SLAYER -SEASONS IN THE ABYSS (1990)

On a 180 gram vinyl reissue from 2013 by American Recording.

Cannot tell you enough how much this record has meant to me. Before this Metallica and Megadeth especially their 80's stuff had been my gods of the Thrash Metal scene. Slayer but soon also Kreator and Sepultura showed me another side of this amazing genre.

Starting out with the classic Slayer staple War Ensemble that I had seen and heard on the European Headbanger's Ball show on MTV. Followed by the almost equality amazing Blood Red and Spirit In Black, two of the most underrated Slayer songs ever in my opinion.

Expandable Youth is a great song but the lyrics compared to the serial killer inspired following Dead Skin Mask it's clear which one I played the most on my CD that I bought in the early 90's. Actually this was bought before my two favorite Slayer records ever Hell Awaits (1985) and Reign In Blood (1986).

Hallowed Point wasn't one I played that often when the Seasons In The Abyss CD was purchased but on the following live album Decade Of Aggression (1991) I realized it was indeed a great song.

The next one Skeletons Of Society was a weird one at first. I soon enjoyed not just the opening riff but the entire song. Remember borrowing the CD to a friend at school but that fool did not like that one...

Temptation is probably the weakest song on Seasons In The Abyss still a great one though. Born Of Fire was another one that caught my ears with the live version once again with the Decade Of Aggression album.

And the ending Seasons In the Abyss song... Still almost 30 years later it's still one of the best Slayer has ever recorded in my opinion.

Remember what effect Slayer had on me as a youth. I had grown up listening to Iron Maiden, Ozzy, Mötley Crüe, Judas Priest and a bunch of others and was a huge fan of every band I liked but with Slayer it became a pure obsession.

They were the band that made me grow my hair long and only wear band t-shirts (even if I did that mostly before that anyway). But the band on the t-shirt became more important.

Admitted before that as a teenager I was a bit spoiled and could afford a couple of CD's every month. Being younger when I discovered Slayer I didn't have that much money so the wait for instance to buy the debut Show No Mercy (1983) felt like an eternity.

However I do believe that one gets a closer "connection" to that album one craved after became that more intense is the best way I can describe it as.

Anyway the Seasons In The Abyss record is an absolute classic and a most have in any collection. Also with the lineup I always associate whenever I think of Slayer:
Jeff Hanneman, Dave Lombardo, Kerry King and Tom Araya.

BATHORY - BLOOD ON ICE (1996); NORDLAND I (2002) & II (2003)

The Blood On Ice vinyl is a reissue from 2003 that comes on one LP by Black Mark Production.

The Nordland I & II is a compilation reissue from 2013 that comes on 2 vinyls released on Black Mark Production.

Bathory viking era part II of II. Finally conclude this short series this has been ready at the blog for quite some time now but due to Instagram's text limitations it took me awhile before I could write a version I was okay with over there. Anyway...

All the Jubileum I - III compilation albums showed there were still some gold left in the Bathory vaults. I'm not gonna go through them all here. Also in interviews with Quorthon it had been reveled that there was a unreleased Viking Metal album in his possession that was rumoured almost finished also.

That album was the concept album Blood On Ice it would have been the 5th Bathory album and it should have been released before Hammerheart (1990). However Quorthon was worried at the time how the fans would feel about this drastic change of style and it was the reason it was never being released.

But the legend that Blood On Ice was a nearly finished album was clearly an exaggeration. That Quorthon himself states in the CD booklet that was included in the original release.

I remember that The Lake appeared on some compilation CD in 1996 that came with a Swedish Metal magazine called CU-Magazine I had subscribed to since 1994 (still do). That was an amazing song and it's still my favorite on Blood On Ice. Listened so damn much to that one in the summer of 1996.

However I didn’t buy Blood On Ice at its release in May of 1996 though. Not sure if I had Twilight Of The Gods and Hammerheart on CD at the time because I was very pleased with the songs included on Jubileum I & II from those albums. Remember those were the two of the six first Bathory albums I bought last at the same time might've been as late as 1997/98.

When I heard Blood On Ice at my local record stores I just couldn’t get into it. Also being 16 years old one had to prioritize which records to buy. Think I tried at least 3 or 4 times at least and no one I knew had the album

Eventually bought the CD when I got my first job a few years later. It still took quite some time before I thought of it as the masterpiece it really is. Would say it’s my 3rd favorite of among the Bathory Viking Metal albums.

Heard so many different % numbers regarding the material on Blood On Ice being recorded in 3 sessions February and October of 1988 also in June of 1989. But I don’t know if any of that's true?

Knowing how Quorthon was I believe MUCH from the 1980’s were re-recorded at the Hellhole Studio in Stockholm in June and July of 1995. Sometimes when I listen to the album I try and pinpoint which part might be from 80's recording. But who really knows?

There is a double edged sword. I want... But also don't... That all the mysteries surrounding Bathory would be reveled by now. The two men with all the answers are both dead now...

But I don't want someone like Jonas Åkerlund who claimed just 1.5 years ago on a Swedish Metal podcast that he played drums on their debut Bathory (1984). While he in fact only recorded 2 songs with Bathory. Sacrifice and The Return Of Darkness And Evil from the Scandinavian Metal Attack (1984) split compilation.

If one wants there's a ton of Bathory/Quorthon interviews to go through in magazines and fanzines many that are posted online.

One of the best articles I ever read about Bathory was the 22 pages special that was in Sweden Rock Magazine issues #1/2015 and #2/2015 by Thomas Väänänen (ex. Thyrfing). Where he does a very interesting interview with Börje "Boss" Forsberg (1944 - 2017) the father of Ace "Quorthon" Forsberg.

There's also interviews with Vvornth, Frederick Melander, Ann Boleyn, Peter Stjärnvind, Tore "Necromorbus" Stjerna, Micke Broberg and Cliff Lundberg. I'm not aware of any English translation online sadly. But if you're a serious Bathory collector I think it's worth getting those two magazines anyway. Some amazing photos and other gems are included there.

Another wish that I really would like to have come true is all the unreleased Bathory songs that's said to be kept somewhere to get released. Read somewhere and totally understand why and shouldn't have to explain that Boss did not want to release those while he was still alive. After the tragic death of his son in 2004.

Me, everybody and their mother thought that the compilation albums In Memory of Quorthon Volume I - III (2006) would probably include every or at least a some of the unreleased Bathory songs. But those records although filled with excellent material by the legendary Quorthon (1966 - 2004) failed big time in that department. However I respect Boss decision there.

To give you an idea of what there's supposed to exist:

• EP recorded after Bathory (1984) either called Necronomicon or Maleficarum Quorthon did not remember which.
• In 1985 a Black Metal album called Occulta was recorded.
• 28 songs recorded in 1987 between Under The Sign Of The Black Mark & Blood Fire Death.
• Between 1986-88 Bathory experimented a lot and 20 to 30 songs was recorded for a double album called Valhalla some of songs ended up on the Hammerheart, Blood Fire Death, Blood On Ice.and on the Jubileum compilations.
• After Hammerheart Quorthon wanted to play brutal music again a album called Requiem (NOTHING like the 1994 one with the same name) with 6 or 7 songs were recorded some not all finished. The brilliant Crawl To Your Cross is supposedly from that session that appeared on Jubileum I.

There's even MORE material but those are the ones I'm most interested in. Don't know how complete any of those recordings are but even if they were just demo, rehearsal or unfinished songs without vocals. I would still buy it all that without any hesitation. 

Anyway let's finally get into Blood On Ice after all those words. Sometimes I tend drift too far from the subject, this was all Bathory related at least.

Released on the 27th of May in 1996. After an intro the title track Blood On Ice gets it started and although not the best song it serves its purpose good enough for the album. Then follows a bunch of amazing songs. Man Of Iron a great 2,5 min track with an acoustic guitar and Quorthon's vocals there's some other elements on it but a great one.

Then a personal favorite the fast paced One Eyed Old Man that has a great break in the middle with an old man speaking before the song kick off again.

The Sword and The Stallion are almost equally as great maybe The Stallion being just slightly better. The Woodwoman is another great song a bit uneven for it being a favorite but still this is so good that many bands would be lucky to have written in their entire career.

I have listened too The Lake so much in my days but I never get tired by it. My absolute favorite on Blood On Ice by far. Misinterpreted the lyrics on that one for many years... Heard something completely different then:
"At the bottom of the lake. My two eyes will shine like the stars At the bottom of the lake I will see no matter how near or far"
but that's besides the point a clear 10 out of 10 song.

Although I don't like the sound or the guitar intro to Gods Of Thunder Of Wind And Of Rain when the drums kick in the song takes off it's one of my favorites on the album. It's follow by 1 minute The Ravens just Quorthon and an acoustic guitar. In my opinion that one should have ended Blood On Ice.

However the longest song on it the almost 10 minutes long The Revenge Of The Blood On Ice comes next. It's not a bad song I do like it but it feels like it written in a hurry and feels unnecessary it could been some bonus song for some reissue even if Bathory never did that.

The almost 54 minutes long Blood On Ice was a great release. Just wished that I had realized it earlier when it was initially released in the 1996. But albums that grows on you with time usually gives you more in the end.

Also got to mention the beautiful cover artwork that a man that doesn't need any introduction did on all these records Kristian "Necrolord" Wåhlin. The original Nordland I and II artwork are the same just inverted and the color are changed. I really like the one used on this compilation LP.

Actually Nordland I & II are only available on picture disc LP's if you want them on standalone vinyls. That's why I bought the compilation although picture discs looks amazing it's seldom I play any of those because in my experience they're too fragile. But I would buy them separately if they were available.

I’m so glad the 2 last albums from Quorthon was as amazing as the Nordland I & II were. Because the previous one Destroyer Of Worlds (2001) was very close to being a complete train wreck with too many different elements/directions. Although that was the idea with that record, to please every fan or each era of Bathory... More on that in another post..

They are of course very closely connected musically. As they were released very close to each other Nordland I in November of 2002, Nordland II in March of 2003 and recorded at the same time I assume.

If you've read this interview published in August of 2001 there Quorthon states that it would be 1 album with 14-15 songs. So it was meant to be released as just as one single album. Other interesting links can be found over at Bathory Hordes.

Have to say that I'm glad that in the end they released Nordland in two parts with 20 songs just more Bathory greatness in my opinion.

There’s so many amazing songs on these two. From the instrumental bombastic epic intros Prelude & Fanfare on both albums. Epic is a word I would use for many of my favorites of these two.

I'll try to pick out just a few favorites (because they're many): Nordland, Winterblot, Dragon Breath, Ring Of Gold and Great Hall Awaits Fallen Brother from from part I.

And from part II: Blooded Shore, Sea Wolf, The Land, Death And Resurrection Of A Northern Son and The Messenger.

Excellent Bathory epic timeless sounding tracks. Do think that maybe part I is better throughout while part II has better "highlights". But they're so closely connected that I see them as basically one album.

Have to admit though when Nordland I & II were announced I wasn't that interested in them and took me many years to realize their greatness. Destroyer Of Worlds, Octagon especially but also Requiem that I do like, had really tarnished the Bathory name a bit and it wasn't obvious to purchase them at release.

I felt at the time that going back to the Viking Metal style seemed like Quorthon was reaching a bit and I didn't expect them to be any good. Fucking hell how wrong I was!

With these two posts one can say I ranked all the "viking albums" and except for Twilight Of The Gods that I consider to be the best one. As far as Hammerheart; Blood On Ice and Nordland I & II goes they aren’t that far apart in terms of quality.

That should give you a basic idea of just how brilliant Nordland I & II truly are.

And with that I conclude this series. Don't know what Bathory subject I'll tackle next but have some ideas because I've been lost in Quorthon's music since last autumn.

DISMEMBER REUNITE FOR ONE GIG

Yesterday on the 14th of January it was announced that they would play one gig in Stockholm at the Scandinavian Deathfest that takes place in the 11th & 12th of October.

Fucking hell!! I'm still hyped some 30+ hours later! Haven't been this excited over something music related since Hekatomb by Funeral Mist was announced last year.

With the classic line-up also:

Matti Kärki on vocals
Fred Estby on drums
David Blomqvist on guitar
Robert Sennebäck on guitar
Richard Cabeza on bass

That’s what I always considered to be “the true Dismember”. Absolutely nothing against those other guys but... I mean just look at these classic releases that this line-up made together:

Like An Everflowing Stream LP 1991
Skin Her Alive 7” 1991
Pieces LP 1992
Indecent And Obscene LP 1993
Casket Garden MCD 1995
Massive Killing Capacity LP 1995
Misanthropic MCD 1997
Death Metal LP 1997

All first print vinyls on Nuclear Blast (missing the insert to one as you probably can see...) and the two MCD’s that are only available on standalone CD.

The songs from the MCD's are available on some reissue LP’s but with Dismember (I’m trying not to sound like some elitist collector asshole) being my favorite Death Metal band ever. I only want the original releases.

Have already told this story thousands of times how I got the Like An Everflowing Stream vinyl from my older sister in the mid 90’s. And me staring at those blood drenched members of Dismember in 1991 when I was 11 years old being completely mesmerized.

I know there were rumors last year about a reunion concert for their 30th anniversary. Just recently mentioned to a friend how bummed I was that it never happened Then this was announced yesterday and me being sick as a dog with a real man cold couldn’t be happier.

Some other great bands on the Deathfest also especially Unanimated. But Dismember could have played with Carola & Christer Sjögren and I still would attended.

Even if Like An Everflowing Stream will always be my favorite Dismember release I really hope they play a bunch of stuff from both Pieces and Indecent And Obscene. Being the original line-up I can't imagine them playing stuff from, although amazing, Dismember (2008) when Fred had left the band.

It's called "for one European exclusive" gig. My interpretation of that is they will do at least one more gig probably on some North American festival. All this just me speculating.

As far as Dismember returning to the scene permanently and do a full comeback I feel isn't going to happen. Last interview I read with Fred Estby he was living with his new girlfriend/wife (cannot remember) in or close to New York City and Richard Cabeza has resided in Texas for a long time.

Sure logistically it's easier nowadays thanks to the internet to interact with each other. Unanimated wrote a bunch of songs that way. So who know I really wish for it but realistically... We'll just have to wait and see. 

Cannot wait for October 2019 now! Already making up dream setlists in my head. Hope they open their set with either Dismembered or Override Of The Overture. Or maybe Soon To Be Dead or I Wish You Hell or Fleshless or Skinfather or Misanthropic or something very unusual for an opening Reborn In Blasphemy. Also what song will they end with?

I will speculate for days just on this subject...

SORHIN - APOKALYPSENS ÄNGEL (2000) and I DET GLIMRANDE MÖRKRETS DJUP (1997)

Really glad that Shadow Records reissued these two Sorhin albums Apokalypsens Ängel in 2016 and I Det Glimrande Mörkrets Djup in 2018. Both limited to 500 copies each and hand numbered. They came with all sorts of different nice additions but more on that later.

Sorhin is one of my favorite Black Metal bands from my country of Sweden. I would even go so far as to say they are in my top-10 Swedish bands ever. That says a lot of just how much I've enjoyed to have them both on vinyl.

Apokalypsens Ängel originally released in 2000 on a vinyl reissue from 2016 it also includes a single sided 7”, poster, patch and postcard. I got a ton of Sorhin postcards thanks to ordering from the Helter Skelter Bandcamp so many times where you can find all Shadow Records releases and a whole lot more.

The 7" has the song To Give Death originally released as a split with a great Swedish band called Puissance a Martial Industrial band with Henry Möller from Arditi. To Give Death doesn't sound anything like Apokalypsens Ängel it's less refined and more primitive a really great addition.

Puissance also contributed to the intro song Inmarsch and Moder jord... undergång nalkas on the album.

Actually Apokalypsens Ängel was released by Shadow Records in 2000 and limited to 345 copies. It's quite expensive nowadays I will own that one day! But for now this reissue will have to do.

I Det Glimrande Mörkerts Djup (1997) a reissue from 2018 that comes with a poster and insert. It also has a bonus song Svart Lyser Tronen. Both these releases are hand numbered and limited to 500 copies each.

Also I Det Glimrande Mörkerts Djup got a vinyl picture release in 1997. Co released with Mark Of The Devil and Sorhin's own Svartvintras Productions. That one was also hand numbered and limited to 500 copies. Sure it would be great to add that one to my collection but I try and not buy picture disc vinyls lately.

I included the original CD from 1997 of I Det Glimrande Mörkerts Djup that were released by the short lived Swedish record company Near Dark Productions because of the cover art differences. I almost always enjoy the original cover artwork but I think that this reissue has a better cover aesthetically but what one had from the 90's is what one is used to see.

Sorhin also released their EP Döden MCMXCVIII (1998) and the single 7" vinyl Åt Fanders Med Ljusets Skapelser (1997) on Near Dark Productions. The later one was only released on vinyl at the time and the bonus song I wrote about earlier Svart Lyser Tronen appeared on the B-side of that 7".

Also Döden MCMXCVIII (1998) was released on 7" vinyls by Near Dark Productions with a different cover artwork in a set of 3. With the 3 band members Nattfursth (vocals), Eparygon (guitar & bass) and Zathanel (drums) faces on a standalone release each. They have the same two songs though.

Done posts at my Instagram on both these albums on CD's before and one here on the blog so there’s some repetition. But I have been listening extremely much to Sorhin lately. They are probably among my top-10 Swedish bands ever. So they’re of course always great to write about.

The first Sorhin album I bought was the astonishing Apokalysens Ängel on CD from Shadow Records. It’s still my favorite release of theirs and the I Det Glimrande Mörkerts Djup album is my 2nd favorite.

Both were recorded at The Abyss Studio but doesn’t sound like that. I’m NOT trying to knock that studio I just think both albums has such a great uniqueness. Sure there's been timeless classics recorded over there but I'm amazed how amazing they sound especially Apokalysens Ängel.

Sorhin, Funeral Mist, Malign & Triumphator are some of the bands that made a huge impact on the whole Scandinavian Black Metal scene. At the time of the late 90’s it wasn’t like they invented a new formula. I feel that those were and still are something that felt so important for the entire genre.

They just played extremely excellent Black Metal with an amazing huge passion.

Something that many of the bigger (Norwegian especially ) bands started to lack at the end of the 90’s and/or in the beginning of the new millennium in my opinion. Some felt like they had an identity crisis almost and tried to include to much non Metal into their music. I don’t need to mention any bands you can probably think of some who struggled with their creativity and identity.

However this is still a post about Sorhin. In the now 2.5 year old interview with vocalist Nattfursth over at Bardo Methodölogy I highly recommended you to read that one. A bit off-topic but I own all 4 printed Bardo Methodölogy issues although amazing a bit disappointing that Sorhin wasn't included in any of them. But with almost 150 articles to choose from it isn't of course easy to have all in a limited printed "fanzine".

Anyway over there Nattfursth said they had wrote most of the music and lyrics to a 3rd album called Hädanfärd was composed during 1999 into the millenium.

There's also a new (well 5 years old as of me writing this) Sorhin song that Bardo Methodölogy's  Niklas Göransson got sent to him in advance of the interview. It doesn't say but probably just at a raw demo stage. That one was composed in 2014 and recorded in 2015 so there’s still hope...

 ...not for a return because according to Nattfursth, Sorhin has never quit.

Really wish that this will come to fruition someday. Cannot think of many other legendary bands that I would like to see, realistically, in the Black Metal scene once again as Sorhin.

VOODUS - INTO THE WILD (2018)

On a 2 x LP that comes with a A2 poster released by the legendary Shadow Records and limited to 500 copies.

Get yourself NOW! Because I think this one will be a cult classic within the scene for many years to come.

The Into The Wild album was just as its predecessor EP recorded in one of my favorite studios of all time. Necromorbus with Tore Stjerna (mixing & mastering) who's credentials I don't have to write about. Although the producing & engineering was done by Valkyrja guitarist/vocalist Simon Wizén. This record sounds absolutely fucking amazing.

I always make sure to check out what Shadow Records are releasing. You should too! When I listened to Into The Wild over at the Helter Skelter Bandcamp I immediately got sold on it.

Repeating myself but the Dissection name should be used with great care, when it comes to namedropping it for any band. There’s a couple of exceptions and Voodus is another one who gets a pass. Inside the gatefold they make sure to thank Dissection, Jon Nödtveidt and other associates from that legendary band as a source of inspiration.

Definitely a huge Dissection 90's influence and presence on Into The Wild much more then on the EP (that was dedicated to Jon). However when done properly it can be as excellent as on this album.

Would also say if you enjoy In The Light Of Darkness (2009) by Unanimated you should listen to this album because it reminds me somewhat of that underrated masterpiece. Watain has also been mentioned I've never been a fan of them so I don't know anything about that.

All references aside Voodus can definitely stand proud on their own and in my ears they should be huge in the scene right now.

From the amazing opening intro song The Awakening And The Ascension one can hear this is going to be one interesting ride. Well into the wild... Couldn't said it better myself. Except for the second song The Golden with its 5 min 45 sec the others average around 8-9 minutes but feels way shorter like great music tends to do.

The only exception of the following 6 songs is Dreams from an Ancient Mind Pt I with its 1.5 min. My favorite song is probably Communion Amid The Graves is how I envisioned how a follow-up to Storm Of The Light's Bane should've sounded like. The ending The Terrain Of Moloch clocks in at just over 14 minutes and is a great end to an amazing record.

Into The Wild is the first Voodus full length album before this one they had released two EP’s. The amazing 2-song Serpent Seducer Saviour (2017) that I own on a 10” LP that's another Shadow Records release.

Also NightQueen from 2015 haven’t actually heard that one, yet. But will have to track it down one day. It has only been released on CD and cassette-tape by Heathen Tribes and Jawbreaker Records.

From 2004 to 2015 all the members of Voodus were in a band called Jormundgand released the album Visions Of The Past, Which Has Not Yet Come To Be... (2014) also two demos. Haven't heard anything from Jormundgand but I'll check it out someday.

The sole reason for me getting into Voodus is that they are signed to Shadow Records I always been a huge fan of Marcus Tena's label from the late 90's. Since he resurrected the company from the shadows in 2016 with a reissue of Sorhin's masterpiece Apokalypsens Ängel (2000) there's been MANY amazing bands I've discovered.

When my top-12 list of 2018 was posted I didn’t own this Into The Wild LP and had only listened to it very sparsely because I wanted it physically in my hands. Now with better knowledge it should’ve been included. Would place it around number 8 or 9 maybe even higher only had it just for a couple of days so it's hard to say.

That’s the thing about posting best of year lists. One should probably wait sometime into the next year before doing them. At least I feel that but then again last year was exceptional amazing. Got two albums on the way that could affect my 2018 list and there's more records from last year I'm going to buy.

Also there's some records that I haven't listened to enough that people rave on about how great they were. Maybe I'll redo/update my best of 2018 list or it might be better just to do a version 2.0 later sometime during 2019. Anyway enough of the past.

Cannot recommend Into The Wild, Voodus and Shadow Records enough. I’m extremely interested what the future will look like for this brilliant band.