is compiling Darkthrone's first four early demos from the years 1988-1989 ("Land of frost", "A new dimension", "Thulcandra") and will be releasing them as a restored/remastered 2LP set under the title "Sempiternal past". The official release date is November 14.
There's a new, long interview with Fenriz of Darkthrone at the blog The Inarguable: http://theinarguable.blogspot.com/2011/07/made-of-music-interview-with-gylve.html
With the current mass exodus from Myspace, Fenriz of Darkthrone has moved his much-valued "band of the week" blog to its own website: http://www.bandoftheweek.net/
Not all the acts he selects are Scandinavian, but if you're into organic-sounding heavy rock/metal, you can't go wrong with his recommendations.
Darkthrone has announced the winners of their fan-created cover art contest for the reissues of "Goatlord" and "Ravishing grimness": http://www.peaceville.com/darkthrone/
Fenriz of Darkthrone lists his favorite albums of the year: http://www.myspace.com/officialdarkthrone/blog/541049007
Tons of great worthwhile picks for underground metal/punk aficiondos -- quite a few selections from my own list as well.
Darkthrone's 1995 landmark release "Panzerfaust" album is getting a deluxe reissue this month via on both CD and vinyl and will include a bonus disc of audio commentary from Fenriz giving "personal insight into the background to the album and his inspirations for particular riffs and songs, and unconventional recording methods." More here: http://www.peaceville.com/darkthrone/
Finnish act Beastmilk, Fenriz of Darkthrone's current band of the week, is definitely worth checking out: http://www.myspace.com/beastmilkeverywhere
For those of you (like me) who are into classic metal, Fenriz of Darkthrone has a new speed metal mix posted for download: http://afistinthefaceofgod.blogspot.com/2010/09/fist-in-face-of-god-presents-fenriz-aka.html
As always, a mixed lot of mostly unknowns, but well worth investigating.
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU, all metal/punk to coincide with the new podcast:
01. TALK 1
02. Waklevören - Attakk
03. Eskatol - Fane av løgner
04. Årabrot - End of the world / Revelations
05. Lögnhalsmottagningen - Positivt tankande
06. TALK 2
07. Grave - Liberation
08. Obliteration - Exterminate
09. Liket Lever - Levande begravd
10. Knugen Faller - Jag vill inte vara med
11. TALK 3
12. Haust - Anti-reproductive
13. Underachiever - Cut a smile
14. Pointless Youth - Damaged head
15. Wolfbrigade - In adrenaline
16. Darkthrone - I am the graves of the 80s
17. TALK 4
18. Nekromantheon - We're rotting
19. Slugathor - The smoke
20. Tyrant - I'll burn that bridge (before you can cross it)
21. TALK 5
22. Bitch Boys - Automobile
23. Mögel - Jag är så rädd
24. Okkultokrati - On mouth of hells
25. Victims - Another way to die
26. Nitad - Stockholmsnatt
27. TALK 6
Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.
Not that it needs to be reiterated, but Norway's been ruling the scene when it comes to filthy metal/punk. Darkthrone, Obliteration, Okkultokrati, Haust... all top-notch acts. See also: Waklevören. I'm making a mix, it'll be posted this weekend and it'll include this track.
Waklevören - Oslo spy
Black metal in 2010, part I. Did the genre desert me or did I simply lose interest? I've been listening to this new Withershin EP ("The hungering void") and pondering these questions because, while I can tell the music is good, I still can't force myself to care. Well-executed melodic Swedish black death ala Dissection...? There's certainly room for more besides Watain. And yet, I feel nothing. I don't mean that in an ironic kvlt way either -- I'm really surprised by my lack of enthusiasm. So where did things go wrong I wonder? The genre did go through a certain amount of growing pains around the turn of the century and now things seem pretty evenly split among two major strains. First, we have the upper-tier established acts who have been going at it for years, some more progressive than others (Enslaved, Mayhem), others more content to drift towards the mainstream (Satyricon, Dimmu Borgir and seriously, WTF is up with this nonsense?). Some just keep on keeping on (Dark Funeral, Marduk), a few decided to abandon the genre completely (Darkthrone sorta, yes Ulver). Then, on the other hand, we have the new BM underground which, from my point of view, seems all too willing to embrace and accept sketchy politics and increasingly shitty, poorly recorded music. A race to the bottom, as I've mentioned here before I believe. The fact that I hear the new Burzum is getting a third vinyl repress bums me out. That means that competent bands like Withershin don't have a place anymore and boring, jaded dudes like me will shrug it off. I think my major hangup must be the lack of mystery in today's BM -- 15 years ago these bands were legitimately terrifying and sounded barely human. They burned down churches and killed each other and lived way off in some distant land that seemed far beyond reach. I distinctly remember hearing Emperor for the first time and how it sounded like absolutely nothing I had ever experienced. Then, a few years later, I remember seeing Emperor's first video and how amazingly disappointed it made me. No longer the aural expression of pure evil, here were a bunch of average metal dudes making an average metal video and playing dress-up in the woods. To say nothing about how boring they were live when I eventually saw them on tour, but the magic was forever lost and bands like Withershin have no hope to reclaim that. I don't know what's to be done though. Has the grim masquerade run its course? Can we start smiling at each other and simply enjoy the music for what it is, not what it used to represent?
Withershin - Wherein I exalt
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:
01. Elephant9 - Fugl fønix
02. TALK 1
03. Håkan Lidbo - X-Bot-DXC vs MC-Monstrux - EuroAsian Warzone Cronicle
04. Disco Ensemble - Protector
05. Kausal - Evac
06. TALK 2
07. Smoke Mohawk - Murder attempt
08. Masshysteri - Dom kan inte höre musiken
09. MF/MB/ - The big machine
10. Chicagojazzen - VI
11. TALK 3
12. Monty - Seglaren
13. Sweatmaster - Turnover
14. The Aches - Count slowly to ten
15. Dismember - Misanthropic
16. TALK 4
17. Camouflage - Syster sol
18. EL-SD - SÖSJÖ
19. Darkthrone - Those treasures will never befall you
20. TALK 5
21. Deathbed - Black sky
Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.
Fenriz of Darkthrone has put together yet another mix for Vice, 'cept this time he's got some help from Sindre Solem of mighty Norwegian death metal act Obliteration: http://afistinthefaceofgod.blogspot.com/2010/05/trapped-under-vice-vol.html
Not a lot of Scandinavian selections this time (actually, just one), but don't sweat it -- every mix that's been posted so far has been a winner.
