Gjendød – Svekkelse Review

By Grin Reaper

In a genre defined by trem-picking, unbridled shrieks, and lo-fi, treble-heavy production, Gjendød challenges a paradigm long synonymous with black metal—no bass, no problem. Though unabashedly black metal, Gjendød offers an alternative to typical second-wave stylings while still being recognizably influenced by them. Svekkelse is Gjendød’s sixth LP since founding duo K and KK joined forces in 2015. After releasing I Utakt med Verden in 2022, the Trondheim, Norway twosome enlisted drummer TK1 and Gjendød signed with Osmose Productions. These developments gave listeners 2024’s Livskramper and now Svekkelse. Both albums buck some of the musical stereotypes rife within the genre, yet it takes more than subverting expectations to write an estimable record. Is Gjendød up to the task?

The elements of Gjendød’s sound have been around since the band’s inception, with melodic leads and prominent bass strewn throughout their discography. But things didn’t crystallize until Livskramper, where Gjendød upped their commitment to melody, and the production took a step forward. Svekkelse continues the work Livskramper began. Bassist and vocalist KK’s gargles flirt with early Satyricon, which compounds with the bass-laden mix recalling The Shadowthrone. Musically, Gorgoroth’s Antichrist provides another point of comparison, although KK’s vocals won’t be mistaken for Hat’s croaks. Either way, those illustrious parallels give a suggestion of what to expect, though don’t go into Svekkelse anticipating a reproduction of either. What Gjendød has assembled is a vision all their own.

With dynamic guitar leads, sultry bass grooves, and proficient stickwork, Gjendød has no room for slouches. Every time I spin Svekkelse, it’s all about that bass. It’s so present in the mix that it’s impossible not to be entranced. Though bass is present throughout the album, opener “Likens bortgang” sets strong expectations. And when the pace slows in “En staur i hjertet,” the bass ambles out the gates to carry the melody with trem-picked chords underpinning blackened rasps. It would all be for naught if the bass-playing wasn’t accomplished enough to merit the spotlight. In this regard, KK does not disappoint, as bass lines slink with groovy, understated elegance. Gjendød’s talent isn’t limited to four-string heft,2 though, as guitarist K does a swell job through Svekkelse’s forty-two minutes. The tremolos are well-executed but standard black metal fare, and he spices things up with calculated whammy abuse (“Likens bortgang”), inducing surf-rock flavors when employed. K also tucks some nifty solos into Svekkelse, my personal favorite being in “Maktens sødme,” and occasionally inhabits skronky Voivodian territory (“Maktens sødme,” “En elv av kjøtt”). Rounding out the trio, drummer TK braces the band ably and unobtrusively, and while there’s no show-stopping kit work, the music never flags or sags for lack of a rhythmic cornerstone.

Churning out an album in a year is no mean feat, but more time between releases could have helped address the nagging issues holding Svekkelse back. Final track “Den falske råte” is a nasty, seven-minute ode to Norwegian black metal fury. It captures that sound well, but doesn’t connect with the preceding songs enough. Dropping it and pushing “En staur i hjertet” to the end would have made the album tighter, more consistent, and still allowed for a sprawling conclusion with sufficient gravity. Also, while there aren’t any bad songs on Svekkelse, the quality dips in the back half. Specifically, mid-paced sections muck with the overall flow, and the songs aren’t quite as memorable, making for a front-loaded listen. Despite these reservations, Gjendød delivers a success. While a high DR score isn’t a guarantee, the mix and master on Svekkelse are superb, deftly blending raw guitar and vocals with smooth, buttery bass. In total, there’s a lot to like.

Gjendød’s latest imparts a groovy twist on black metal in a one-sitting dose, which is better than a fair number of albums I’ve listened to this year. While Svekkelse won’t list for me, I expect I’ll return to it when I hear other promising black metal albums deficient in vitamin bass. Gjendød has defined a trademark sound, and with a little more attention to honing their songcraft, their next album could be something special. As it stands, Gjendød are on the cusp of something better, but after several listens, I’m not entirely convinced. Regardless, I’m invested in the evolution of their sound and excited to hear where they take things next.

Rating: Good!
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320 kpbs mp3
Label: Osmose Productions
Website: Facebook
Releases Worldwide: September 26th, 2025

#2025 #30 #BlackMetal #Gjendød #Gorgoroth #MelodicBlackMetal #NorwegianMetal #Osmose #OsmoseProductions #Review #Reviews #Satyricon #Sep25 #Svekkelse #Voivod

Hadde glemt dette lille forsøket på aktivisme i coveret på "Under The Sign of Hell". Kanskje ikke så originalt, men samtidig ikke noe jeg kan huske å ha sett noe særlig av ellers.

Tror jeg meldte meg ut lenge før jeg kjøpte denne, da.

#Gorgoroth #blackMetal

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Gorgoroth to Release a Live Album Recorded During Their Most Recent European Tour
Coming soon. Gorgoroth to Release a Live Album Recorded During Their Most Recent European Tour .

https://www.metalsucks.net/2025/07/30/gorgoroth-to-release-a-live-album-recorded-during-their-most-recent-european-tour/

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GORGOROTH Announces Upcoming Live Album Recorded During Their March 2025 European Tour
I'l take it. GORGOROTH Announces Upcoming Live Album Recorded During Their March 2025 European Tour appeared first on Metal Injection.

https://metalinjection.net/news/gorgoroth-announces-upcoming-live-album-recorded-during-their-march-2025-european-tour

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Gaahls WYRD – Braiding the Stories Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier

Gaahl sure gets a lot of hate from his days with Gorgoroth. I can understand some of it, considering the dumb decisions he’s made, including trying to take my beloved Gorgoroth away from Infernus. While it’s damn-near impossible to find any Gorgy albums where he contributed on music streaming services, Gaahl has always been quite varied in his approach. For example, listen to songs like “Destroyer” and “Unchain My Heart!!!” Bananas, my friends. But you can’t limit Gaahl to only Gorgoroth because he’s been the frontman for the exceptional Trelldom far longer. After Gorgoroth, he’s become a busybody, continuing to contribute to Trelldom while branching out to a variety of other outfits, like God Seed, Gaahlskagg, and Gaahls WYRD. After receiving a mediocre score for their debut record, GastiR – Ghosts Invited, I’ve decided to give Braiding the Stories a try in hopes of convincing the Grymmcat and many of you that Gaahls WYRD isn’t that bad.

For those unaccustomed to this iteration of Gaahl, Gaahls WYRD is far removed from the black metal directions of Gorgoroth and Trelldom. While there are moments of classic, second-wave assaults, Gaahls WYRD employs folky avant-garde atmospheres to envelop the listener in an immersive album experience. Though it can be hard to tell on GastiR – Ghosts Invited. Thankfully, Braiding the Stories pushes the envelope even further than the debut album. You’ll also hear a range of vocal styles, including clean, whispering, and spoken-word approaches. You can hate the band as much as you want based on that description, but I give props to the man for expanding his repertoire. But GastiR – Ghosts Invited left much to be desired.

Glancing at the track runtimes, Braiding the Stories already looks like an interesting album. Spread throughout are various interlude tracks that range from gorgeous to unsettling. Unlike other albums, some of these little ditties play a major role in breaking up the record and setting up its strongest songs. After “The Dream” soothes us with reverberating guitars and soft, clean vocals, the nearly nine-minute-long title track swaddles us in atmoblack bliss. This track alone is superior to anything you’ll find on GastiR – Ghosts Invited, showcasing some enrapturing guitar leads and varying vocal deliveries. Never does it build to a eruptive climax; instead using its time to suck you in. The other fantastic setup comes in the form of the short “Voices in My Head” and the crushing “Time and Timeless Timeline.” After some sad dissonance and anxiety-inducing piano play from the former, “Time and Timeless Timeline” is a punch to the top of your head. The Gorgoroth-esque riff initiates intense neck movement as this song swings through distant clean vocals, a touch of falsettos, and various transitions that erupt into a killer conclusion.

Other notable pieces are the back-to-back “Root the Will” and “Flowing Starlight.” Though, as a pair, they are drastically different and serve the album’s weirdness. “Root the Will” charges on with a thrashy, heavy-metal lick that cruises like a MFer. In minutes, the vocals traverse strange territories from gnarly Gaahl screams to varying, overlapping clean vocals. When it transitions to a mid-paced tromp, the vocals give off some old-school Aldrahn vibes that hook me like a trout. The song refuses to settle at any point as it continues to evolve into dissonant sustains, a blackened atmosphere, and sad, unsettling vocals. The closing “Flowing Starlight” shocks and bewilders with some interesting ’70s guitar effects and attitude that I did not see coming. Add some big bass presence and this fucking thing grooves. Though it morphs throughout its seven-minute runtime, the mood is never lost, which makes this odd duck a standout on the album. As it progresses, Gaahl’s voice begins to give off Type O Negative vibes, as the gorgeous guitars lead us to the song’s powerful conclusion.

While I am no way the Gaahl hater that so many are, I didn’t expect to walk into Braiding the Stories and enjoy it. Of all the tracks, “Visions and Time” might be the only one that recalls the mediocre passages of GastiR – Ghosts Invited, along with its setup piece. The rest appear to be what the band was hoping to achieve with this project. One of the biggest issues Grymm had with the debut album was the lack of bass. This issue has been corrected on Braiding the Stories, bringing it far more forward and pushing Gaahl’s voice farther to the back. This mixing job is much more appealing to the ears, and the dynamics make it nice for repeat listens. I’m not sure where the band plans to go next, but Braiding the Stories is a positive step in the right direction.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Season of Mist
Websites: gaahlswyrd.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/gaahlswyrd
Releases Worldwide: June 6th, 2025

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GAAHLS WYRD Offer Advanced Audio Stream Of New Album Braiding The Stories

https://bravewords.com/news/gaahls-wyrd-offer-advanced-audio-stream-of-new-album-braiding-the-stories/

#GaahlsWYRD #BraidingTheStories #BlackDeath #NorwegianMetal #Gaahl #Bravewords #NewAlbum #MetalMusic #ExtremeMetal #Gorgoroth

MALICIOUS RECORDS / GORGOROTH "ANTICHRIST" ALBUM AD (1996)

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Nail By Nail – Embraced by Darkness Review

By Alekhines Gun

There’s a reason why all who apply for demotion to writer in these halls are given the same first assignment: Write a 2.5 review. Trying to whip up a good treatise on why an album is middling, meandering, and mediocre can be difficult, particularly when trying to fill up word count requirements and hopefully stay clever and entertaining at the same time. But every so often, writers can be blessed with the opposite problem, when an album materializes into your hands and manages to do nothing overly extraordinary and still succeeds at being a captivating, enjoyable experience. German upstarts Nail By Nail have emerged seemingly out of nowhere, forming in 2023 with no customary demos or lead-up releases before presenting the world with their debut LP Embraced by Darkness. For once, I will skip the fluff and tantalizing lead-in and cut right to the punchline: This is a good album by a fledgling young band, and I am delighted to announce that it is worthy of your time.

Embraced by Darkness uses a well-trodden offering of sound to create music that is familiar while still being noteworthy. All the ingredients any experienced listener is looking for will be present: melodic tremolos, vocals which could shatter glass with their pitch, explosive styled speedy beats and occasional punky chord progressions. Nail By Nail eschew typical second-wave trappings and barbed wire tones, instead opting for a cleaner production palette where everything gets ample room to breathe in the mix, including the bass. The DR allows the album to sound positively lush, among the best I’ve heard in modern black metal. These little touches give moments like the bass and melody interplay of “Crooked Nails” haunting qualities which worm into the listeners’ ears, and the crushing, staccato-laced modern Gorgoroth assault of “Cosmic Fire” real power without drums covering up riffs or vice versa. Across the entirety of Embraced by Darkness, the listener is treated to an album that is pleasant on the ear and gripping to the soul without studio tricks or artificial heaviness by way of compression.

The difference maker for Nail By Nail is the strength of compositions and songwriting. “The Frozen Tomb” manages to use a simple melody to conjure up a whiff of old school Rotting Christ grandeur and triumph. Guitarists Lars H. and Tobias R. switch between groovy riff to foul assault with mercurial seamlessness, with drummer Noel A. using an excellent sense of fills to switch between regular blasts and knowing when to push just that little bit faster for the climax of the composition. Tiny flourishes of piano and smatterings of atmospheric lead in peppers songs with character, with melodies reaching for the cosmic sense of the more beautiful works of Blut Aus Nord in scope if not in technical prowess. Across the entirety of the release, Embraced by Darkness feints towards bigger names with bigger accomplishments, but manages to cobble all the ingredients together into a sound entirely the band’s own.

This strength in songwriting, combined with the exquisite production, leads to Embraced by Darkness being far greater than the sum of its parts. True, as a debut, there are still kinks to be worked out. Track sequencing is a bit uneven, with two doomy openers in a row giving the impression that the album is more mid-paced than it is, with the faster songs bookending the release. “Dagger Nights” makes one last effort at bringing blackened fire to the proceedings but feels a bit anti-climactic given the mood and melodicism of the preceding half hour. Nevertheless, as an individual cut, it presents quality, and indicates something more lethal waiting in the gestating processes of the band’s writing.

Embraced by Darkness has been a challenging listen in the best sense of the term. The more particular listener will note that every single element of praise has been done bigger and better by some other band, and yet Nail By Nail have crafted an engaging, beautiful release which I have enjoyed my time with on each spin. Spacious production and a keen ear for simple but efficient melody have been wielded into tools of promise by this young outfit, and if they can hone their compositional skillset into something more predatory, I believe the future is bright. For now, despite any lack of true surprises, Embraced by Darkness has been a delightful discovery, and any lovers of melodic black metal should give it a chance.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 11 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: War Anthem Records
Websites: Official Bandcamp | Official Facebook Page
Releases Worldwide: May 9th, 2025

#2025 #30 #BlackMetal #BlutAusNord #EmbracedByDarkness #GermanMetal #Gorgoroth #May25 #NailByNail #Review #Reviews #RottingChrist #WarAnthemRecords

Hate – Bellum Regis Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier

In a country where you have to compete with Behemoth and Vader to make a name for yourself, Hate has done damn well for the last thirty years. Never a band to wow the masses, Hate is consistently solid, moving their traditional death metal sound into a more blackened variation over the years. Though everyone calls Hate a Behemoth clone, I’ve listened to both bands long enough to know that’s not true. While they’ve never had the success of their Polish heathens, Perun V.’s crushing guitars and Vader-esque vocals continue to lead the charge, prolifically releasing albums to their dedicated fanbase regardless how many times someone, like Steel Dick, calls them “Behemoth Jr.”1 This year brings Bellum Regis, the band’s thirteenth fucking full-length album. Jesus. And, as fans would expect, it’s massive, spitting venom and rumbling daycare facilities like a panzer just rolled into town. But, will ole Grier love it or Hate it?

Coming off 2021’s solid offering, Rugia, Bellum Regis sets out to deliver more devastation to this already devastating world. One surprising aspect of this new album is the inclusion of female vocals. While mostly assigned to the nosebleed section to protect them from the action, these subtle touches add some well-needed texture to the album’s melodic passages. Combined with the vocals, those melodic elements dip deep into the Gorgoroth watering hole, pulling up similar handfuls of depressed trout as Gorgy’s “Rebirth” and “Burn in His Light.” Surrounding all this are nuggets of headbangable riffage, blistering blastbeats, and Perun V.’s vicious vocals that never seem to age.

“Bellum Regis” gets the war tracks rolling in a stellar way. One of the album’s better songs, the misleading clean guitars and gentle female swooning eventually give way to a minefield of blackened riffage and guttural growls. As it charges ahead, melodic flourishes rear their ugly heads before they are shot down by what sounds like a dozen machine guns firing in unison. As the song alternates between aggressive and melodic passages, it continues to build… for a bit too long. Regardless, it’s a crushing number and a fantastic way to begin the album. The follow-up track, “Iphigenia,” shares the title track’s ill-tempered mood with a synthy atmosphere and alternating clean and hauntingly distorted guitars, which bring to mind a combination of Behemoth and Carach Angren. The main riffage has some serious death attitude, and the back half is injected with a melodic transition, where that female siren returns. But, like its predecessor, it hangs around a touch too long.

“A Ghost of Lost Delight” is another long, building piece that offers as much as the previous tracks but never really reaches the crest. Romping around with old-school blackened tremolo work, it passes through dungeons of meloblack bliss before collapsing and restarting again. By the end, the hopes for an erupting climax hang in the air but never come. While the simplistic “Prophet of Arkhen” uses a similar riff foundation, it introduces beautifully crushing chugs that’ll snap your neck and leave you a vegetable for the remainder of the album. Keeping it simple, the build is more meaningful, and the final climax leaves me in orgasmic bliss. “Perun Rising” delivers the goods for the melodic areas of the album. Mashing black, death, and meloblack together, this dark beauty rises and falls through a barren wasteland where Mephorash lives.

Overall, Bellum Regis is another solid outing from Hate that continues along the path set by the band in the last decade or so. Some songs work perfectly as they stand, while others could use some trimming. Most notably, a few minutes of the album’s first half could use the axe, as the back half is shorter and arguably works better. That said, each track contains pieces that separate one from the other to minimize repetition across its forty-six-minute runtime. Though Bellum Regis isn’t perfect, I’ll return for those little morcels of goodness as I do with every Hate release.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 256 kb/s mp3
Label: Metal Blade Records
Websites: hate.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/hateofficial
Releases Worldwide: May 2nd, 2025

#2025 #30 #Behemoth #BellumRegis #BlackMetal #CarachAngren #DeathMetal #Gorgoroth #Hate #May25 #Mephorash #MetalBladeRecords #PolishMetal #Review #Reviews #Vader