Black Metal.
- Thread starter ROBL2500
- Start date
Did you just call Cradle of Filth black metal, or were you saying that because their stupid fans think they're black metal?
Good symphonic black - Vesperian Sorrow, Stormlord, Ulcus
Solipsist
beyond all horizons
- Jul 27, 2006
- 341
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Phenomenal album; not as good as Hivs... and Filosofem but I consider it better than the self-titled album. The first actual song, "Key to the Gate" alone is worth checking out the album for... it is one of his greatest tracks for sure.
I think it is excellent how he uses some very catchy "rockish" riffs on the BM songs yet there is alot of artistry involved due to the mood changes occurring with each riff. And like Hubster was saying, the album has a couple of some very gloomy-sounding keyboard tracks which make the album even more interesting...
unknown
fuck ftagn
skeptik
Member
- Feb 7, 2003
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Do you really think that album tops songs like My Journey To The Stars and Feeble Screams From Forests Unknown? In my opinion, Burzum easily tops Det Som Engang Var.
Solipsist
beyond all horizons
- Jul 27, 2006
- 341
- 9
- 18
Well, I prefer what I consider the best two tracks on DSEV (Key to the Gate) and (Snu Mikrokosmos Tegn) to those two tracks you named... though it is very close, yes. Feeble Screams.. and My Journey... are both indeed excellent (and I could probably agree with you that they are the self-titled's best songs), though I think I remember there was a segment in the latter song that felt a bit drawn out to these ears (I'll probably listen to the song again sometime).
And I think DSEM edges out Burzum by a bit when judging them both by a whole. For example, (on Burzum) the tracks War, The Crying Orc, and Channeling... don't have that great of a staying power to these ears (don't get me wrong, I like those tracks) and therefore bring down the album's holistic rating. DSEM has even more interlude tracks, yes, but I feel they have more staying power and are more consistent in relation to listening to the album as a whole. Then, it gets down to even more specifics/subjective issues (besides the actual songs) such as vocals (I prefer Varg's vocal performance on DSEM to his on self-titled)...
Hubster
...
The self titled album is remarkably different from the music which followed.
The first album only shows traces of the unique style of Burzum developed from Det Som Engang Var onwards throughout all works. However, it fully matured when we arrive at Hvis Lyset Tar Oss.
Aske is the transition period for Burzum: it blends some characteristics of Burzum, and also heralds the change which would come with Det Som Engang Var onwards.
Burzum as an album is much thrashier (and I don't mean this in the context of Thrash Metal, please don't confuse it) than the works which would follow. The aggression is much more adolescent and less ponderous than later works.
Burzum's music matured quickly into passages of mid-paced, thoughtful atmosphere. Tremolo picking and strong, sharp clarified chord playing was very clear on the first album, but due to the style change onwards, this becomes much more unified and tremolo pickings quickly reduce in appearance, replaced by sombre, slower riffing and keyboards.
There is a very clear difference in the song structure from Det Som Engang Var onwards: a much stronger focus on atmosphere and gradual transition which isn't very prevalent on the first album.
Ironically, the first major traces of these characteristics are in the very song you mentioned: "My Journey To The Stars".
For a more obvious portrayal of differentials, listen first to "The Crying Orc" (Burzum), then to "Dominus Sathanas" (Aske) and then listen to "Naar Himmelen Klarner" (Det Som Engang Var): The difference in approach, execution and style is massive. Not only that, but it becomes very clear that Burzum the album is almost upbeat in comparison to the "dark psychological" style which later works have.
In summary, "Burzum the album" is not truly "Burzum the style" because of some of these points above. Burzum is not a shit album, by any means, but it is certainly less unique, mature and lacking in direction then the rest of the albums.
skeptik
Member
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Less unique? Certainly not. It doesn't sound like his later work, but it's some of the most unique black metal I've ever heard (with the exception, of course, of War). What else out there sounds like the stuff on Burzum? Who else has replicated the sound of a song like My Journey To The Stars? As far as I'm aware, it's just as unique as anything else the man has done. I find the album in general massively underrated, especially with respect to his overall catalogue. I don't think that people recognize the uniqueness contained therein through the amateurisms (which I find endearing more than intrusive) and overlook it because of the impact that his later work had.
Evil?
omghaxlol!1
Hubster you talk about the progression of all the albums but I thought I remembered reading somewhere that the albums were not written in the order that they were released.
Edit: Ok, this is what i read. It is from Burzum.org.
Edit: Ok, this is what i read. It is from Burzum.org.
Hubster
...
Sorry I stand corrected on that one... I knew they were both done in 1993, but couldn't recall the order. Still, I stand by my comment about the change of style.
Hubster
...
You couldn't help yourself could you - "Let's prove our worth by citing when songs were written!"
I knew I'd get something about Stormlord. Anyway, if you're interested in symphonic black, give the others a try. Especially Vesperian Sorrow, they're great.
-Demonium-
Buried by Time and Dust
I listened to some Vesperian Sorrow songs on their myspace a few weeks ago, and i'm quite impressed.
Hubster
...
Some time back someone mentioned Horna... and I trashed them.
... I decided to give them another go.
They still blow chunks of goat cheese.
... I decided to give them another go.
They still blow chunks of goat cheese.
skeptik
Member
- Feb 7, 2003
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That actually has nothing to do with it, but when you're talking about musical evolution, the chronological order of songs is kind of, you know, extremely fucking important, no? The month and year in which all of the songs are written are clearly printed in the CD, so it's not like I'm evoking some secret knowledge that only few have access to.
Mebbe.
unknown
fuck ftagn
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Code have just announced that the vocalist for the forthcoming second album will be Simen Hestnaes (Arcturus/Dimmu Borgir). Check our myspace site for more information in the blog.
Aort
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I'm slightly annoyed. simen hestnaes is a decent vocalist, but I was hoping for somebody a bit more...I don't know...raw?
Code have just announced that the vocalist for the forthcoming second album will be Simen Hestnaes (Arcturus/Dimmu Borgir). Check our myspace site for more information in the blog.
Aort
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I'm slightly annoyed. simen hestnaes is a decent vocalist, but I was hoping for somebody a bit more...I don't know...raw?
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