Why Kampfar Respect Women

Originally written for Soundshock.com

Since signing to Napalm Records for their 2006 release ‘Kvass’, Norway’s Kampfar have received a significant deal of attention worldwide. In the last two years, the black metallers have managed to play prestigious metal festivals such as Wacken and Hellfest and soon they will embark on their debut North American outing. But despite the peaks they have accumulated, frontman Dolk considers these past two years the most strenuous and draining of Kampfar’s career since their inception in 1994.

“When a band gets more interest, in a way, you have to make new decisions every single day and it starts to become more like a job. It feels at least sometimes that it’s not good to be in a band any more.” It has been two years since

 Kampfar’s last comprehensive tour and Dolk is more than enthused to return to the road, delivering a stellar show to those in attendance. “I’m really happy to be playing again and I haven’t felt like that for the last two years. “ Drummer Ask submits the footnote: “We finally get the reward of the stress and the chaos.” This year marks the release of the Norwegians’ fifth album ‘Mare’, a mature release adding a bevy of variety to the black metallers’ catalogue. Naturally, Dolk is proud of the album but is more astounded by the attention the release has earned: “We sold as many albums of ‘Mare’ in the first five days as we did with our last album for two years. So it was like “Wow!”” Perhaps this impressive result can be partially attributed to Kampfar working with legendary metal producer Peter Tägtgren for the first time. “It was a natural choice. For me at least, it was very very important that he wanted to do this because we didn’t want to go into a studio because it’s a famous studio or it’s a famous guy doing the sounds. We wanted to take a new direction, of course, to create art. We needed someone who wanted to push the boundaries and limits to get with us. It was really important for me that he really wanted to do this album, not just “Yeah, I’ll do it,” but with passion. The last time I talked to Peter before we really decided to go that way, I asked him “Are you really up for this?” and he said “Fuck yeah!” The only thing we can say is in some ways it’s bad that we didn’t do this earlier.”

Ask highlights how important it was to have a producer who knew precisely what the band needed for their record and this kind of producer would have to be well-versed in all kinds of music as opposed to exclusively black metal. “We’ve always been a bit stubborn about keeping it a little on the low-fi. We’ve always taken thing away and this time we said “Fuck it, we’ll do everything. We’ll see what happens because if it doesn’t work you can always remove things.” So we choose to work with a producer who could do bigger productions and it’s very interesting how focused he is because we played Hellfest last year and he played there with Hypocrisy and the studio had been booked well in advance. We were watching Fear Factory play from the side of the stage because we both love the drummer and I’m talking to him and he’s well drunk. I’m explaining exactly what kind of sound I want for the studio and he remembered everything and had everything set up for that sound and he completely nailed it, exactly what I wanted. He thinks with a band. He doesn’t go in there and say “OK I’m going to give you my sound.” He says “I’m going to give you the sound that is best for you.”” Naturally, Kampfar will not consider anyone else when producing their next album.

‘Mare’ is something out of the ordinary for Kampfar and indeed black metal as a whole. The album is dedicated to all those women brave enough to subscribe to their own lifestyles and follow their own paths in life. This idea was inspired by the fate of women who were misunderstood by priests hundreds of years ago in Norway and were branded a witch and burnt. Ask sheds light on Kampfar’s only profound religious remark: “The thing is that to be a woman today and do what you want to do then maybe it’s a little harder than men but two hundred years ago, it was a lot worse. If you were a woman two hundred years ago and you said “No, I want to do my thing. I want to learn about what I want to learn,” [they set you on fire]. That’s our religious statement.”

Kampfar’s fortunes have not come without misfortunate. Late last year, founding member Thomas decided to part ways with the band on good terms. Thomas’ guitar work is instantly recogniseable and signature to Kampfar, carving a unique identity for the band. “The reason his guitar playing is quite different to other guitars is because he’s actually playing piano on a guitar. He thinks in piano. There were never two guitarists so he always played two melodies at once, basically, two harmonies at once. He plays deceptively simple. He’s actually an incredibly skilled musician,” Ask notes. Dolk is highly optimistic about Kampfar’s future with one of the founding members now absent from the line up: “We’re gonna nail it, without Thomas or not. We’re still brothers. When I go back to Norway, we’re having a barbecue party and he’s invited. We’re really connected but we just had to stop work with this kind of music together. We ended the line there, really.”

With the unhinged success of ‘Mare’, Kampfar’s position as co-headliners on tour with black metal stalwarts Secrets of the Moon and Vreid and a

highly anticipated North American tour, the band’s limits are not yet capped and they will continue to harvest a multitude of success that most black metal bands will never achieve. Kampfar demonstrate that persistence and artistic endeavour is the key to their outstanding results.

The Evolution of Kampfar

Norway's Kampfar have a substantial fanbase now and have made festival appearances at premiere metal festivals such as Germany's Wacken, Party San, Norway's Inferno and after this year, Hellfest in France. With four full-length albums under their belt, Kampfar's journey from obscurity to their current position is a storied one.

Kampfar originally began life as the black metal band Mock in 1992. The three piece from Gressvik released a demo entitled Cold Winter in 1994, a split with the German band Tumulus in 1995 and the EP Vinterland in the same year on the highly acclaimed (at least in underground circles) Hammerheart records. Musically, Mock sound like a primitive atmospheric black metal band ala early Burzum but less aggressive (although it does feature Dolk's recognisable, vicious rasps which sound unchanged compared to modern Kampfar) with more commendable drumming. 'Call the Eternal Winter' even has an eerie organ in it which divulges an element of gothic mystery to the music. Lyrically, the band avoided Satanic/anti-Christian cliches and opted for talking about freezing temperatures and Winter, much like Immortal. Mock actually became defunct in 1994 - the three band members were interested in pursuing radically different kinds of music (one member went on to join the EBM band Apoptygma Berzerk) [1] - before the EP was released and mainman Dolk (Norwegian for 'dagger'. His real name is Per-Joar which translates to 'mountain warrior' [2]) went on to conceive Kampfar. Fortunately, however, in 2007 Agonia Records re-released the tracks from the split and the EP in the compilation 'Mock', limited to 1000 copies.

Kampfar (which is an ancient Norse word for Odin or Wotan that warriors would cry before entering battles to heighten their performance [2]) was to be Dolk's continuation of his vision that Mock incited. In 1994, Dolk was seeing a girl whose brother was Thomas. Thomas originally played the piano and has a strong background in classical music. Dolk desperately needed a guitarist, having written the song 'Kampfar' on his bass and needing a guitarist to record it, and Thomas satisfied the position [3]. Dolk has stated that he has always attempted to distance Kampfar from the abundance of Norwegian black metal bands that were spawning at the time. The band designed a logo that did not immediately resonate the symetric, gothic type-face or illegibility of other black metal bands and they dropped the corpse-paint of Mock, "It was really a strange thing because people didn't understand the concept of black metal without corpse-paint." [3] Dolk evades labelling Kampfar black metal, which he considers relates to the Satanic; he opts to dub his band 'Norse pagan folklore metal'.

A demo restricted to 250 copies was released in 1995 on the respected Season of Mist, recorded between 1994-1995. In the same year, the pair's debut self-titled EP was recorded. Bearing the colourful image of a Norwegian landscape on its front cover, the release could be disregarded as black metal, considering the archetypal black and white covers of black metal bands in the mid-nineties. With Dolk handling vocal and drumming duties and Thomas covering guitars and bass, the EP is undeniably the foundation for Kampfar's modern sound, with thick organic atmospheres contrasted sharply with aggressive buzzing, both created by the guitar. The song 'Kampfar' clocks in at over nine minutes, beginning rather relaxed before launching itself into more violent passages akin to a more thoughtful early Bathory, escalating towards icy highlights and concluding with proud, warrior-esque clean vocals, similar to what Fenriz does with Storm whose sole album was released in the same year as this EP. 'Hymne' sounds distinctively Norse and with subtle clean vocals used sparsely for the intro: "Hymne til Odin", it is clear that this song pays homage to the Norse god Odin, often considered a clichéd theme in contemporary metal. The final track is 'Hjemkomsten' (which translates to 'The homecoming'). Laden with synths, 'Hjemkomsten' subtracts the black metal guitar, reducing the frosty atmosphere, and focuses on melody with a simple yet complimentive drum beat. The music evokes images of exploration, folklore and of course nature. This track displays Thomas' classical influences best and tottering over the two minute mark, the song retains the listener's interest throughout as well as underscoring that Kampfar are more than a simply a black metal act.

In 1997, Kampfar released their debut full-length album 'Mellom Skogkledde Aaser' (which translates along the lines to 'across wood-covered hills') on Malicious Records, recorded in X-ray Studio in September and October of 1996. All of the songs extend beyond six minutes and there is no confirmation of stagnation. Opening with piercing female screams, the album stings into 'Valdogg' with an incredible multi-dimensional guitar sound, previously unknown to Kampfar but destined to become their trademark, unique sound. Melody is married with the abrasive guitars as heard on the self-titled observation, forming what is now popularly described as pagan metal (Viking metal meets black metal). There is no overt use of keyboards or any component that can be classified as folk metal, which is certainly one of the many prominent strengths of this album [4]. The atmosphere is substantiated further with seething guitar rhythms and the melodies adorn it with the icy temperatures Kampfar usually employ, only they sound more accentuated. A cleaned up version of 'Hymne' makes an appearance on the album with a few additional seconds. The structures feel natural as opposed to forced or splintered. Even in modern times, this stands as one of the greatest contributions to black metal.

The following year, the band released another EP named 'Norse' on Hammerheart Records. The title-track is noticeably more upbeat than anything captured on 'Mellom Skogkledde Aaser', having been written in a major key, making it significantly more accessible. Interestingly enough, although this song is less atmospheric in the traditional sense, it comes across more vividly. This is also Kampfar's first musical venture into the English language, although the other songs are in Norwegian. On the whole, the guitar leads have progressed greatly and the melodies are easier to pick out. 'Troll' is an inferior song to 'Norse' which is relentless in its progression, but 'Troll' is still earns repeated listens with its acoustic introduction and the addition of synths later on. Closing track 'Tæring' serves as an outro, coming across as fairly uplifting and closer to folk than the previous songs.

After the 'Norse' EP, Kampfar unleashed their sophomore album on the metal world. 'Fra Underverdenen' (which translates as 'from the undergrowth') was released in 1999, again on Hammerheart records. It picks up from the EP; 'Norse' is on the tracklisting. Kampfar experiment more on this album, moving at various tempos, drawing out their ductile guitar melodies into a bevy of alternative styles, all while ignoring the use of archetypal or tacky synths. The atmosphere is different - thick and suffocating at times yet unlike anything they band has previously committed to record. The inclusion of a digeridoo can be heard on 'Troll, Død Og Trolldom' and a cello on 'Svart Og Vondt' too which illustrates how far Kampfar have come in a such a brief amount of time. The Norwegians still attain their aggressive roots with 'Mørk Pest' juxtaposing visceral passages with melodic ones, typical of Viking metal but Kampfar are certainly one of the first to employ it so brazenly. This is a sublime example of Kampfar's innovation.


Unfortunately, events ground to a halt after 'Fra Underverdenen' when Thomas and Dolk went through personal issues that set Kampfar on a lengthy hiatus. These problems would have to be solved before the pair could return to making music together. During the years of inactivity, Dolk received several letters each week from fans questioning what happened to Kampfar. These served as an inspiration for Dolk to continue with Kampfar at some point. Three years later, the Norwegians reactivated Kampfar and were given two options: to continue the band as before or to get more members and expand into a live band. Previously, the band had received offers to perform live but always refused due to only being a two-piece [1]. However, they selected the latter option with ease and found suitable musicians in two years; Kampfar were now joined by drummer 1113 (who now lives in the Netherlands) and bassist Jon Kabber in 2003, the latter of whom Dolk met while doing session vocals for the black/death metal band Gruesome [2].

The new Kampfar line up

Kampfar joined the Austrian label Napalm Record's roster who Dolk has had intense links with since the mid-nineties. The label showed the most interest in the band, as opposed to money which suited Kampfar impeccably. In 2006, Kampfar's first two albums were re-released by their new record label who bought the rights for the full-lengths. The Napalm pressing of 'Fra Underverdenen' comes with the 'Norse' EP as an extra. Both of these albums had been sold out for almost five years so the re-release was a positive action from Napalm. The first pressing of 'Mellom Skogkeldde Aaser' sold over 6,000 copies, yet Thomas and Dolk received nothing [1]. It was sold to Century Media and Napalm original bought the rights from them and Kampfar are now benefiting richly. The self-titled mini-CD has not been re-released because Season of Mist refuse to sell it as it still sells so well.

2006 also saw Kampfar's hotly anticipated return to the studio with 'Kvass' (translated as 'sharp') coming out and receiving universal praise. It was a difficult album to create, considering 1113 and Kabber had to adapt to Dolk and Thomas' personal style but eventually they did with optimum results. The release showcases crystal-clear production which compliments the music remarkably, illuminating all of its attributes. 'Ravenheart' is the token English song, conveying the spirit of Kampfar to non-Norwegian listeners and due to its English language, this track is frequently considered the best on the album. The album utilises impressive rhythms and the inclusion of trance-inducing and dreamy states shares common ground with other Viking metal bands. The trademark coupling of melody and abrasion is still present, marking this album Kampfar's. The album seems colder and moodier than 'Fra Underverdenen' but not completely; 'Gaman Av Drømmer' is in a major key and ends the album in an upbeat manner. This is the album that secured a brand new fanbase for Kampfar, their breakthrough album.

'Kvass' was succeeded by 'Heimgang' in 2008. Recorded at Silvertone Studio, the same studio used for 'Kvass', Dolk wanted 'Heimgang' to be a return-to-roots album as he believes the band lost atmosphere over the years. The album is closer to analogue than digital and Dolk had the intention of making it sound more honest and genuine; the drums on 'Inferno' were recorded on the first take. With 1113 and Kabber more familiar with the workings of Dolk and Thomas, it was much easier to write this CD as a cohesive unit. Lyrically, the album deals with crossing over into the Underworld of Norse mythology, a topic that has fascinated Dolk since he was young. Some of the topics discussed occurred locally to Dolk; 'Antvort' is about a priest supported by the Norwegian state as someone spreading the word of God who dabbled with both the light and the dark. The priest originally lived very close to where Dolk lived, about 200 years ago [6]. Unlike the last two studio efforts, there are no English songs on this release, which secures Kampfar's integrity in terms of searching for commercial success. The album is consciously more stripped down and more of a straight-forward metal release.'Inferno' hits like a blazing hammer; 'Vettekult' illustrates maturity as the band's most emotive track; 'Vansinn' is Kampfar at their most refreshingly folk metal sounding with a particularly insistent rhythm while avoiding the clichéd monotony of bands such as Finntroll, Ensiferum and Korpiklaani. This is a very intensive release for Kampfar, pushing them to their limits in spite of their back-tracking to a more atmospheric sound.

Kampfar are currently working on new material and it is tricky to predict what kind of direction they will move in. Either way, expecting a disappointing release would most likely be a terrible mistake.

---
[1] Soundshock's Kampfar interview, 2009
[2] Sheol Magazine's Kampfar interview, 2007
[3] Heathen Harvest's Kampfar interview, 2009
[4] but the design and cover art is interestingly enough by Season of Mist
[5] Perhaps it should be noted that this album was released around a similar time that folk bands such as Ensiferum and Finntroll were being constructed.
[6] Living for Metal's Kampfar interview, 2009

The Best Metal Albums of the 2000s

Another decade is behind us and the amount of treasures metal offered us this decade is alarming. Metal is so articulated now, so easy to access, I wonder if it is at its peak of popularity currently. Anyhow, I present my favourite metal albums of the past decade (2000 - 2009 inclusive) in no particular order. I've only allowed one entry per band otherwise it'll be too taxing to compile such a list.

1. Dream Theater ~ Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence [2002]

Dream Theater's sixth studio effort is quite stunning. I've talked about this disc too much so I shall simply copy and paste my description of this release from my post entitled 'A Succinct Commentary on Dream Theater' Studio Albums' from 2008:

"Dream Theater accomplish another first with this release; this marks the first album composed of two discs. The second disc is one song - the title track, clocking in at a devastating 42:04 minutes long. The primary disc is sinister but not the kind identified in previous Dream Theater releases. The production makes it sound far more clinical and functional. All of these songs are lengthy in duration, appropriating the mega-long songs archetypal to progressive music. The moods of each vary greatly: 'Glass Prison' is tenacious and a harbinger of the future Dream Theater to come; 'Blind Faith' is uplifting whilst heavy with a nod to traditional heavy metal/hard rock inPetrucci's riffing during the chorus; 'Misunderstood' is a stormy piece, boasting more power without being as outwardly aggressive as the opener; 'The Great Debate' is defiant; 'I Disappear' is ghostly reserved and concludes the first disc perfectly. Dealing with various mental conditions, it is befitting of the title track (broken into eight tracks) to cycle through varying moods in grandiose fashion. LaBrie gives several touching vocal performances, namely 'Goodnight Kiss'. This album also sees the debut of Portnoy'sbacking vocals which inevitably lead to a contribution of crippling the progressive metal innovators but are capable of being ignored on this release. 'Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence' is a fantastically turbulent song, propelling its listeners through a barrage of emotional responses and unusual musical techniques, as featured on 'The Test That Stumped Them All'. Overall, this opus is one of Dream Theater's strongest due to its multi-dimensional magnitude."

2. Fozzy ~ Happenstance [2002]

Apparently 2002 was a great year for metal. This is the album that actually got me into metal, back in 2003. Fronted by WWE wrestler Chris Jericho, Fozzy's Happenstance was predominantly a cover album with four original songs thrown in. The covers were of '80s heavy metal bands and I believe they are better than the originals (with the exception of Motley Crue's 'Livewire' and possibly Priest's 'Freewheel Burning') because the updated and modern take makes the guitars sound sharper and the overall sound clearer. Jericho's vocals are ridiculously unconventional - gravelly with a tendency to shoot into vibrato zone. The four original songs are distinctly more modern and sound like they could be classed as melodic death metal without the death. Ultra melodic modern heavy metal, possibly. It's tedious to define but it sounds fantastic. 'End of Days' has a insistent and great riff that throws the song forth with an appreciative melody. 'With the Fire' emanates glory and 'Crucify Yourself' is beautifully dark. It is a shame they did not carry this sound on to their 2005 follow up All that Remains. Who knows, perhaps their new album that comes out later this month will see a return to this sound but I doubt it. Nonetheless, I still listen to Happenstance every other night when I'm at home.

3. Subterranean Masquerade ~ Suspended Animation Dreams [2005]

Suspended Animation Dreams is the most ambitious album I have ever heard. Think maudlin of the Well just about to come down from an LSD trip. Employing clean vocals and growls (courtesy of November's Dooms' Paul Kuhr so you can expect a commendable effort) alongside the odd moment of female vocals, keyboards, trumpets, saxophones and mellotron...this album has nothing but effort compacted into it. Progressive avant-garde metal has never sounded so strong. Guitars range from nostalgic, fearful, painful, aggressive to lovelorn. They literally depict every emotion imaginable. Although it sounds crazy and erratic, it is a truly cohesive and emotive effort. There are not awkward fragmentation problems and nothing jars or sticks out unkindly. Each song is a miniature masterpiece with something different to offer. 'The Rock 'n' Roll Preacher' is immensely addictive which is a celebration considering the song clocks in over nine minutes long. There are so many layers to this observation that is demands countless repeated listens to appreciate the experimentation and creativity forming it. There are no instances of riff salad or guitar masturbation here, just infinite creativity. Also, Andy Winters contributed to this project so consider that a good seal of approval, alongside Travis Smith's suitably deranged artwork. I thought last year they were supposed to release the sophomore album In Pastille Colours but I guess it still needs to be worked on? They have high expectations to meet.

4. Katatonia ~ Viva Emptiness [2003]

Although not strictly 'metal', Katatonia's shoe-gaze classic Viva Emptiness deserves a spot on this list. Coming a long way from their death/doom origins, Katatonia release a slab of sleek draconian misery. It is amazing how cold this release sounds without veering into isolating black metal riffage. It is a painful listen (though not as depressing as '99s Tonight's Decision), monochromatic and concrete-endorsed. It is so well composed and united in atmosphere that it seems like a concept album. The music is brutality honest, occasionally entering dreamscapes before being harshly confronted by a gritty reality check which wallows towards depression. Not a celebratory record but too often in life does one want to recede into negativity and this is the album to do it. There is an unconventional vein of romance in this album, best personified by songs like 'Evidence', 'Sleeper' and 'Omerta', which keeps the listener loyal to this release. It seems surprising that Katatonia never broke into the mainstream and over take Opeth in terms of popularity. Perhaps it is for the best.

5. Sabaton ~ Attero Dominatus [2006]

Sabaton are the kick up the proverbial backside that power metal needed to step up its game. I detailed Sabaton's studio attempts in a recent blog entry so again, I shall quote from that:

"It would be futile to argue that Sabaton's second album is wildy discernable from their debut (the closing track, entitled 'Metal Crue' is another jokey metal song with lyrics created by the names of popular metal bands) but Attero Dominatus does provide evidence of Sabaton's evolution over the last year. Songs are more streamlined and sound more like anthems, with offerings like the title track, 'Nuclear Attack', 'Back in Control' and 'In the Name of God' packing a hefty punch to the listener. These songs are Sabaton at their sharpest and most dynamic, comfortable in what they do with formidable execution. Sabaton's lengthiest song to date is on this album, the melancholy 'Rise of Evil', describing with accuracy the rise of the Third Reich. This is arguably the best song Sabaton have committed to tape for its abundant maturity, foreboding riffs and envious intensity. Although an improvement on Primo Victoria, a third album like this would do Sabaton no more favours; they have exhausted this style."

6. Kampfar ~ Kvass [2006]

Kvass was Kampfar's returning album. After a period of inactivity, they returned with this frost Viking offering. With hooking guitar melodies married with abrasive rhythm guitar, this album flirted with different atmospheres in the Viking/black metal style Kampfar are used to. One of Kampfar's greatest assets is their resistance to succumb to archetypal folk metal stylings to bolster their Viking imagery; this way they retain copious amounts of originality. The album is beautifully hypnotic and very Norwegian in sound. The trademark Kampfar guitar melodies are recognisable against any background and they sound enviably streamlined on this release. 'Ravenheart' is the song that appeals to their fanbase most (simply because of its English title, no doubt) but the war ravaged 'Til Siste Mann' and the melting sounds of 'Gaman av Drømmer' highlight this album as Kampfar's best since their debut. What a muscular return.

7. Pain of Salvation ~ The Perfect Element [2000]

The Perfect Element is one of the best metal albums ever, let alone this decade. As far as prog metal is concerned, it can go toe-to-toe with Dream Theater's mighty Awake. In fact, this is essentially an inversion of Awake. Where Awake's merits lie in genuine, unrestricted melancholy anger, TPE connects to the listener with relate-able rage-tinged sadness. The fixation is on the depressing rather than the angry. Both albums are studded with beauty, but it shines more on Awake because beauty compliments sorrow better than anger. This album is lucidly colourful and unashamedly inquisitive. The multitude of textures suits the variety of musical expressions. Daniel Gildenlöw's voice is stunningly versatile and could not be aped by anyone. Progressive metal compositions have never sounded so luscious with a focus on emotion rather than skill. Lyrically, there are manifestations of the human conditions that everyone will be able to relate to and it the level of accuracy this has been captured with is frightening, particularly since Pain of Salvation are a Swedish band. Despite being ten years old now, this album sounds like it was conceived yesterday.

8. Enslaved ~ Below the Lights [2003]

Enslaved's Below the Lights is unbelievably underrated. It marks the album that pulled the band out of their unsuccessful experimentation phase. Muscular Viking metal passages are twinned with thoughtful progressive metal moments. The black metal elements are slimmed down but add a level of viciousness unattainable by the other aforementioned metal subgenres. It's a sublime release with picturesque imagery and beautiful exploration not frequently associated with black metal; the introduction to 'Queen of Night' is perfect. The clean vocals are very appropriate for the guitar tone and although they are indifferent to the growls, the album would suffer without them. Some may consider this Enslaved's selling-out moment but this release just encourages black metal bands to think beyond the confines of '90s black metal.

9. Freak Kitchen ~ Organic [2005]

It seems surprising that there aren't any other bands like Freak Kitchen (at least that I'm conscious of) but it could be due to their odd tuning, their musical wit and talent or the fact that people respect them. Generally considered playing a form of experimental hard rock, I will allow them in this list because they do have plenty of undeniably metal features and arrangements (not to mention an exclusive (prog) metal fanbase). Organic is the peak of their quirkiness (I'm currently excluding new album Land of the Freaks because I haven't given it a studious enough listen) and musical intelligence. Technicality is confined to the solos while the remainder of the song's body is built around unusual guitar employment. The solos have their own wacky sound that is the property of Mattias IA Eklundh exlusively. No one sounds like him. His vocals are perfect for a band like Freak Kitchen and on this album, bassist Christer Örtefors pitches in with vocal duties on 'Infidelity Ghost' with results to be applauded. The songs are outstandingly catchy and with the usual tongue-in-cheek lyrics, it is impossible not to fall in love with Organic. The only issue I have with Freak Kitchen is that for their experimental nature, they do not seem enthusiastic on experimenting with song structures a great deal. If it's not broken, don't fix it?

10. Joyless ~ Wisdom & Arrogance [2000]

Although Wisdom & Arrogance is not strictly a metal album, I will allow its inclusion for Joyless used to play black metal. Their second album is a massive departure from the melancholic black metal of their debut Unlimited Hate. Wisdom & Arrogance is like Lifelover's bipolar younger sister. This opus is hard to describe but it falls somewhere along the blurred lines of misanthropic depressive pop rock. Indeed it sounds like black metal musicians purposefully creating something accessible just to frustrate people (yes, this could also be the next Shining album). The title of the album could not be more appropriate in that way. There is far too much to say about this Joyless effort. Possibly its most striking feature is vocalist Ida Helleboe who has a child-like juvenile voice. In theory it sounds irritating but in practice it is perfect for this band. Melancholy, beauty and angst are carried off perfectly. The juvenile essence of her vocals make it seem like Joyless feel entirely helpless, beyond suicide. It is moody and bipolar, like a teenager. It is the male vocals of Olav Berland that take some getting used to on the final song 'Room of Velvet Splendour' but after enough spins, the song becomes as addictive and as beautiful as the rest. Somewhat like the adult apologising to you for their teen's misbehaviour but you realise that the adult and child are very similar. It is difficult to word Joyless but I suspect I shall be comprehensively discussing them in a later blog post. This is not the place for it. Mind-blowing album, nonetheless.

And the rest:

Another ten albums I thoroughly appreciated from this past decade are:

11. Lifelover ~ Erotik

12. Arcturus ~ The Sham Mirrors

13. Edguy ~ Hellfire Club

14. Opeth ~ Damnation

15. Putrid Pile ~ Pleasure in Suffering

16. Mystic Forest ~ Waltz in the Midst of Trees

17. Nevermore ~ This Godless Endeavour

18. Nunslaughter ~ Goat

19. Nile ~ Annihilation of the Wicked

20. Scythe ~ Decay

...of 2008

As the year comes to a close, I find it fitting to do one of my own 'Best of 2008' style polls that so many are inclined to do. Unfortunately, due to no longer having all the time in the world, several key albums were completely ignored by me this year (the new Shining, Evergrey, Lifelover, Origin, the debut Jeff Loomis, to name but a few). Other albums just didn't get a profound enough listen to provoke an opinion (the new Edguy) and I'm sure I'm forgetting some of the more obscure releases I listened to so this list is far from substantial but I feel I must pen something down before the close of the year. Naturally, only bands I enjoy (or enjoyed) have been nominated here.


Best Release of 2008:
Opeth ~ Watershed

2008 was a poor turnout in regards to high-quality metal albums. I cannot help but feel that Opeth win by default. Watershed was fairly outstanding, with the band pushing their own boundaries in terms of experimentation ('The Lotus Eater' especially). The opening number, 'Coil', featured a female vocalist in its brevity and it seems near suspicious that a band like Opeth have not employed a female guest singer in the past. However, I felt 'Derelict Herds', one of the bonus tracks, was probably the strongest song on the album. It was wild, convincingly heavy and more colourful than the other songs on the opus. Why this is not on the main body of the album seems like a mistake. Nonetheless, Watershed is an aggressive piece of progressive art, another step in the right direction for Opeth.

Honourable mentions: Unleashed ~ Hammer Battalion; Cynic ~ Traced in Air


Best Song of 2008
Opeth ~ 'Coil'

It is a gentle track, completely acoustic with female vocals. For Opeth, the song is incredibly concise and indeed leaves the listener begging for more but this track acts as a prelude to the remainder of the album. There is a folk feeling here, no doubt produced from the acoustic method utilized. The song is dense in atmosphere and sweetly sung by both Akerfeldt and the female vocalist, two voices that compliment each other in an unconventional way. It sounds pure and untainted but there is a sense of foreboding woven within.

Honourable mentions: Moonspell ~ 'Scorpion Flower'; Kampfar ~ 'Vansinn'


Best Cover Art of 2008
Amon Amarth ~ Twilight of the Thunder God

This is certainly the most striking image from cover art this year. I feel that most modern album arts seem to be some thoughtless and supposedly mature Photoshopped image which could have been produced by anyone with the program, or some 'minimalist' piece of forgettable art. I believe the cover art should be a visual representation of the music and Amon Amarth's Twilight of the Thunder God actually harvested some interesting musical techniques which saw the Swedes' melodic death metal progress, rather than stick to the same old tried and tested formula the band are more than comfortable with. The album art sticks out more than anything pictorial the band have released as part of their discography too. This picture of Thor battling Jormungand after he fished him up, lifted directly from Norse mythology, is nothing short of powerful, probably to underscore the potential power of the CD. The colours are bold and dark but the use of white is what makes it so tenacious to behold. The attention to detail makes the realism that much more compelling even though the average person knows such a tale could never be true. Some may complain about the image being over the top but when you're dealing with (melodic death) metal centred around Vikings...well, nothing more needs to be stated.

Honourable mentions: Asmegin ~ Arv; Darkthrone ~ Dark Thrones and Black Flags


Best Lyrics of 2008
Opeth ~ 'Coil'

Again, Opeth steal this victory by default because I have not really had the time to digest the lyrics of much else this year. Over the years, I feel Opeth's lyrics are denaturing in quality. Most of the lyrics on Watershed seem banal for a band such as Opeth but the lyrics belonging to 'Coil' stick out, probably because its too short to be ruined by slap-dash work. I suppose this is a biased call again because the lyrics remind me of far too many personal situations and make me nostalgic. They seem somewhat arcane (who is the man and who is the woman), completely clouded by mystery. It seems vaguely stylish the way the words of the man are mirrored for the woman's use. Above all, the lyrics corroborate the mood of the music. Well chosen stuff.


Best Newcomer of 2008
The Rotted ~ Get Dead or Die Trying

I cannot think of many outstanding bands that made their debut this year (I know there is Trinacria but frustratingly I cannot get my hands on their album at all). Alas, I am cheating by putting The Rotted as best newcomer, seeing as they changed their name from Gorerotted but nonetheless, their 'debut' album Get Dead or Die Trying is a great slab of death metal. The presence of punk-sourced riffs is prevalent throughout the entire release, making it gritty and raw compared to straightforward death metal or even most standard grindcore acts. The catchy nature of Gorerotted remains, which marks songs like 'Kissing You With My Fists' and 'Angel of Meth' more memorable. Songs like 'The Howling' and 'The Body Tree' are unexpectedly aggressive and literally smack the listener in the face. This album is far more commendable than Gorerotted's final album A New Dawn for the Dead and should be picked up by anyone who thought Gorerotted were, at the least, amusing. The tongue-in-cheek element of Gorerotted has been severely eroded in The Rotted but Get Dead or Die Trying seems more so than A New Dawn for the Dead.

Honourable mention: Warrel Dane ~ Praises to the War Machine


Best Live Show of 2008
Queensryche, Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds, 15th June

Usually, I take my camera to every live show I attend, however, this abnormal hike to Leeds to catch Queensryche live forced me to forget it. Of course I would pay for it, this being the best gig of the year! There was no support act and the band proceeded to perform both of their Operation Mindcrime albums back to back. The albums were acted out so it was more akin to watching a musical than the average metal spectacle. I was completely blown away. Geoff Tate's voice was on top form, despite circulating comments about how poor it is these days. The costume design, the stage design, the acting ~ it was all superlatively executed, culminating in a compelling watch. The only way it could have been improved was if Dio himself was there to perform his guest vocals (and the backing vocals were distributed more effectively). The encore was composed exclusively of Empire tracks, that being my favourite Queensryche album and one of my favourite releases of all time. This was the first time I had caught Queensryche live (various impediments obstructed me in the past) and it was mind-blowing. I had to see them in Leeds because the London show clashed with Hellfest and there was no way I was missing Queensryche this time. There was the option to pay an extra £30 or so to obtain the VIP package, which gave you a few Queensryche stickers, earlier access into the venue by fifteen minutes and an opportunity to meet the band. I had no interest in any of this but the thought of the VIP purchasers getting right at the front and taking up all the best positions was frustrating. However, being up North, there were barely any VIPers and they spent their extra fifteen minutes at the bar or cloakroom, it seemed. The front row was entirely void of life when I got in there. It certainly would have been a different story in crowded London, not to mention the stage would have been larger and less intimate. Great stuff.

Honourable mentions: Helheim, Purple Turtle, London, 10th March; Sabaton, Purple Turtle, London, 5th December


Best Festival of 2008
Hellfest Open Air 2008, Clisson, 20th ~ 22nd June

The 2007 edition of Hellfest was a total disaster in terms of organisation and general appeasement of the audience and bands. With clashes, poor toilet (even for festival standards)and camping services on top of the uncontrollable weather conditions, many a fan and band swore to never return to the festival again. I was lured back with a stellar line-up and the promise of an improved festival over all. Everything was drastically improved, flawless in fact. There were more fatal clashes this year compared with last but I had already seen the bands I was forced to skip. The line-up crushed all the other European festivals especially when you factored in the clash deficiency that other festivals cannot avoid (take that, Wacken!) and the number of attendees was very small for a weekend long open air metal festival in a place as easy to reach as France (around 12,000 per day). Everyone I conversed with who attended the 2007 and 2008 editions of the festival agreed that this year was far superior and in terms of festivals, it was amazing too. I caught some of my personal favourite bands, including Helloween and Katatonia, caught live bands I'd never bother to see headlining now in London like Motorhead, and caught talent that would never come across to England for various reasons such as Alchemist and Haemorrhage. Of course I did the obligatory discovering new bands and talking to some of the ostensibly craziest people on the planet.

Honourable mentions: Bloodstock Open Air, Catton Hall, 15th ~ 17th August; Damnation Festival, Leeds, 22nd November


Biggest Release Disappointment of 2008
Judas Priest ~ Nostradamus

Judas Priest are one of my favourite bands and when I heard they were creating a full-length that would spread across two CDs, I was apprehensive. The problem with bands doing this is the possibility of not having enough ideas to spread across two discs, like Therion and their Gothic Kabbalah album. Priest fell into this category. I love Angel of Retribution but when I heard the song 'Nostradamus', the first track the band officially released for audience consumption, I was concerned that the band might be recycling Painkiller stylings to satiate the high expectations they were anchored to. When I got the album, I listened to both discs numerous times before concluding that the shade of Painkiller were absent but the album spent all of its tracks building up to some kind of overwhelming climax which did not really surface. On the first disc, the 'climax' arrived in the form of 'Persecution'. It was a decent track but certainly not worth the wait. On disc two, the high point was the title track and this was followed by 'Future of Mankind', a song that stretched to over eight minutes when it could easily have been condensed. Disc two was certainly inferior to disc one. Disc one had some highly commendable solos. Another issue with Nostradamus was that the sub-songs that essentially linked the proper full-length songs together were far too common and only isolated the songs and dislocated the flow of the album over all. It was like watching a film with far too many intermissions in between. This was worse than all those brutal death metal bands who insist on having a sample at the start of every track. I hope Judas Priest can pull out something more impressive next time round. This album was hotly anticipated for a couple of years. A real disappointment.

Honourable mentions: Keep of Kalessin ~ Kolossus; Psycroptic ~ Ob(Servant)


Most Embarrassing Release of 2008
Cryptopsy ~ The Unspoken King

Cryptopsy's legacy as one of the greatest technical death metal bands was horrendously besmirched when the band released their new album with their new vocalist. Animosity was stirred when the new growler, Matt McGachy, was announced as Lord Worm's replacement before this album was released after a simplistic vetting process informed the death metal scene that McGachy's past endeavours were for that of a metalcore band. Rumours flew about that Cryptopsy would turn metalcore but I reserved my opinion for when the album was released. The addition of a female keyboard player into the band's line-up additionally raised eyebrows. The first song the band released was 'Worship Your Demons' and it was deathcore! Sure, Flo Mounier's drumming was top form but the song was undeniably deathcore, complete with metalcore boat-ruddering growls. When The Unspoken King was officially released the entire Cryptopsy fanbase was in utter dismay. 'Worship Your Demons' was actually the best song on the album. The rest of the pestilence included metalcore/death metal hybrid guitar riffs, an insignificant bass and worst of all clean vocals in the whiney emo style. Everybody hated it and by everybody, I mean every metal fan. For most universally detested metal albums, I generally come across at least one defendant whether online or in person but I am yet to meet the individual willing to stand up for this reprehensible effort. Cryptopsy continued to grave-dig for themselves; the female keyboard player they recruited was dropped from their ranks because they did not use the keyboards enough on The Unspoken King. This was a smart move even though it got them ridiculed by their fanbase further for making such an indescribably questionable decision in the first place but all the promotional pictures had her marketed more so than the vocalist. A grasp towards sex appeal to sell more? Mounier would deny it. I conducted an interview with him at the close of the year where he denied he had ever heard metalcore, even though over the past few years, Cryptopsy have been touring North America with countless metalcore bands. Mounier's fall from grace continued before my interview with rant after rant, proclaiming all The Unspoken King detractors were George Bush supporters among other childish insults. The band eventually went as far as recording the track 'Dinner Time' which begins with an apparent ex-Cryptopsy fan ranting about how the band have sold out and how their new effort is a disgrace to death metal. His monologue is interrupted by his mother who vehemently knocks on the door, wailing at her son to get off the Internet because it's dinner time. Mounier just needs to learn to ignore the people that make him feel bad. Not even Metallica reacted as violently to their fanbase after releasing St. Anger.

Honourable mentions: Kataklysm ~ Prevail; Communic ~ Payment of Existence


Most Overrated Release of 2008
Krisiun ~ Southern Storm

I don't really converse with metalheads much but it seems that Krisiun's Southern Storm is commanding attention. I cannot understand what people see in this release; I have a theory that most of those worshipping it have not heard any previous Krisiun efforts prior to this one. Krisiun are doing nothing new in the slightest with this full-length, severely lacking variation between songs and doing nothing new for their discography. I could handle AssassiNation but this release is totally redundant as far as death metal goes. The Sepultura cover is the best part of the album, simply because it is discernible among the rest of music here. Generic brutal death metal at its finest (after that inaudible static-guitar rubbish).

Honourable mention: Eluveitie ~ Slania


These are all the categories I can care to compose at the moment. If I think of anymore, I will post them here but I doubt it.

~ ~ ~

I look forward to hearing the releases of 2009. Hopefully it will be a superior year to this one. The forthcoming Pain of Salvation, Megadeth, Katatonia, Freak Kitchen, Scythe, Kreator (which has already leaked), Slayer, Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation among countless others will at least give me enough material to reproduce an updated version of these 'awards'. Fingers crossed anyhow.