Weekly album: Behemoth - Sventevith

Behemoth - Sventevith

1995 / Black metal

1. Chant of the Eastern Lands

2. The Touch of Nya

3. From the Pagan Vastlands

4. Hidden in a Fog

5. Ancient

6. Entering the Faustian Soul

7. Forgotten Cult of Aldaron

8. Wolves Guard My Coffin

9. Hell Dwells in Ice

10. Transylvanian Forest

btcarey: This Weekly Album takes us backs to the roots of Blackened Death Metal giants, Behemoth. Behemoth’s sound has famously evolved throughout their career, with each new release featuring distinct, thematic and stylistic differences than the prior. This evolution matched with the bands production consistency has spawned an impressive discography, producing classic albums for the past 20 years. Unfortunately, due to this vast catalog of outstanding records, their earlier material is all too often overlooked, being a huge mistake for fans of Behemoth and extreme metal.

Behemoth’s grim roots are buried deep in the murky soil of the pagan vastlands. “Sventevith (Storming Around the Baltic)” is a true work of dark art. The album encompasses a multitude of stylistic traits from all walks of black metal, blending them seamlessly together to create a masterpiece. Sventevith’s production is raw and cold, with hollow drums, and guitars so distorted they barely provide a fuzzy growl. This freezing, desolate sound is ironically paired with beautiful keyboard melodies and tender acoustic guitar accompaniments, providing the perfect recipe for pagan black metal. In the midst of all the powerful black metal songs there are several peaceful interlude tracks that add a majestic depth to the overall ambiance. My favorite of these amicable interludes is “Hell Dwells in Ice”. It takes the listener on cool, soothing, walk through an autumn forest, the last temperate night before the cold winds of winter stricken the land (which is achieved by following track “Transylvanian Forrest”).

As one of my personal favorite black metal albums, I would recommend “Sventevith (Storming Around the Baltic)” to Behemoth enthusiasts, black metal fans, and basically anyone who appreciates good music. This album has been overlooked and underrated for far too long!!

Favorite Tracks:

-From the Pagan Vastlands

-Hidden in Fog

-Entering the Faustian Soul

-Wolves Guard My Coffin

Orostider: Behemoth is now known for its efforts to make blackened death metal more visible in mainstream and their style of blackened death metal, which is a lot easier to listen to than some other blackened death metal bands or the pioneers of the genre. Behemoth is to blackened death metal what Dimmu Borgir is to black metal, even though Behemoth's modern era releases aren't as utterly awful as Dimmu's. Due to their status as a gateway band, Behemoth has received quite a lot of unjustified hatred. I myself admit to just dislike their modern era overly clean production style. Luckily, 'Sventevith' isn't even close to Behemoth's modern era material and offers a black metal album with the sweet distinctive production quality of the 90's. 

'Sventevith' represents the same variation of black metal as Satyricon did in the mid-nineties. Both of the bands' releases were melodic black metal with eerie reverbs everywhere. Even though comparing 'Sventevith' to Satyricon's classic releases is pretty unfair, the reason why 'Sventevith' didn't achieve the same kind of status of a classic album is clear. The album is overall just mediocre. 

Behemoth managed to utilize some creative elements, like the pretty strong presence of neofolk influences and the layered guitar parts with both electric and acoustic guitar being audible at the same time. The neofolk influences were one of the best things of the album, but occasionally they, in my opinion, sounded a bit too cheery. The dungeon synth elements were quite refreshing too, but I would have preferred them separated from the rest of the songs for some reason.

All in all, 'Sventevith' is a solid 90's black metal album and although it can't be compared to the classic's of the era, it offers enough variation to last several more spins. I might have to get familiar with the early Behemoth releases now. 

tp5170: There was a time when I used to listen to Behemoth quite regularly, but at some point I simply moved onwards and forgot the band for the most part. For my mistake I never ended up checking out the first albums of the band, as now it turns out that ‘Sventevith’ is actually rather good.

Being released around that time, the album has that nice 90’s black metal vibe to it and the production values of the album are just on the right level, at for me. The sound is hollow and gloomy, - not too clean but not overly distorted either, and it works well with whole shady pagan black metal theme.

The implementation of acoustic guitar on the album is also surprisingly good and they really managed to do it in a way that feels really natural and really bumps up the general atmosphere and shoves it to a more melancholic direction.

I have simply been having a blast with the album and as far as I am concerned I am an idiot for not checking out the album earlier.

Kattroll: I have to admit that when I heard that this week's pick is Behemoth, I wasn't really glad. Although the band itself isn't familiar to me, I can't help but imagine a bald metal head wearing combat trousers and Dimmu Borgir shirt. Dimmu and Behemoth sort of fall into the same category: easier and more melodic style of black metal. Some people could call me purist now, and I might be a bit of a purist, but the fact is that I usually enjoy the rawer style of the genre.

'Sventevith' was a positive surprise, because the album happened to be Behemoth's debut album from the 1995 and the sounds were as they usually were at that time: crude and hollow. Another surprise was the amount of dungeon synth elements the album had. From time to time I was certain I felt some knight vibes. This is one hell of a medieval castle. 

The album could require a certain mood to listen to for it to open up better than how it did during these two spins. 'Sventevith' wasn't a bad album at all. Vice versa, it was occasionally even rather enjoyable, even if it didn't convince me entirely. Pretty fun stuff to listen to and I wouldn't mind if someone played this album somewhere, even if I wouldn't necessarily do so myself. 

Weekly album: Fata Morgana - Fata Morgana

Fata Morgana - Fata Morgana

1995 / Dark ambient, Dungeon synth

1. Stargazer

2. Søk din ånd

3. A Forest Path

4. Fata Morgana

5. Distant Thunder

6. The Last Rainbow King

7. Purple Sky

Kattroll: Originally my pick for this week was the new Mortiis album 'The Great Deceiver', but after I listened to it, I wasn't so sure if I wanted others to listen to it too. It wasn't exactly utter shit, buuut yeah. Mortiis' first era albums are the ones that do it for me. I could've picked one of the first era albums, but I ended up picking a bit less known side project's album from the same man. 

The album 'Fata Morgana', done under the project with a same name and currently the only full-length album under it, is atmospheric and psychedelic enough ambient music. It's best suited for situations where you want to throw you brains out of the window and just stop thinking about anything deeper, like when you are comparable to a coma patient or playing video games. The music is simultaneously simple enough, but still offers versatile and beautiful moods, like ambient usually does. Fata Morgana isn't as gloomy material as Mortiis' first era, even though they are dated around the same time and similarities exist. 

Even though people may think I'd feel anxious while listening to this, I rather feel freed and relaxed. In order to avoid sleepiness, I recommend people to check the 7" 'Space Race / Robot City' by the same project, of which electronic robot disco sounds force you to dance!

Orostider: There are genres where releases sound almost same as the others. Some of the genres usually end up being garbage, but dungeon synth is a thoroughly average genre. This practically means that pretty much every dungeon synth album requires a certain mood or situation for it to be effective. Like when you play certain type of video games. 

'Fata Morgana' falls into the medieval-ish branch of dungeon synth. Usually there are only two branches and the other one is the gloomy, more dark ambient influenced dungeon synth. The interesting elements are the sort of clever cembalo (most likely done with synthesizer) melodies and the weirdly uplifting mood shifts. But like it is with almost every dungeon synth album, 'Fata Morgana' is probably the best suited for being background music while playing video games. It's not a bad album in any way, but like it is with the whole genre, it only offers you something deeper if you have a special bond with it. Give the album a spin and see if baroque inspired dungeon synth hits the spot. 

btcarey: Fata Morgana was my first taste of this specific flavor of dark ambient music, which I now know is called “dungeon synth” (thank you Orostider). The genre sounds exactly how it is written, ambient music that puts forth the feeling of trudging through a dim, moist hall of a dungeon, superimposed by dominating synth melodies. After listening to the album I must say I’m moderately entertained. The music is in a sense “fun”, while maintaining its dark atmosphere, which was pretty cool. “Fata Morgana” is a very easy listen and I can imagine it setting a nice background mood in some situations (isn’t that the main idea of ambient music after all?).

The music doesn’t take much concentration to appreciate. Unfortunately, I’m afraid if the listener pays too close attention to the tracks, the simplicity could leave them feeling a bit bored.

One bone I have to pick with the album is the lack of transitions. Transitions between songs are almost non-existent and even melody transitions come completely out of nowhere on some occasions. These badly executed transitions completely break the musical flow, as well as any hopes of being an above average ambient album. Fortunately, if you are just spinning this record in the background these irritants become relatively insignificant, providing a nice atmosphere for the listeners.

If you are having a board game or D&D night, check this album out.

Favorite Song: Fata Morgana

tp5170: To be honest, Fata Morgana took me by surprise, and even though the album doesn’t represent the style of ambient I usually go for, I had pretty good time with it. There is something really intriguing and relaxing in the peaceful dungeon atmosphere, and despite the album being quite melancholic in general, there are also some cheerful and just plain out strange parts to balance out the overall feel. Each of the songs also felt distinguishable and unique enough to stand out from each other. 

Probably the only complaint I have is about the transitions between songs, as it seems like little to no thought was put into those. It’s a bit disappointing considering what it does to the overall atmosphere when songs just stop like they hit a wall and after a shot silence the next song starts. I don’t know whether this is something that bothers people in general, but as a person who (at least for the time being) rather listens to full albums than individual songs I find it pretty irritating and just makes it harder to get absorbed in the music.

Weekly album: Nistikko - Kehä

Nistikko - Kehä

2013 / Grindcore, Crust punk, Black metal

1. Kehä pt. 1

2. Kansa unessa

3. Kehä pt. 2

4. 95410

5. Vallankumouksen sydän

6. Missä on totuus?

7. Teidän Ahneutenne

8. Rakkaudesta vihaan

9. Auringon kansa

10. Käteni eivät historiaa kerro

11. Haudan kautta kortistoon

12. Lukitut ovet, poltetut sillat

13. Herran haltuun

14. Tyhjä arpa

Orostider: Grindcore. A genre misunderstood and misinterpreted to be just senseless beating and noise by many, who even listen to harsher black metal. Nistikko and others prove that grindcore is as versatile as other more extreme forms of music. It might just require some experience in grindcore to spot all the wonderful little things. 

'Kehä's' predecessor 'Hävitys' already showed Nistikko's top notch riff barrage, but left the listener a question: are they able to produce as solid material in the future? They were. 'Kehä' shows a clear continuation in Nistikko's sound. The groovy and crusty element's presence has increased and and the prime quality riffs continue to exist. As a cherry on the top, the production is one of the best I've heard on grindcore albums. 

The most delightful thing on 'Kehä' is the preservation of all the most solid elements of 'Hävitys.' Utilization of two quality vocalists, unpredictable stops and variations and the slight catchiness are still there. Some people might argument that grindcore can't be catchy, but 'Rakkaudesta vihaan' disproves the statement with its 'chorus.'

I really recommend Kehä both to people who have already found the wonders of grind and to those who haven't. A huge salute to 'Hytky' for creating one of the best artworks I've seen. 

Favourite song: 'Tyhjä arpa'

btcarey: Even though I like and respect grind, I only listen to the genre when a specific mood strikes. And when that mood does strike, I usually fall back on classic bands like Rotten Sound or Napalm Death, rather than going out of my way to find something fresh. Due to my limited background, I can’t really say whether ”Kehä” is a ”good” or ”bad” record, just present my personal views.

First off, Nistikko has a certain groove that I really dig. It seems like a lot of the grind bands I’ve heard lately just try to pack as much material they can into 90 seconds. ”Kehä” on the other hand does a good job with song variation while still maintaining the fast and aggressive characteristics grind is all about. For example, in the song ”95410”, the pace takes a huge turn, leaving you with some heavy, old-school Black Sabbath style riffing. As soon at the track is over, the pace is kicked into overdrive with muddy, fast, punk influenced song.

Overall a solid album in my opinion. I don’t think I would add it to my go-to list of grind bands though.

Favorite Song: Käteni Eivät Historiaa Kerro

tp5170: It’s not that I don’t like the genre but so far my experiences with grindcore have been really limited. This is mainly because it’s a genre that in my mind partially overlaps with certain sub-genres of black metal, and if I have to choose between these two, I always go for the BM as it is the genre far more familiar to me. 

But as for ‘Kehä’, it felt like a solid package of grooves and chaos, and it was surely one of the better grindcore albums I have listened to. The sound would probably be best described as a fast and aggressive mess where grindcore and BM influences meet. The mixture definitely worked for me, and the shorter song lengths make sure you won’t get bored at any point. I can’t really point out any flows with the album, even though there was a couple of the songs that felt pretty bland compared to the rest.

Overall I had pretty good time with the album, but as it often goes with albums of this particular genre, it didn’t really light the spark for me to listen to the whole set again, at least for the time being.

Favorite song: Missä On Totuus?

Kattroll: I finally have to admit that I've started to actually like grindcore and the minute long tracks and 200 kph blast beats don't feel distant anymore, even if I didn't understand the attraction to this genre at all. This isn't the easiest of the genres yet and like it was with this album, several playthroughs are needed. 

The first playthrough of this fourteen song package slipped past me as a background noise, but after couple of playthroughs the album actually started to sound quite good. "You'll at least write that Finnish language is a pro!", speculated Orostider when we talked about my writing and he was correct. Though on this album, it actually wasn't the first thing in my mind. It takes quite an amount of concentration to actually make out the lyrics. The songs I particularly enjoyed were "Missä on totuus?" with its slow part with natural harmonics and 'Teidän Ahneutenne' with its catchy riffs. 

Not mentioning the absolutely wonderful artwork of 'Kehä' would be impossible, because I've admired it before I even listened to the album itself. Wow! This cover would absolutely deserve a place framed on the wall, so I probably have to find the fitting frames.

Nocturnus - The Key

Nocturnus - The Key

1990 / Death Metal

Take the band Death, put Chuck Schuldiner on meth, and launch them into space, your result would be Nocturnus’ “The Key”.

“The Key” is a vortex of speed, aggression, and chaos; set in a sci-fi universe where a cyborg goes back in time to destroy Christianity. This fresh perspective of Florida-based death metal from the early 90s employs an “occult meets sci-fi” theme, exploring territories unknown to the genre. The utilization of keyboards (which was basically unheard of in the scene) provides a mysterious ambiance, perfectly supporting their sci-fi theme. While the keyboards are an important aspect of the music, their function is purely support (Nocturnus IS a death metal band after all). Heavy riffs, ripping solos, and sporadic fills chiefly dominate the songs and are whipped at the listener at a relentless pace.

“The Key” is an essential piece of American Death Metal from the late 80s and early 90s. If you are a fan of the scene this album is a must.

Favorite Song: Visions From Beyond The Grave

Hateful Abandon - Liars/Bastards

Hateful Abandon - Liars/Bastards

2014 / Post-Punk, Black metal

Imagine a cold, merciless and colourless concrete hell where misery and hatred flow like wine flows at higher class parties. Utter frustration causes unrest and fear is used to keep the situation stationary. If imagining is too hard, the movie 'Hobo With a Shotgun' shows you a setting quite close to the former description. 'Liars/Bastards' is a perfect soundtrack for an urban dystopia.

Hateful Abandon's other releases are not familiar to me at all, but according to the almighty internet, their material has moved from black metal to post-punk step by step. 'Liars/Bastards' shows only slight black metal elements anymore and it mainly consists of eerie and hollow synths accompanied with frustration filled semi-harsh vocals. Even though the parts are repeated for quite a long time, the album doesn't feel dull at all. In the end, the songs differ from each other quite a lot, but the feel of misery and mental nausea is present throughout the album.

'Liars/Bastards' is not meant for a joyful summer day without a single worrying thing in mind. It's a journey through the world of oppressed people and their every day frustration. This is a recommended listen to anyone into eerie and cold music.

Favourite tracks: 'Culprit' & 'There Will Never Be Peace'