Tales From The Underground
Tales From The Underground
Artist: ImmortalCountry: NorwayLabel: Nuclear Blast RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2023 With ‘War Against All’ the Norwegian Black Metal institute Immortal brings forth its 10th instalment. A new album alone is enough to revisit this monumental band, but a tenth album…
Artist: SkuggeheimCountry: NorwayLabel: Terratur PossessionsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2023 After the explosive 90’s of Norwegian Black Metal, not much of that bustling prolific and high-quality scene was still intact by the mid 2000’s. Sure, bands like Mayhem, Darkthrone, Satyricon and…
Artist: Vulture LordCountry: NorwayLabel: Masters of Kaos ProductionsFormats: Double 7″ EPYear: 2023 The Norwegian Black/Thrash Metal act Vulture Lord has been in existence since 1995, although its origins date back even further to as early as 1990. To honour these…
Artist: Keep Of KalessinCountry: NorwayLabel: Back On BlackFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2023 Keep Of Kalessin caused a bit of a stir with the release of their 2006 album ‘Armada’. Even though their origins dated back to 1993…
Artist: Proselytism Country: Norway Label: Duplicate Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2023 After the 2020 released debut ‘Blood Of The Deceivers’, the Norwegian duo of Proselytism returns with their sophomore album, again through Duplicate Records. Those who have heard…
Artist: Feral HowlCountry: NorwayLabel: Breath Of Pestilence / Night Rhythms RecordingsFormats: Demo tape / Demo CDYear: 2023 Feral Howl is a relatively new Black Metal act from Norway of which quite little is known. It seems to be a one-man…
Artist: Tulus Country: Norway Label: Soulseller Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2024 With the release of ‘Fandens Kall’ the Norwegian zealots of Tulus have released more albums after their return in 2006 than in their first period that is…
Artist: SlegestCountry: NorwayLabel: Dark Essence RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2023 Slegest was formed by Stig Ese in 2010, a year after he left the Norwegian band Vreid. He released two full-length albums and two EPs as a one-man band before…
Artist: Ritual DeathCountry: NorwayLabel: Shadow RecordsFormats: Cassette tapeYear: 2023 The end of 2022 saw the release of the debut full length album of the Nidrosian Black Metal band Ritual Death. That album followed a number of EPs released between 2016…
Artist: AmpitationCountry: NorwayLabel: Nuclear War Now! ProductionsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2020 The origins of all the well-known and genre-defining Norwegian Black Metal bands can be traced back to a small amount of extreme metal bands. Like basically…
Artist: EinherjerCountry: NorwayLabel: Soulseller RecordsFormats: LPYear: 2022 Some ten years ago, the American The Crypt label reissued both of Einherjer’s pre-album recordings onto one nicely packaged vinyl compilation. But like many of those well-crafted The Crypt releases, they were not…
Artist: DødsengelCountry: NorwayLabel: Debemur Morti ProductionsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 The unorthodox creativity and impenetrable darkness that Dødsengel managed to evoke with their earliest recordings were of a major influence on the revival of Norwegian Black Metal, so near the end of the 00’s.…
Artist: SelvhatCountry: NorwayLabel: Terratur PossessionsFormats: LPYear: 2022 Before releasing his sole album, ‘Gjennom Mørket Famlende’ in 2008 and the ‘Einsam In Ewigkeit’ 7” EP from 2007, Steingrim Torson recorded a bunch of demos and rehearsal tapes, of which only a…
Artist: SelvhatCountry: NorwayLabel: Nordkult Rituals / Terratur PossessionsFormats: LPYear: 2022 On a tragic April night in 2009, Steingrim Torson left this mortal coil. The highly talented Norwegian musician had made his mark in several bands from the Trondheim scene, including…
Artist: Vulture LordCountry: NorwayLabel: Bylec-Tum Productions / Odium RecordsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2021 Even though the band formed in the mid 90’s, Vulture Lord’s career hasn’t been all too prolific. In fact, apart from a debut album…
Artist: OrderCountry: NorwayLabel: Listenable RecordsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2021 A superficial glance at the band Order shows an entity that was founded in Norway in 2013. It also reveals that their 2021 album ‘The Gospel’ is their second album, following a 2016…
Artist: AskeregnCountry: NorwayLabel: Terratur PossessionsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2022 Some years ago, it felt like a true achievement to obtain Terratur Possessions releases. Not because they were limited in quantities or because they lacked distribution. Simply because…
Artist: Godsend Country: Norway / Sweden Label: Petrichor Formats: LP / CD Year: 2020 Though officially formed in Norway, Godsend is definitely best known to feature multi-instrumentalist and jack of all trades Dan Swanö. The band released demo tapes before…
Artist: Ritual DeathCountry: NorwayLabel: Shadow RecordsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2022 The first years of Ritual Death were quite productive. The band was formed in 2016 as yet another product of the phenomenal Trondheim Black Metal scene by…
Artist: DarvazaCountry: Italy / NorwayLabel: Terratur PossessionsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2022 Darvaza, formed back in 2015 by two elusive figures in the international Black Metal scene, released three critically acclaimed EP’s through Black Metal elitist label Terratur…
Artist: UlvhednerCountry: NorwayLabel: Cold Northern Breeze Records / Hellstain Productions / Screaming Skull RecordsFormats: Lp / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2020 When you chose to read this, I don’t need to explain to you that Norway was the hotspot of…
Artist: DarkthroneCountry: NorwayLabel: Peaceville RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 Obviously Darkthrone needs no introduction. An absolutely legendary band from the Norwegian Black Metal scene, the duo of Fenriz and Nocturno Culto have been spreading their music for well over three…
Artist: FellmoonCountry: NorwayLabel: Self-releasedFormats: DigitalYear: 2022 “Alle er en måne og har en mørk side, som han aldri viser til noen”. This message is left by the entity Fellmoon on their only source of information, their Bandcamp page. The text…
Artist: DeathhammerCountry: NorwayLabel: Hells Headbangers RecordsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2022 Norway’s Deathhammer have taken the Metal world by storm, crushing the masses with their intense Thrash/Speed Metal mix that blends in some of their Norwegian Black Metal…
Artist: Black Altar / Vulture LordCountry: Poland / N0rwayLabel: Odium RecordsFormats: Split LPYear: 2022 Being rather prolific throughout the bands’ entire quarter of a century spanning career, it is almost impossible not to have come across Black Altar at least…
Artist: BrotthoggCountry: NorwayLabel: Self-ReleasedFormats: DigitalYear: 2022 Back in 2020 one of my colleagues here at VM-Underground labelled Brotthogg as the most promising newcomers out of the Norwegian metal scene. That is quite a bold statement and one that might put…
Artist: Beyond ManCountry: NorwayLabel: The Sinister FlameFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2021 From the ashes of Vordrinn arose Beyond Man, a constellation consisting of members of the Trondheim Black Metal scene. But the band members soon turned their…
Artist: DjevelCountry: NorwayLabel: Aftermath Music / Impure Wedding Productions / Tour de GardeFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2021 With our apologies, this review comes to you somewhat late, but I should also add right away that I was…
Artist: DoedsvangrCountry: NorwayLabel: Devilry ProductionsFormats: 12″ EPYear: 2022 Straight after the release of their 2021 sophomore album ‘Serpents ov Old’, Doedsvangr didn’t rest on their laurels and quickly followed it up with an EP entitled ‘Koinonia’. The EP, available digitally…
Artist: DoedsvangrCountry: Finland / France / NorwayLabel: Debemur Morti ProductionsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2021 In the Black Metal collective called Doedsvangr we find experienced musicians from Norway, Finland and France. The Norwegian nation is represented by drummer AntiChristian (Grimfist, ex-Tsjuder…
Artist: Whoredom RifeCountry: NorwayLabel: Cloven Hoof Brewing & Releasing / Terratur PossessionsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2021 Whoredom rife, the Norwegian band consisting of K.R. (ex-Bloodthorn) on vocals and V. Einride (Syning, ex-Keep of Kalessin) playing all instruments,…
Artist: EneveldeCountry: NorwayLabel: Terratur PossessionsFormats: Cassette EPYear: 2021 In the review of Enevelde’s debut record I already highlighted the bright current Nidrosian Black Metal scene that Trondheim has been enlightening the world with. But that Black Metal history is more…
Artist: EneveldeCountry: NorwayLabel: Cloven Hoof Brewing & Releasing / Terratur PossessionsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2020 Located at the Trondheimfjord lies the city of Trondheim. Once the capitol of Norway and the centre of the Norwegian Vikings, Trondheim…
Artist: Isengard Country: Norway Label: Peaceville Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2020 That Fenriz is a slightly odd duck is, of course, an understatement. And, anno 2022, we also know that musically he is basically all over the place.…
Artist: AncientCountry: NorwayLabel: Soulseller RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 Earlier this summer, Dutch label Soulseller Records released a collection of old recordings by Ancient. A band that was hardly taken seriously in the past, at least, after their debut album.…
Artist: KvadCountry: NorwayLabel: Forbidden Keep Records / TormentRexFormats: Cassette / CDYear: 2022 This Norwegian act has chosen a cover for its debut-album that is very much in the same vein as many of their fellow countrymen, it depicts a cold…
Artist: KvadCountry: NorwayLabel: Self-releasedFormats: Digital EPYear: 2022 The debut album ‘Cold & Dark, As Life’, released on cassette via Forbidden Keep Records, was my first introduction to the Norwegian Black Metal band Kvad. The album brought an interesting mix of…
Artist: IssoleiCountry: NorwayLabel: Terratur PossessionsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2021 Unconventional was the term used earlier to describe pretty much everything about Issolei. Fascinating would be another. While the `Devouring Current’ EP’s spent a lot of time disorienting the listener, only…
Artist: IssoleiCountry: NorwayLabel: Terratur PossessionsFormats: 12″ EP / CD EPYear: 2021 Considering that the intention of Issolei once was to create a singular `Devouring Current’ album, it may not come as a shock that `Devouring Current, Pt. 2: Treacherous Ascent’…
Artist: IssoleiCountry: NorwayLabel: Terratur PossessionsFormats: 12″ EP / CD EPYear: 2021 Releasing not one, not two, but three releases simultaneously is not something we often see, especially when a band has no previous releases whatsoever and the members or composition…
Artist: SyningCountry: NorwayLabel: Cloven Hoof Brewing & Releasing / Terratur PossessionsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2021 Syning is the union of members of some of the finest acts on the Terratur Possessions roster: V. Einrede of Whoredom Rife…
Artist: DisfallenCountry: NorwayLabel: Self-ReleasedFormats: Digital demoYear: 2022 The genre of Doom/Death Metal has always been a bit of a niche in both the Death Metal and Doom Metal genres. It is not a genre that is played by many bands,…
Artist: MisotheistCountry: NorwayLabel: Cloven Hoof Brewing & Releasing / Terratur PossessionsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2021 When Terratur Possessions teased the preview track `Beast and Soil’, a song that would later appear on Misotheist’s self-titled debut release, I…
Artist: AbbathCountry: NorwayLabel: Season Of MistFormats: LP, CD, Cassette tapeYear: 2022 After Abbath left ‘his’ Immortal and continued under his own name, a lot has happened. Not only is Abbath already at his third album with this ‘Dread Reaver’, despite…
Artist: Nattehimmel Country: Norway Label: Hammerheart Records Formats: Demo tape Year: 2022 Although Nattehimmel is a new band, none of its members are newbees, so to speak. Both Botteri brothers are involved, both were co-founders of In The Woods… and…
Artist: Khold Country: Norway Label: Soulseller Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2022 It is strange how some things get into a certain position or context without a logical reason or string of events. Like these Norwegian Black Metallers Khold,…
Artist: Mayhem Country: Norway Label: Century Media Formats: 12″ EP / CD EP Year: 2021 Mayhem’s latest two albums, ‘Esoteric Warfare’ from 2014 and the latest, ‘Daemon’ from 2019, have divided fans and admirers. Both records are far from easy-listening…
Artist: Pantheon I Country: Norway Label: Candlelight records Formats: CD Year: 2009 Pantheon I was formed around 2002, and features some members of 1349, Den Saakaldte and Sarkom. Their fairly unique mix of Black Metal with cellos and violins caught my eye…
Artist: 1349Country: NorwayLabel: Candlelight RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2009 The last few releases of the Norwegians of 1349 have been surrounded by a minor hype, and in particular for their last record ‘Hellfire’ that seemed to be justified. Not resting…
Artist: DarkthroneCountry: NorwayLabel: Peaceville RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2008 After the last Darkthrone album many of their early fans dropped off, saying that this is punk and has nothing to do with metal anymore. That may be, but didn’t Darkthrone…