism propel Nattens Madrigal beyond being simply "a black metal album" and into the realm of music as an art form. I absolutely recommend the album to any metalhead, as well as anyone interested in the concept of music as an art form, fans of Norwegian Gothic poetry, and those unconvinced of black metal's legitimacy as "music".

Standout tracks:
Hymne I - Of Wolf And Fear
Hymne III - Of Wolf And Hatred
Hymne VI - Of Wolf And Passion
Hymne VIII - Of Wolf And The Night