Brazilian black metal triumph for Patria on Individualism

BRAZIL. Football, samba, carnivals...and black metal. The south American economic powerhouse has been something of a cradle of extreme metal with Sepultura, Soulfly and Krisiun. And, Patria, black metal five-piece, are set to join the hallowed ranks with their latest release Individualism.

To say this is a savage blackened slab of music would be an understatement; there is a refinement to the dark vision, visages of a dystopian, evil dominated world.

This comes across as a strike back against the conservative values of the newly emerging BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) economies, which are so quickly seeing their industrialists and middle classes warm to the western cultures as they don their suits.

But given that Patria emerged from the dark, and occasionally frosty south of Brazil there is no faux capitalism on show here - there is instead a classic black metal sound with the right proportions of blast beats and manic riffing.

'Blood, Storm Prophecy' showcases the aural attack, while 'Orphan of Emptiness' reveals the depths in their take on black metal. Mantus and Igniis Inferniis team up on 'Far Beyond Scorn' to vary the tempos in an effective assault, while throughout Individualism Triumphsword's vocals maintain the deathly screams of classic black metal.

And, therein lies the challenge for Patria - they're not reinventing the black metal wheel. Instead they are leading the listener down a journey that began in Scandinavian's frozen wastes in the 90s with the likes of Emperor, Burzum and early Satyricon to name but a few.

What does this represent then? Is it an homage to the 'classic' black metal sound, or another re-tread? The answer lies deep in the album as the brief atmospheric 'Epiphany' instrumental merges into 'Your Rotten Heart Dies Now'. The band understands the dynamics necessary to make black metal more than monochromatic; anchored by WS Vulkan's bass and Abyssius' drums there is a consistent re-interpretation of black metal: while not deviating from the template Patria have freshened up their sound from previous releases and given a fresh perspective on black metal.

Peerless production and mixing give this album real clarity in its destructive intent and Triumphsword's impassioned utterings take listeners down familiar lyrical themes such as anti-Christian sentiments and rejection of the political futures mapped out by the so-called world leaders.

While Patria translates as 'homeland' this is not so much a reference to the band's country of origin, but rather their homeland of black metal.

Steeped in that tradition they offer, on Individualism, a treat for those exploring the black metal landscape - and Mantus' familiarity with its history and lineage (he has worked as a graphic designer for Indie Recordings in Norway and produced cover art for the likes of Vader and Dimmu Borgir).

This is an album that deserves to propel Patria to wider audiences, and maybe expose more people - and lend more support - to the Brazilian underground.

It's well worth taking the effort to checking this out.

Individualism is out now on Indie Recordings.

Bleak, beautiful textures from Iskald on Nedem Og Nord

MELODIC death metal - groans all round already when those words are uttered. Images of overly serious corpse painted types, triply complicated structures etc etc. And when it is Norwegian Melodic Death Metal....

But Iskald have gone beyond the clichés and the ridiculous copyists on Nedem Og Nord, producing an album of depth and ferocity that is more notable for its textures and icy lyrical and musical rhetoric than many of similar ilk.

Perhaps it is the subject matter - the Arctic wastes of Norways Nordland. Perhaps it is the attitude that produces no mere short snaps of music - the shortest track, opener A Fading Horizon, clocks in at seven minutes and four seconds.

Whatever the reason Iskald's fourth full release has helped the band evolve beyond previous releases towards an album that feels like a complete epic rather than bits and pieces .

Half of the six tracks lyrics are in Norwegian, half in English, but neither approach dims the fierce cold light shone upon a landscape with weirdly aurora borealis and days in darkness or full light.

Self-titled track, Iskald is a revelatory song, changing pace and tone in just the right amounts, while the 10-minute plus closer - Nedem Og Nord - is truly a black metal epic.

The band is the brainchild of Simon Larsen and Aage Krekling. And with more than two years passing since their last release, The Sun I Carried Alone, Krekling is well aware of the effort that it took to get Nedem Og Nord.

"It has been a long and hard working process to get this record realised," he said. "But in the end it turned out as we hoped for. We are extremely satisfied with 'Nedem Og Nord' and believe it is our best album to date.

Iskald's Simon Larsen and
Aage Krekling

"After the last album we talked about trying something new, both music and production wise. We wanted to focus more on feeling and mood in our songs, without losing our defined expression, We did not focus too much on the technical elements and wrote longer and more atmospheric songs."

It is that atmosphere that really comes through on Nedem Og Nord's six tracks. On first listen ears perk up to the dynamics, but on further plays it is easy to get caught in the dense soundscapes, which really do conjure up the ethos of the people and the culture of Nordland.

Krekling explained: "I believe these six tracks contain more soul and character than before. At the same time the songs can be described as more complex and studied."

However 'studied' they may be there is no sense of a pre-ordained path; if anything this is an organic listen. Well worth a listen.

Nedem Og Nord is released worldwide on Indie Recordings on January 13th.

No delusions at SAHG's grandeur with album number four

WHEN SAHG played in front of a thin crowd in Belfast earlier in 2013 there was no doubt about their pedigree as performers, and now with their fourth album, Delusions of Grandeur they have reinforced their credentials as an increasingly impressive act.

While not an immediately accessible album, it is, however, one with impressive depth in song structure, delivery and intensity; all the tricks in the classic metal bag are teased out to construct an album worthy of the title 'classic'.

From opener Slip Off The Edge of The Universe to the epic closer Sleeper's Gate to The Galaxy there is a sense of the monumental about this release.

However, part of the secret lies in the two-and-a-half minute instrumental, Odium Delerium. Here, the riffs and guitar work are a seamless blend of the best of 70s heavy music á la Sabbath and Zep, and more modern work like that of Mastodon. It's not just because this is what the band claim in the release blurb; it is evident to any listener that this is a Norwegian act that is both knowledgeable about the past, but able to put their own spin on it.

While Sleeper's Gate may have echoes of Opeth and Zep III, it also twists this into a spaced out conclusion to the album's concept.

Concept album? Don't run away in fear! Each song stands on its own merits. The stomp of Firechild, the full on Blizzardzone or Then Wakens the Beast could fit into a set list and not seem out of place.

The concept is one best explained by front man Olav Iversen:

“We came up with the story about a person, whose delusions of grandeur escalate to the level where they consume him completely,” he said.

“From becoming increasingly psychopathic and dominant, he loses touch with everyone around him, and isolates into his own imaginary, psychotic world, where he becomes the almighty ruler of the universe.

"As he stands on the highest peak of his domain and beholds all that he has conquered, he suddenly slips off the edge and floats away, weightless. Helpless and stripped of all power, he drifts further into the open space, until he disappears into the darkness.

"It’s an album about how desire for power and property can distort and destroy who we are.”

Got that? Yes, it might seem to have a little bit of Floyd's Wall about the rise and decline, without the pretentiousness of fans regard for that. Instead, one must take this to reflect what it must be like to be in the creative furnace of Bergen and watch lesser bands rise to the front pages of magazines with mediocre albums and overblown egos. Very few last the course.

SAHG on the other hand are based on solid musicianship, a background of its member's experience in playing everything to classic hard rock to death/black metal. That experience has been used to produce a musical journey in Delusions of Grandeur that is as complete a space opera as any sci-fi film produced since Alien.

From within the realm of science fiction one can explore themes and metaphors that in straight forward lyrics would appear clumsy. Politicians and demagogues, as well as musos would do well to pay heed to he essential message: rise to the top and often there is nothing there of worth.

But set aside everything else, and what SAHG have delivered is an impressive, classic album. The twin guitars of Olav and Thomas Tofthagen are a dexterous melange of wondrousness, while Tony Vetaas and
Thomas Lønnheim nail the complexity down with a precision that does not intrude, but instead complements the vision of each song and the album overall.

What really makes Delusions of Grandeur stand apart from the herd of schtick produced by the wannabes is that even after a few listens you know this is an album you will come back to a month down the line, a year down the line, or five years down the line and it will still feel as fresh and as impressive.

SAHG release Delusions of Grandeur on October 28th on Indie Recordings.

http://www.sahg.no/site/
https://www.facebook.com/Sahgband?fref=ts
https://myspace.com/sahg
https://twitter.com/sahgband
http://www.youtube.com/sahgband