Arkhtinn – 三度目の災害 (Prava Collective)
T
he mysterious Prava Collective release music by a handful of artists (who may or may not be in every band or at least more than one), each digital drop containing a plethora of music that encompasses the entire label’s roster while Amor Fati handle the physical side of things. Arkhtinn were the first to come out of the Collective and so it’s fitting that they head up this first edition of ODIR for the new year.
三度目の災害, or Third Disaster if we are directly translating the Japanese text, is an album that shines with cosmic patterns while radiating a distinct sense of claustrophobia. The band itself leans on the cinematic side with songs that breach the twenty-minute mark and vocals that take in a range of emotions. Screams and shrieks are married against deeper growls and howls and Arkhtinn push the boundaries of black metal with a myriad of synthesised sounds while the atmosphere pulses with terror and darkness.
Arkhtinn drive a powerful beat throughout 三度目の災害 that truly digs deep to create tension and drama. The voice that echoes in the pitch-black space is wrought with agony and the two songs included on this release are as desolate as the unexplored expanse of the universe. The darkness that is held at its heart resonates through the cold expanse of the album and will crush your heart within moments. Perfect.
Trhä//Sunset - Trhä // Sunset (Self-Released)
If you guessed that a Trhä release would make it onto this edition, then you guessed correctly. It can’t be helped when the project keeps putting out insane music. Sorry about it. This split release is worth it for the Trhä side alone with the bonus being that the Sunset tracks here are as luminous as the twenty-minute majesty of the main draw.
For the single Trhä song here, we start on a triumphant blast of sound that begins a ferocious pace that barely stops for breath throughout. “gjërja tu dëhajmúncëdasa ë∫” is a frenetic piece of music that take a full ten minutes to enter any semblance of calm before exploding once again into a twisted ball of sound, with guitars vying for space against each other as well as Thét Älëf’s dominant voice. It’s a song of monumental proportions and one that Trhä fans will feel immediately drawn to. It's extended running time is hardly a hindrance as it twists and turns into frenzied passages and echoing vocal lines that meld together in such a way as to pull you in completely. The song once again reaches its most intense point shortly before its over in which time “gjërja tu dëhajmúncëdasa ë∫” takes on a peaceful atmosphere to soothe the soul after the rage that came before.
The two tracks from Michigan’s Sunset, an even more low fidelity black metal outfit that is the project of just one person, continue this theme. It is certainly less well produced that its predecessor, which doesn’t seem to be saying much, and still it manages to pulse with anger and serenity all within the same thirteen minute song. “Wander Does the Taciturn Spellsword,” a title that is as poetic as it comes, traverses melancholy and rage with nary a break, with the opposing sides of Sunset fighting for control in a space that will not allow either to dominate. Sole member Dullahan could very well be presenting his two main personalities as enemies and showing us the difficulty in having both exist. There is a lack of coherence in the songs on display here, yet that is not a negative, rather a positive as Sunset expose their lack of control in order to gain control. Smart.
Vemod – The Deepening (Prophecy Productions)
Waiting twelve years for an album from any band is a torture, waiting twelve years for a Vemod album is agony. The Norwegians have been working slowly on their second album since their debut of 2012, Venter på stormene, occasionally playing shows and teasing this new album only to leave us waiting and longing for more. With The Deepening, Vemod have moulded their black metal to fit the landscape of snow and ice that they call home. With passages of instrumental tones creating grand textures and layers of guitar bringing life to the cold vast space of the mountains. While black metal is the foundation of their sound, certainly, Vemod are not beholden to the genre in a way that restricts them and so this new album encompasses new pathways of sonic structure, and it does so with huge confidence.
We begin The Deepening on an instrumental note which nods towards their debut and its inclusion of two huge, vocal-less compositions. Here The Deepening follows a different route by pushing vocals (E. Blix on harsh vocals and J.E. Åsli on clean) more to the fore and allowing Vemod to expand and touch on new ideas while keeping a part of themselves intact. It’s not an entirely unexpected transition and it works for the band who have worked tirelessly on their own music and others in the decade since their last release. That they have stayed active and relevant despite a distinct lack of new music is a feat in itself and one the band are to be held in high regard for. Venter på stormene is still held in reverence for myself and many others and so it shows the strength of the band in clear terms.
Our first true taste of the album comes with the majestic “Der guder dør” and its glittering guitars and soaring vocal lines. Deeper roars are juxtaposed against almost choral sections while the music sways from gentle rhythms to harsher tones, each complementing the next and creating a sense of movement and harmony no matter the tone that is chosen. The Deepening is an album of transformation, and this can be heard in the immediately more aggressive stance of “True North Beckons.” The English lyrics are an ocean away from the ethereal quality of their native language which is used almost everywhere else and add an edge to the song that would be missing if sung in Norwegian. What is not missing is a sense of escape and transference, of change and the willingness to accept that this will come for us all. Familiar musical motifs can be heard during several songs, particularly during “Inn i lysende natt,” and yet they are rendered new by the band so that they meld succinctly with the aura of the Vemod of today. The band are able to take their past and apply it to their future, rather than living only in days gone by.
This can be heard most clearly on album closer “The Deepening” where Blix and Åsli share vocal duties, each offering their own resonance to the song and giving it a magical quality that is tangible and beautiful. The song itself is gorgeously produced with each voice having space to shine while the instrumentation beneath is clear and shimmering, the black metal aspect of the band only appearing through the deeper vocals of Blix as the song moves through its sixteen minutes on atmospheric tones and moments of wonder. This is Vemod at their most powerful, showing us exactly who they are, why they are and where they are going. It is a passionate and colourful finale to an album that will be rightly hailed as a classic before the year is over. Thank you, Vemod.
