Black Metal.

[Mulver]

If you were to write about 15-20 pages on black metal, what aspect of the genre would you pick? I've been told to write an essay and I'm planning to let it be about black metal.

I'm currently thinking of writing about the early 90's in Norway... What do you guys think?

 

[sevag00]

I don't know how you guys write essays about black metal or metal in general.

 

[Mulver]

Uh... Not sure what you mean, but I guess that Lebanon's school system is pretty different from Sweden's. I was told to pick my own subject...

 

[Onder]

Last essay I wrote for school was about organized religion as a cause of most of the global conflicts and the logical need to wipe it out of here to achieve better and healthier society, instead of continuing to feed the bubble by following either side of religious bullshit criminals. I got 10/10 for it, because it was entirely right in all it's points.

 

[Kara-Shehr]

Lawless Darkness is a fuckin perfect album. You guys should give it some more listens before judging.

.!

 

[Goffdahl]

Been listening to Belus quite a lot lately. Especially Glemselens Elv is magnificent. I've been trying to figure out which other song this reminds of and after several days I finally found out. There is a stunning similarity between Glemselens Elv and Potentiam's "To Know is to Die". I wouldn't call it a blatant ripoff from Burzum's side, but it is quite coincidental that the overall atmosphere and the main riff is almost exactly similar.

 

[skeptik]

That song is not similar at all, and "almost exactly similar" is an absurd phrase.

 

[Goffdahl]

I agree about your second statement. Absurd indeed

But I do not agree about the similarity. The whole tempo and atmosphere is very similar. And the breaks at 3.02 in Glemselens Elv and at 4.50 in "To Know is to Die" sound quite similar. And also the passages before and after.

 

[skeptik]

Any comparison made between the songs is really stretching, to be generous. I'm sorry but the only band Burzum ripped off is Strid.

On that note, I just bought Fallen. I'm sure I'll listen to it later on tonight, and I'll eventually share my thoughts on the album, which I know the forum has been waiting for.

 

[Goffdahl]

Looking forward to receiving your view on it... I personally think it's a bit too early to release another album. But if it's up to par with Belus, then I guess it's ok. But I think I will wait a while with buying it.

I have plenty of new albums to listen to in the meantime;

New Dornenreich
Initial impression: weakest effort so far. A solid album but not the masterpiece I expected/hoped for.

New Helrunar x2
Initial impression: Hmmm a bit boring? Nothing extraordinary... But everything is tight and song writing is ok.

New Graupel
Initial impression: Very great album. Very efficient and tight. Some of the best newer black metal I've heard in a long time. Reminds me of Virus West era Nagelfar.

New Angizia
Initial impression: Impossible to judge anything before at least 52 thorough listens, hehe. This will be an ordeal.

New Heimdalls Wacht
Initial impression: They have gone a catchy direction which I don't like. But it's still a great album. Perhaps lacking a bit consistency? Time will tell.

New Skyforger
Initial impression: Utter piece of crap. No black metal is evident any longer. This is Lamb of God meets Eluveitie. A sad sad deroute for an otherwise great band.

New Urfaust:
Initial impression: Fucking excellent! I need to listen to this some more but the first couple of listens were very positive. Even with a better production this album is a minimalist gem.

 

[Master_Yoda77]

Any comparison made between the songs is really stretching, to be generous. I'm sorry but the only band Burzum ripped off is Strid.

On that note, I just bought Fallen. I'm sure I'll listen to it later on tonight, and I'll eventually share my thoughts on the album, which I know the forum has been waiting for.

Yeah, from what I've heard I like to more then Belus.

 

[tagradh]

I definitely prefer Fallen to Belus.

 

[Onder]

I like Belus more so far. Fallen is too mellow.

 

[beast from the east]

I like Belus more so far. Fallen is too mellow...

...and boring as hell.

 

[ASD]

at least you came back again.

 

[The Emptier]

what are some of the anticipated BM releases for this year? i have a couple on my list but not too much

 

[PerkeleenLuoma]

Personally, i have been a Black Metal fan for a long time. I started listening to it when i was thirteen... (Hardcore kid ) I like the 80's stuff more than the new... But ofcourse the new bands have been making kickass stuff too.

 

[skeptik]

On that note, I just bought Fallen. I'm sure I'll listen to it later on tonight, and I'll eventually share my thoughts on the album, which I know the forum has been waiting for.

After about a dozen or so listens, and purging myself of the notion of "a Burzum album" in order to eliminate preconceived notions, I find that Fallen is really an excellent album, maybe better than Belus. The production in particular is much improved over the previous recording, with a much more dynamic palate that is particularly evident in the drums. The guitar tone is also much more clear. It took me a few plays to get adjusted the increased usage of clean vocals, but I find that they are employed tastefully more often than not and are more befitting the concept behind the album. Some of the bass lines are excellent as well, as that found in "Jeg faller". Fallen is certainly a good deal more "personal" in nature than was Belus and in that sense 'feels' more like a Burzum album. It is a good deal more humanocentric on existential ideas than the mythological foundations of Belus would allow. Fallen is about equally more and less 'Burzum' than was Belus, with a good deal more sonic variety in exploring new territories, but also an increased usage of melodic range typical of the early Burzum sound as well in songs like "Jeg faller" and "Vanvidd". Then he offers more unfamiliar pieces like "Valen" and "Budstikken", and the ambient pieces are completely new within the Burzum landscape as well. The outro, "Til Hel og tilbake igjen", I find particularly effective, capped off with a touching acoustic melody outro. I only see my fondness for Fallen increasing with age.

Also, in a new interview with Invisible Oranges, Varg said that, following the promotion for Fallen, he is going to start making another new album. He also said that he has rerecorded tracks from Burzum and Det som engang var for a new compilation that will come out in September called From the Depths of Darkness and that he intends to start working on a second compilation for material from Hvis lyset tar oss and Filosofem, and possibly Aske as well.

 

[Bitencourt29]

I find that Fallen is really an excellent album, maybe better than Belus. The production in particular is much improved over the previous recording, with a much more dynamic palate that is particularly evident in the drums. The guitar tone is also much more clear.

Great, ordered my copy a few days ago, I'm really anticipating it.

 

[Stormwatch]

Also, in a new interview with Invisible Oranges, Varg said that, following the promotion for Fallen, he is going to start making another new album. He also said that he has rerecorded tracks from Burzum and Det som engang var for a new compilation that will come out in September called From the Depths of Darkness and that he intends to start working on a second compilation for material from Hvis lyset tar oss and Filosofem, and possibly Aske as well.

I still prefer Belus, but that's interesting info there, another new album!