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?
How did I not know about this? , the esteemed avant/whatever label run by Kristoffer "Garm" Rygg of Ulver, will be releasing Nidingr's new album "Wolf-father" on June 5, their very first-ever black-metal release. Also, like Ulver's own renown BM-trilogy, this new album is inspired by Norse mythology. Hear a couple samples at myspace: https://www.myspace.com/nidingr
Singapore's continues their acquisition of Sweden's death metal elite by picking up Crucifyre as the latest addition to their roster. The band has existed since 2006 and features an all-star cast including Erik Tormentor Sahlström (General Surgery, Maze Of Torment), TG (The Sun, Morbid), Urban Skytt (Regurgitate, Nasum), Henrik Doltz Nilsson (Dobermann Cult) and Yasin Hillborg (Afflicted). Look for their debut full-length to be released later this year.
Old-school Swedish death metal revivalists Morbus Chron report that they'll be releasing their much-anticipated demo tape via in February with their proper full-length debut following sometime later via .
The nominees for the 2010 Manifest Awards, Sweden's alternative Grammy, have been announced:
Punk/Hardcore: En Svensk Tiger - Versace style () Troublemakers - Made in Sweden () Tysta Mari - Sveriges Casino () The Clichés - Monkey see, monkey do ()
Dance: Minilogue - Samlad årsproduktion Samuel L Session - The man with the case () The Field - Yesterday and Today () Tomas Andersson - Stiff Disco ()
Jazz: Bengt Berger - Beches Brew () Jonas Kullhammar Quartet - The Half Naked Truth 1998-2008 () The Opposite - Intertwined () Plunge With Bobo Stenson - Origo ()
Rhythm: Calle Real - Me Lo Gané () Jaqee - Kokoo Girl () Music is the weapon - Music is the weapon () Syster Sol - Dömd att bli bedömd ()
Rock: Florence Valentin - Spring Ricco () Makeouts - In A Strange Land () Murder by guitar - Murder by guitar () Skriet - Skriet ()
Pop: Anna Järvinen - Man var bland molnen () El Perro Del Mar - Love Is Not Pop () JJ - JJ n° 2 () Jonathan Johansson - En hand i himlen ()
Hårdrock/Metal: Abandon - The Dead End () Candlemass - Death Magic Doom () Katatonia - Night Is The New Day () Tribulation - The Horror ()
Singer/songwriter: Ane Brun - Live at Stockholm Concert Hall () David Åhlen - We Sprout In Thy Soil () Jonna Lee - This Is Jonna Lee () Kristofer Åström And The Rainaways - Sinkadus ()
Folk/ballad: Taken By Trees - East of Eden () Miriam Aida - Letras au Brasil () Tore Berger - I huset långt på landet () Esbjörn Hazelius - Blunda och du ska få se ()
Hip-hop: Mohammed Ali - Processen () Organismen - Om Gud vill och vädret tillåter () Promoe - Kråksången () Stor - Nya skolans ledare ()
Best live: Frida Hyvönen () Jenny Wilson () Fever Ray () Florence Valentin ()
Best unsigned: Den Svenska Björnstammen Extended Heads Fulmakten Nora
Ulver has posted the first taste of their upcoming psychrock tribute on myspace, a cover of "I had too much to dream last night" by Electric Prunes: Ulver1" target="_blank">https://www.myspace.com/Ulver1
Joining them on this recording are Lars Pedersen of When on drums and Mats Engen from Euroboys on bass. Also note the 2010 European tourdates.
Iron Lamb has scrapped their plans to do a split record with Deadmask, but they are still recording this weekend for their own 7" single as well as a split 7" with Motorbreath, both to be released via Austrian label . As for the band's upcoming full-length, the plan is now to record in May/June for an August/September release via .
Ulver reports: "We have recorded some hippie songs, from the sixties, bands like The 13th Floor Elevators, Byrds, Jefferson Airplane and stranger Aquarian folks. We aim to make this into a full album, a kind of Ulver kicking against the pricks." Expect a sample tune to appear online soon. In other news, the band recorded a collaboration with US doom act Sunn O))) following their appearance at the last Øya Festival, but it is still not yet finished due to the difficulty of getting everyone together in the same place at the same time. Still, they hope to have it ready for release in spring. And lastly, read an extremely extensive interview with the band at Avantgarde-Metal: https://www.avantgarde-metal.com/content/stories2.php?id=127
PUlverised Records continues to mine the Swedish underground for old-school death metal and have announced yet another signing: Morbus Chron. The band is currently making plans to record their debut full-length for a release sometime next year, in the meantime, listen to tracks from their demo cassette at myspace: https://www.myspace.com/morbuschronband
No big surprise: PUlverised Records has picked up Swedish all-star death metal act Iron Lamb and will be releasing their debut full-length album in early 2010.
Reunited Swedish death metal act Desultory will be going into Necromorbus Studio in November to record their comeback album, their first in 14 years. Expect a 2010 release via PUlverised Records.
Norwegian visual artists Trine + Kim designstudio celebrate their 10th anniversary of work with a retrospective exhibition on their many iconic album covers (Ulver, Mayhem, DHG, Darkthrone, etc.) and a book collection entitled "Decade". There will be a release party and mini-concert on October 30 at Podium in Olso (RSVP req'd) and I believe their works will be on display for the following two days in the same locale.
PUlverised Records has signed Göteborg-based metal act The Cold Existence. The band will be recording a new album with producer Peter Lausten later this year for release in early 2010.