DomJord - Sporer (2020)

1st print vinyl release by Vidfare Productions/The Ajna Offensive.

Plus my Sporer t-shirt limited to 50 copies from Holy Poison Design (hope I don't have to mention what that is!).

Whenever I have bought a t-shirt by Funeral Mist; Marduk; Triumphator etc. from their official Holy Poison webstore I have only gotten the best Metal t-shirt quality (now from Carton Merchandising).

In my opinion the much more common and what seems cheaper, Gildan shirts and especially their crap hoodies can fuck off!

Just got another t-shirt the DomJord logo one, also limited to 50 copies, from Holy Poison (see that one further down the post).

Also decided to get yet another Marduk t-shirt from there as well, cannot understand now why there were an inch hesitation from me to buy the Rom 5:12 one. Maybe because I already own a shit ton of Marduk shirts...

Well I have wanted it since the release a few weeks back. The Rom 5:12 is also limited to just 145 copies and looks fucking stunning.

But now on to the matter at hand so to speak.

I heard the DomJord project first in early 2020 and didn't know what to expect. If my terrible memory servers me correct there was a few songs on the NoEvDia Bancamp from Sporer. Or just one (?) but I was instantly hooked.

However already when I got my vinyl release this year. When I first could listen to it for the first time "properly" my opinion was that Daniel 'Arioch/Mortuus' Rostén had made the best album of 2020.

Daniel Rostén being best known as Arioch and Mortuus from Funeral Mist and Marduk. Had released what I consider to be my favorite album of 2020, thus far. But 6 months later that is still my number 1 choice of this infernal year.

Don’t remember if I ever have had any ambient album at the very top as the best record any year. Remember that I'm an old fuck nowadays also, well to those who I couldn't bother to give a fuck about anyway.

With the music "visualized and conceived" between 2012-19 by Rostén. He have with DomJord made the best Swedish Ambient Black Metal album ever with Sporer.

Also don't compare this to the classics from the 90's. This's something new, more fitting for the year 2020 and should appeal to older Ambient BM fans (maybe younger also).

Personally I think it's hard to define what's considered as pure Ambient BM. Trying to recall favorites from my past being a young adult during the 90's.

The two absolute classic albums at the time growing up was for me: The Mortiis (ex. Emperor) Vond - Selvmord and Satyr of Satyricon's own project Wongraven - Fjelltronen. Probably forgetting a bunch of records while writing this.

Can bands like Wardruna, Summoning, Hugsjá etc. be called Ambient Black Metal? For my own personal criteria, both yes and no. For Summoning or Skuggsjá/Hugsjá they use way too much guitar for me to consider them apart of these kind of records.

And if I included those bands mentioned and a bunch more ones like that then I have to mention a bunch more records.

Burzum; Isengard certainly have released albums with a bunch of Ambient songs. Burzum have also released some pure fantastic albums that I can certainly would label Ambient Black Metal albums especially towards "the end" of Varg Vikernes magnificent career.

Not gonna to be mentioning the Fenriz's Neptune Towers albums or Jon Nödtveidt's project De Infernali (although I kinda like those some reason, sometimes...) but they were never at any high point of this genre. 

Will DomJord be at the top in December? It could be the new Dawn of the Damned by Necrophobic that will be released in less then 2 weeks.

Maybe the Isengard lost/recording that will be released in less than a week with songs from 1989-93 Vårjevndøgn. Will be so good I'll have to change my rules for the 2020 album list? However rules are rules!

Other I have very soon in my possession like the only physical release of Lyfjaberg the 12'' white vinyl single by Wardruna. With just its one song won't change any rules. Although it's an excellent song both the video was released on streaming apps in early June it can't qualify for best album. I might have a Wardruna tatto on my forearm but it's not DomJord quality.

Anyway enough of my ramblings In the meantime buy the brilliant Sporer album and support the scene!

Praise And Hails to Daniel 'Arioch/Mortuus' Rostén along with his other work he does, whatever he does graphic design or his contributions with DOMJORD; FUNERAL MIST and MARDUK!!

MARDUK LP COVER ARTWORK VARIATIONS part II

Nightwing 2010

Like the title suggests today we will check out 4 other Marduk cover art variants. If you are interested check out part 1.

• Nightwing (1998) reissued by Blooddawn Productions 2010
• Dark Endless (1992) reissued by Black Lodge Records 2018
• Germania (1997) reissued by Blooddawn Productions 2008
• Germania (1997) 2xLP reissued by Osmose Productions 2020

All of them except for Dark Endless, that was released by No Fashion Records, were originally released by Osmose Productions. During the Legion era of the band.

Don't know why they changed the title from Live In Germania? Either way it's a suitable title anyway for that record and I like even a big change like that because Germania sounds more uncertain rather than a "Live In" before.

This could be a long series because of my quite substantial Marduk collection. Will eventually do this with CD’s also.

Posted this over at my Instagram account @herr_perdition. This a post might rather be more suiting for my @herr_marduk account that's obvious. But I a had question for my followers so of course I'm gonna take advantage of the one who is about "10 times as big". Selfish excuse of course but I'm a selfish bastard anyway.

My question was:

"Can someone answer how one release music online nowadays? Especially you youngsters! Is it Bandcamp, Spotify etc. even for a non-pro like myself? I never intend to use Google Drive. 

It doesn’t seem like it’s something serious. Although I haven’t made up my mind yet 100% about releasing anything. This isn’t about me trying to get 50 cents in streaming/digital buys, haha. It would just be cool to be able to say I’ve released a 3-track trilogy Black Metal EP.

The best alternative would be a 7” limited to VERY few numbered copies. Hehe nah nor the music or me ain’t good enough for that, yet"

Got a lot of positive response, even if I'm also known as Herr Physical Media, it seem Bandcamp is the way to go online. If I will get around to release my music that is... Anyway let us move on.

A very productive time on Instagram (4 posts in about 7-8 days). Maybe even more impressive 4 songs written and recorded (3 still in demo stage). The 3 of them are pure Black Metal and they are also part a trilogy I'm making.

Nightwing is my least favorite Marduk studio full length record of all time. The original cover artwork is alright. This 2010 gatefold is perfect!

Mortuus isn't just the best Black Metal vocalist ever his brilliant aesthetic eye is perfectly done in my humble opinion.

Inside the Nightwing 2010 gatefold

Excellent cover art, band photos, insert, poster etc. Mortuus/Arioch really did an amazing job here. Get this version of Nightwing both non that goes for both diehards and casual fans of the band.

Sure I know about the cheap and ugly boring versions that Osmose keeps on to pumping out a bunch each year with the original cover art. With some pink, yellow, red splatter bloody puke etc. vinyl. 

Since this is one of the 1st prints I don't own. Have a black or green (?) LP of the 2016 Osmose release with something that is very close to the original cover artwork. There's some other differences in the logo, album title font and the artwork cover color is much darker too.

See the back of the record sleeve further down.

The included poster really wish I had more wallspace.

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This red Dark Endless 2018 release is my latest addition to my Marduk collection and record collection that I bought at Sound Pollution during a Stockholm visit approx 2 weeks ago.

Very simple looking cover art for some reason the red with just their logo makes me think this is some sort of Marduk compilation album.

Dark Endless 2018

Nothing special, nor terrible is all I can say about this variation. However it kind of remind me of some compilation album. Great artwork on the back sleeve though the record insert ain’t nothing too special.

For the non super fans there’s plenty of cheap LP’s with the original cover art that's in my opinion a better buy.

Like the 2012 Century Media one, they really did it very well to replicate the 1st print edition LP design. Which I both like and dislike but that's a topic for another post.

Back of the sleeves Nightwing on the left and Dark Endless to the right.

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The “super glossy/reflecting” version. Can’t almost get a descent photo of the fucker. Altogether great looking design but the sleeve material gives minus points. It bends the sleeve also so someone made a shitty decision somewhere. 

Germania 2008

With all the filters for lightning and so on from Photoshop or iPhone picture editing it isn't as obvious that it's a "super glossy/reflecting" sleeve. But trust me it ain't pretty in reality great that they 12 years later choose a matt carbon sleeve.

Other than that I can't complain about the sleeve artwork I actually think it's really good and it's my kind of design.

The back sleeves Germania 2020 to the left and 2008 to the right.

It was “reinvented and reinforced at Endarker July 2007” to me it doesn’t sound that different. Since I grew up and was 17 years when I got the Live In Germania CD at or close to release at the end of the summer 1997 I will say the Dan Swanö is better. You might think different?

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Germania 2020

Fabulous layout and cover variation on this one. Don’t know if it’s Arioch/Mortuus work because it doesn’t tell who designed it but this version does resemble his kind of style. 

Great insert also I will only share 2 pictures from it here because I think something should be left for those who buy it.

The now ex. Marduk bassist Devo remastered this one in his Endarker Studio November 2019.

Of course a 2xLP is gonna sound better than the 2008 single LP and it does a really good job.

Even if I don't mind the double vinyls the 3 songs per LP side can be a bit frustrating at times.

Especially when a release only got 12-songs and all of them are on the rather short side. 

Actually don’t like it being on a 2xLP album that should have been exclusive to the original 2xLP 1997 vinyl.

The picture to the left here is the gatefold inside. Also 2 pictures from the 4-page insert that is included with this release.

I've actually done 4 posts now in about 7 or 8 days over at my Instagram accounts @Herr_Perdition and @die_wahren_MARDUK/@Herr_Marduk.

I cannot for the life of me remember when I was as creative both on this blog and/or my Instagram. Hope to keep this double creativity up and be inspired musically as I have been.

You know this where coming last! And as always PRAISE HAIL MARDUK!!