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.

MY FAVORITE RELEASES OF 1998

So last year on my Instagram account I started a new "tradition". Since I'm an old school kind of guy it was interesting to make a top list of the best releases of 1997 which was a brilliant year. Especially in Black Metal the scene.

Also the fact I didn't make a list in 2017 because it wasn't a strong year for Black or Death Metal. Sure there were a couple of amazing and even excellent records but not enough for me to do a list of  9-12 albums.

As a comparison I can say that 2018 is actually even better then 1998 that's hard to imagine but it's true at least in my book.

Many of the photos on each individual release have already been published and I'm too lazy to take new ones so some are quite crappy with my old iPhone 6S camera (a newer is on the way).

There are some rules though. No live, compilation, re-recorded, demo reissues or any other releases with very old material.

It's always hard to number albums in a particular order. But I would probably rank them as following and it's not life of death. Anyway let's move on with my favorites of 1998!

Funeral Mist - Devilry

Their debut was release on a 5 song MCD in 1998. The 12" LP was released in 1999 limited to 300 copies and has the bonus song Hellspell 2. Included both my versions that were released by the legendary Shadow Records.

Nifelheim - Devil's Force

The follow-up to their awesome debut Nifelheim (1995) is almost as amazing that one was. Can't say enough good things about this record. Here on my vinyl reissue by Regain Records from 2010.

Abigor - Supreme Immortal Art

Masterpiece! I never get tired of listening to this album and this isn't even my favorite Abigor album. It reminds me of Emperor at times actually prefer this over their IX Equilibrium (1999) record.

Dawn - Slaughtersun (Crown of the Triarchy)

Probably my favorite Dawn release of all time and that says a lot because their debut and the following EP were excellent. On a red 2 x LP vinyl reissue on Century Media from 2017 limited to 100 copies.

Marduk - Nightwing

My 2nd least favorite Marduk studio album but in Marduk terms that still means it's fucking amazing. On some Osmose Productions LP 2016 reissue. Should have the 1st print release in my Marduk collection and one day I will own it.

Arckanum - Kampen

It might be the weakest of all their 3 albums that were released on Necropolis Records in the 90's. But this 2-CD release has lots of great songs on it and a classic. Should really get a reissue LP of this one some day because Necropolis never made one.

Dødheimsgard - Satanic Art

This was released as a great 5-song MCD on Moonfog Productions that really holds up on its own. It's amazing an teaser for their epic 666 International (1999) album. It was finally released on vinyl in 2018 by Peaceville.

Gehenna - Adimiron Black

Really wished I owned a copy of the Moonfog LP of this very impressive album. Strangely it has never been reissued on vinyl. I do like the previous releases First Spell (1994), Seen Through The Veils Of Darkness (1995) and Malice (1996) more but those are hard to compete with and Gehenna doesn't sound anything like those 3 on Adimiron Black.

Sorhin - Döden MCMXCVIII

Sorhin has always been a personal favorite band from my country of Sweden. Only 3 songs but that’s all what it takes from this amazing Black Metal band. Limited and hand numbered CD release.

Angelcorpse - Exterminate

Another one that I should own a LP copy of is this album. It was actually 1 of 2 albums brought me back to the Death Metal scene in 1999 after being totally lost in Black Metal land for years. Even if Angelcorpse play a very Blackened Death Metal this is a very special record for me. Have to do a post about Exterminate and that other important album one day.

Otyg - Älvefärd

Listen so much too this CD in 1998-99 that I almost got burnt out on it. Lots of nostalgia but still a amazing album especially now in the cold Swedish winter time.

Vintersorg - Till Fjälls

As a huge fan of Otyg at the time I of course had to get this Vintersorg album on CD and it didn't disappoint. Here on the digipack CD version not sure if this or the standard jewel case release was released at different times.

Notably more Swedish releases (8) then Norwegian (2) among these ones. I probably fucked up some release date or forgot someone (probably Napalm or Necropolis...).

Some of these bands were considered for the 12 best releases Death, Cannibal Corpse, Gorgoroth, Limbonic Art, Ulver, Dark Funeral, Trelldom, Enslaved etc. So they weren't forgotten Death were closest I do like The Sound Of Perseverance but it's the record I listened least to in their discography.

And that was 1998 see you in a year for 1999 traditions are to be repeated.

Two amazing Sorhin releases

Both these Sorhin CD's was released on Near Dark Productions the album “I Det Glimrande Mörkrets Djup” (1997) and the 3-song MCD “Döden MCMXCVIII” (1998). Sorhin are without a doubt the most underrated Swedish Black Metal band ever in my opinion. I would also say that they’re in my top-10 best band in the genre from my country. 

Sorhin haven’t released any new music since the song To Give Death on the 2002 split 7” vinyl with Puissance. But they’re still active according to an an interview with vocalist Nattfursth from June of 2016 in Bardo Methodölogy I recommend highly that you read it and many more very interesting interviews over at that great site.  
http://www.bardomethodology.com/articles/2016/06/08/sorhin-interview/

“I Det Glimrande Mörkrets Djup” was the bands first full length album and was recorded in the Abyss Studio with Peter Tägtgren. The “Döden MCMXCVIII” MCD is hand numbered to 1998 copies mine is number 75. Before these two they had released the EP “Skogsgriftens Rike” (1996), 2 demos ("Svarta Själars Vandring" (1993) & "I Fullmånens Dystra Sken" (1994) and a split cassette with Setherial sometimes reffered to as "Arte de Occulta" (1996). I'm not sure if the 7” vinyl “Åt Fanders Med Ljusets Skapelser” (1997) was released before this album?

I was not surprised when the already classic record label Norma Evangelium Diaboli (Funeral Mist, Deathspell Omega, Watain etc.) reissued the “I Det Glimrande Mörkrets Djup” album with a bonus song. And also their debut EP “Skogsgriftens Rike” with both demos (6 songs) as bonus tracks. If you're into bands like Funeral Mist, Malign, Triumphator or bands of that generation do yourself a huge service and check out Sorhin. They were signed to Shadow Records owned by Marcus Tena (Triumphator) and released the amazing album “Apokalypsens Ängel” (2000) on that label. 

Only minor gripe I have with Sorhin and I’m not alone thinking that some of their Swedish song titles are a bit “strange” to say it kindly but it doesn’t effect their music. If you're unfamiliar with Sorhin start with any of their 2 albums both are excellent!