Artist: Nattehimmel
Country: Norway
Label: Hammerheart Records
Formats: LP / CD
Year: 2023
From the ever-fertile and imaginative soil of Norway, many bands emerged at the beginning of the 1990s that gave colour and new impetus to the Black Metal genre. That in itself is hardly news, of course; for many, Norwegian Black Metal is their main frame of reference. It may come without deeper analysis that this has mainly to do with the ever-expanding scene brimming with creative and visionary minds. One of the most enchanting bands from that early Norwegian scene was undoubtedly In The Woods… A band that in addition to its solid Black Metal foundation has always looked beyond the standard Darkthrone and Mayhem influences. The result is an impressive discography, not so much in size, but all the more in quality. The debut album ‘Heart Of The Ages’ (1995) and the subsequent ‘Omnio’ (1997) belong to the standard metal kit of anyone who prefers their Black Metal to be more adventurous and filled to the brim with emotion and atmosphere.
Fast forward to 2022. Nattehimmel is a band formed by both Botteri brothers who until recently formed the core of In The Woods… Together with former In The Woods… vocalist James Fogerty and some more like-minded folk, this collective searches for a sound that must be close to their souls. The kind of sound that will make the hearts of fans of that old In The Woods… material will beat faster.
Just as the fact that In The Woods… was not a pure Black Metal band, it is impossible to put Nattehimmel in that category either. The Norwegian metal scene is by itself a creative and progressive cumulative that is collectively typified by searing riffs, deep emotion and grand atmospheres. This first album, ‘Mourningstar’, showcases the Norwegian background in all its splendour and diversity. It is also certainly not far-fetched to argue that ‘Mourningstar’ takes a few steps back in the development that the Botteri brothers took with In The Woods… It feels like a certain regressive trip that takes you past the best moments of ‘Heart Of The Ages’ and ‘Omnio’. But at the same time, it is not an exact copy and sounds like a collective work in which James Fogerty’s vocals have a big influence on the outcome. As a musical collective, it takes you past all kinds of musical landmarks, where the fierce blast beats and typical Black Metal vocals, although outnumbered, offer a delightful contrast to the otherwise mostly atmospheric mid-tempo riffs and epic vocals. It culminates in a stunning dynamic that only seems to deepen after many listens.
For the relative outsider, it is hard to judge, but ‘Mourningstar’ feels like a kind of musical redemption in which the band was able to let the music follow its natural creative course without having to pay too much attention to historical ballast and external guidance. Regardless, the Botteri brothers are back in the realm they can rightfully call their own: the sound on ‘Mourningstar’ is more than recognisable and it is a real pleasure to be swept back into the flow of that unique and deeply emotional atmosphere.
