Blessings - Bittervatten

Band's like Sweden's Blessings instill a certain kind of emotion in me that I'm not sure I can accurately describe. The relatively young 3-piece blends so many different styles, all of which I like, that I find myself wondering why this hasn't been done as well before. The emotion that rises from the perfect mixing of sounds, textures, styles, and influences, could simply be elation; maybe someone's finally done it?

Pillars of Taste - A Blaze in the Northern Sky

One of the seminal releases of the infamous second wave of black metal, A Blaze in the Northern Sky serves as a stepping stone for Darkthrone to their own particular niche in black metal as well as a guide for the less inspired as to how to create phenomenal black metal. ABITNS is a funny album because Darkthrone obviously wears their influences on their sleeves and the album obviously owes much to CF/Hellhammer, yet at the same time ABITNS contains its own unique voice and there simply has never been an album like it.

Setting themselves apart from their contemporaries, Darkthrone strived to achieve a catchy and "metal" album. Not forgetting the importance of riffs from the forebears of black metal and the thrashy/groove elements championed by Morbid Tales era Celtic Frost, Darkthrone implements guitar solos (something many second wave, as well as modern black metal bands, tend to overlook), mid-section groove stomps and countless rhythm changes. When comparing ABITNS to contemporaries of the time it is interesting to see how Darkthrone retained a death metal/trash sense of composure and time as opposed to others who pushed a much more stripped down approach.

The drums are so powerful and authoritarian on this album; I love it. They guide each song with such brute strength and have a great tone. Fenriz's performance is one of my favorites and is very fun and interesting to listen to. The strong backbeat of "In the Shadow of the Horns" and the slower sections of "Kathaarian Life Code" lock in perfectly with those gut-punching riffs to make some of the most gratifying and excellent music to bang your head to.


Darkthrone have established themselves long ago as one of the most important names in black metal, and much of that credit is given to Transilvanian Hunger. But it was with ABITNS that Darkthrone modernized the music they had been influenced by and were able to create many of the variables that have characterized the scene since. The album surges and jumps, contains a vibrant and robust production that really emphasizes the power behind every instrument, another element they lost to the muffled and lifeless production of Transilvanian Hunger.

For me, it is a tough debate between De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas or A Blaze in the Northern Sky as the king album of the second wave. They offer radically different approaches to the genre in question, and are amazing in their own right. ABITNS always seemed like a good stepping stone from thrash and death metal to black metal, DMDS feels like an album that requires a lot from the listener and isn't as simple as just picking up.This is one of the few albums I actually have fun listening to as an activity in of itself. While there's a toss up between the two in what I'd like to think of as some sort of objective "grimness meter" I just can't coincide there to be a better written and performed black metal album than ABITNS.


Some behind the scenes...

Funnily enough, when I was first getting into black metal I bought this album, along with Bathory's Hammerheart and couldn't see why people liked it. I found everything to be so neutered and uninteresting. I was a victim of Dimmu Borgir and later Immortal and couldn't understand the cave like cacophony of ABITNS and I had no appreciation for old school black metal. Eventually I made my way through nearly every band's discography and thought I should reattempt ABITNS. It was one of those moments where I was so happy to love the album, yet so worried at how stupid I had been to ignore it. 

Take it from me, if this album doesn't catch your fancy the first time around, put it down and come back to it, because it really is a marvel and gem of music as a whole.

We are a Blaze in the Northern Sky

The next thousand Years Are OURS

Cara Neir - Sublimation Therapy

Hyper technical acts who apply themselves to simpler genres or rather those rooted in a non-technical formula are one of the few things that I am pretty closed minded about. Usually "technical" is an appropriate synonym for "wank," "pompous," or most fittingly, "pointless." . However, as I've had to do before, I climbed down from my high horse and gave Texas's Cara Neir the old college try.

What Cara Neir bring to the table with their EP Sublimation Therapy is a wealth of ideas and styles strained through a  proverbial  cheesecloth of technical grindcore. There's a large dose of death metal (mostly in the production) and some nice black metal flourishes that are very reminiscent of Krallice (Krallice's good material to be clear). Cara Neir occupy an interesting niche that might serve up just enough of what you want, or offer too little of what you're looking for. Tracks like "Prudent Oath" and "Synthetic Onslaught" have these great melodic bridges that work well admist the blasting chaos and really feel completely fluid, as opposed to tracks like "Scientific Rebirth" or "Son's Lament" which are brutal grinding affairs without melodic tendencies. These two worlds are where Cara Neir's at their best; fast, aggressive riffing with either attention to melodic spurts or brutal thrashings. At their worst, Cara Neir rehash one of the most black metal riffs/styles with "Stained Bedsheets." Instead of being a nice homage to Celtic Frost and Darkthrone, the chugga additions and extra steps in octave are just out of place on this EP. 

"You Are Missed," arguably the most black metal track is easily my favorite of the ep as it starts in this uncomfortable atonal void and quickly works it's way into a melodic gallop and a very catchy, yet strange riff. The heft of the track is particularly amazing as it's done in only a minute and change, yet  it feels like they could stretch it out for another ten minutes (I wish they would!).

It all makes a bit more sense when you see that Noisear mastermind Dorian Rainwater appears on the first seven tracks as his signature guitar style is an obvious influence for the band. For those unfamialr with Cara Neir, Rainwater's riffing is a very tangible and good comparison.

Operating in a very interesting field, Cara Neir are on the brink of something big. For a guy like myself who likes a more emotional and a stripped down style, Sublimation Therapy would be more attractive with more tracks like"Scientific Rebirth," "Prudent Oath," "You Are Missed,"  and "Sturdy Belief in Flimsy Gods." For those of you interested in staggering musicianship and broadening horizons you will be happily satisfied with Cara Neir's ingenuity and flare.

Springtime/Sunshine Grill Tunes

The weather's getting nicer, I'm slowly adding ice to my coffees and my pants are getting shorter by the day: Spring's here. While the weather's been a bit bipolar here in NYC (get it!?) I sense it's only a matter of time before I'm up to my knees in cans and hotdog bun wrappers. While I'm not shelving my black metal entirely, I feel it's time to show off some essential Spring to Summer listening.

Without further adieu, here are some albums to get spinnin' while you grill.

Anthrax - Among the Living
Maybe my favorite thrash album of all time. There's tons to sing along to and it's just plain fun.

 Danzig- I 

             

  

Perfect party music, "She Rides" and "Twist of Cain" are my jukebox favorites, they'll fit in outside too.

 Darkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky

I know you're saying "black metal on a sunny day, HUH!?" but ABITNS has the awesome backbeat and groove of "Dethroned Emperor" Celtic Frost with some seriously great riffs.

 Graf Orlock - Destination Time: Yesterday

Summer actionflicks mixed with rhythmically diverse grindcore is exactly what that kilbasa needs.



Insect Warfare - World Extermination



Energetic, perfectly constructed and devastatingly heavy, World Extermination makes for a good time.

Mercyful Fate - Don't Break the Oath

DBTO is full of headbangability and is a bit thrashier than the immaculate Melissa; "Welcome Princess of Hell" and "Nightmare" emphasize this perfectly.

Motorhead- No Sleep 'til Hammersmith

Only thing better then this would be Lemmy and co. 

sharing a brew with you and playing a gig

 for all your dumb friends. 

No Sleep 'til Hammersmith is Motorhead at their best.

             

Repulsion - Horrified

              Nothing happy about this, but  Scott's delivery and the simplistic headbanging riffs make this perfect grill side music.

Wehrmacht - Biermacht

Upbeat, fun, and energetic, this was Wehrmacht's crowning achievement. The best crossover album around.

Grill from Perpetual Strife on 8tracks.