#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BraveWords
TRELLDOM Feat. GAAHL Release New Album …by the word…

https://bravewords.com/black-death/trelldom-feat-gaahl-release-new-album-by-the-word/

#TRELLDOM #GAAHL #Feat #ReleaseNewAlbum #album #newalbum #newrelease #vinyl #BraveWords #metal #music

Following “…by the shadows…” the new #Trelldom is an another weird and adventurous expansion of Black Metal. Not quite sure that it’s not something else that retains some Black Metal. Going to pick this up, what I like in metal now is something that expands the boundaries of metal. #Gaahl

https://trelldom.bandcamp.com/album/by-the-word

While most people would argue that “black metal” was founded by bands like Venom, Bathory, and Mercyful Fate, the scene didn’t really become what it is without the creation of Norwegian black metal. Which, in turn, people will argue was founded by Mayhem, Burzum, Darkthrone, Immortal, and the like. But people forget acts like Ulver, Urgehal, Satyricon, and Gorgoroth (and others) that helped form the genre. If you know Grier, you know how much Urgehal and Gorgoroth mean to his youthful, black metal development. They are also home to two of his favorite black metal raspers of all time: Trond Bråthen (Trondr Nefas) and Kristian Eivind Espedal (Gaahl), respectively. Before Gaahl made his mark on Gorgoroth classics like Twilight of the Idols – In Conspiracy with Satan and Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam, he already had his own band: Trelldom.

Trelldom doesn’t get enough love. But Angry Metal Guy knew what was up when he went back in time to explore easily one of the genre’s greatest hits: Til et annet…. This record is a fucking masterpiece that shows a side of Gaahl you might not know. Those who have followed him throughout his various exploits know full well that Gaahl is a weird guy with some of the creepiest fucking vocals on the planet. But Trelldom’s trilogy of albums from 1992 to 2007 was untouchable. Fast forward to 2024, and the band returns with …By the Shadows…, an even weirder concoction of songs than ever before. Taking a darker direction with a new lineup of legends, …By the Shadows… represented an impressive comeback for the band, rebranded into something more diverse and heartfelt than before. Right on the coattails of that album comes this year’s …By the Word…. And it’s everything you’d expect from a follow-up.

Returning with the mighty Stian Kårstad (ex-Djerv, ex-Gaahls Wyrd, ex-God Seed) and kit powerhouse Kenneth Kapstad (Thorns, Goat the Head, ex-God Seed, and a billion other bands), Gaahl rounds out his lineup with practitioners of the bass, saxophone, clarinet, organ, Dobro guitar, bass harmonica, mandolin, Shankar guitar, and even the fucking Optigan to deliver one of the most unique records of his life. “When This Was Young” opens the record with proggy bass and drums, matching perfectly with Gaahl’s soothing cleans. When the chuggery kicks in, Kapstad’s drums let loose, showing off his impressive skills and giving the song (A) Senile Animal-era Melvins vibes. As it progresses, the effects intensify, melding themselves into the guitars and creating unnecessary madness throughout.

But the opener might be the “chillest” song on the record. By “I Speak Forgotten Voices,” you’ll know that …By the Word… is far more unhinged than its predecessor. The overlapping effects, unsettling vocals, and relentless, pounding drums remove any peace …By the Shadows… might have had. But it’s the mindfucking back-to-back closers, “The Word – Choose to Vanish” and “In There Outside,” that show just how far Trelldom has pushed their sound. Chock-full of all those different instruments mentioned before, “The Word – Choose to Vanish” doesn’t so much add layers as mold everything into the most grotesque monster I’ve heard in a long time. And when you think you’ve heard everything you could from Trelldom, “In There Outside” proves to be one of the more diverse on the album. Throwing you off immediately, the whining woodwinds are replaced with yet another alteration of Gaahl’s vox as the song builds on itself over and over again, resulting in more orchestral qualities than any other track.

…By the Word… is batshit crazy and cerebrally damaging. Where …By the Shadows… at least had moments of relief, this new record does not. Beyond the weird combination of guitars, saxophone, and clarinet screaming at you from all directions, it’s the bass and drums that cause the most damage. Mixed far too the front, the drums, in particular, are ear-shattering. That sounds negative, but it does a hell of a job keeping you off balance. Specifically, when it comes to the devastating “Folding the Mind.” It’s almost as if the band decided it was time to let Kapstad off the leash. …By the Word… is an interesting album that pushes beyond anything the band has done before. It can never be Til et annet… but that’s OK because they aren’t going for it. This new era is worth exploring and …By the Word… is a new benchmark.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Prophecy Productions
Websites: trelldom.bandcamp.com | trelldom.no | facebook.com/trelldom1992
Releases Worldwide: May 29th, 2026

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
TRELLDOM Unleash First Single 'By the Word' From Upcoming Album …by the word…

https://metalinjection.net/video/trelldom-unleash-first-single-by-the-word-from-upcoming-album-by-the-word

#TRELLDOM #UnleashFirstSingle #blackmetal #album #single #MetalInjection #metal #music

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

#2025 #35 #AvantGarde #BlackMetal #BraidingTheStories #GaahlsWYRD #Gaahlskagg #GodSeed #Gorgoroth #Jun25 #NorweiganMetal #Review #Reviews #SeasonOfMist #Trelldom #TypeONegative

For an early start of @HailsandAles' #BlackMetalMonday, a glorious riff:

#GaahlsWyrd: Time and Timeless Timeline

https://song.link/b6mq7wtsgpctb

#BlackMetal #Duh

FFO #GodSeed #Misþyrming #Trelldom

Whispering Void – At the Sound of the Heart review

By Mystikus Hugebeard

Whispering Void is, by all accounts, a supergroup. Created by former Trelldom guitarist Ronny Stavestrand, his Trelldom connections allowed him to bring Kristian Eivind Espedal (otherwise known as the problematic fave, Gaahl) onto the project. From there it snowballed, with Gaahl’s Wardruna tenure opening the door for vocalist Lindy-Fay Hella to join the project as well. Rounding out the formation is Iver Sandøy on drums, the drummer for Enslaved’s last two albums. So not only is Whispering Void a supergroup, but they’re probably one of the most Norwegian supergroups ever. Whispering Void channels the diverse musical backgrounds and ideologies of these Norwegian musicians through, in their own words, “an organic and free-spirited studio process,” culminating in their debut album, At the Sound of the Heart.

Whispering Void plays a rich blend of folk, prog, and post-rock that conjures to mind a strikingly Norwegian Crippled Black Phoenix. Clear guitar melodies gently propel songs forward amidst ebbing layers of percussion, strings, and vocals. At the Sound of the Heart has a clean prog-rock tone like that of Lunatic Soul while the songwriting builds towards grand, post-y climaxes, with some added ambient influences to enrich the sound. The performances are excellent, obviously, given the pedigree. The instrumentation from Stavestrand and Sandøy is clean and tight, Hella’s expressive vocals are full of emotion, and nobody can do gravelly spoken words quite like Gaahl. It’s not what I would call the most bodacious of supergroups, comprised of larger-than-life personalities, but the musicians of Whispering Void work together well.

Something that struck me early on regarding At the Sound of the Heart that took a while to put into words is how it feels devoid of ego. Supergroups are typically eager to showcase what certain members’ excel at in their own groups to the point of excess, and while Whispering Void does lean into its members’ strengths, it’s subtle and restrained. The music is thoughtfully composed in a way that strives for melodic clarity and atmospheric richness, which rings most clearly through At the Sound of the Heart’s first half. “Vinden Vier” tastefully pairs a beautiful melody sung by Hella with Gaahl’s percussive recitation of the song’s title, whereas “Vi Finnes” gives Gaahl’s vocals a greater spotlight as the haunting chorus escalates through the song. “Whispering Void” is a great track that dynamically leads through a clean guitar melody paired with Hella’s vocals into a chorus where Gaahl’s vocals complement Sandøy’s drumming prowess, culminating in a sublime melodic climax. It’s genuinely refreshing to hear such talented musicians who are all great on their own working together in a way that’s less about showing off and more about creating something unique through a free-form collaborative process.

As At the Sound of the Heart enters its second half, the results of that artistic process grow shakier. It’s tempting to wax poetic about some cerebral, damning problem rooted deep within the album’s second half to justify it, but truthfully, it’s the simple anticlimax of just being weaker than the first half. The songs are less gripping and slowly sink into the background—the melodies aren’t as strong, the song structure becomes predictable, the atmosphere less inviting. The title track and “We Are Here” adopt a gloomy and dramatic veneer that leans into Gaahl’s spoken words, but they’re frequently more of a whisper and the melodies just never really click. “Lauvvind” returns to the clean, prog-rock tone of the earlier songs, but has a jam-session feel that doesn’t quite land. The songs here aren’t even all that unpleasant, but they’re just boring enough. It’s like the first half marries a solid, driving composition with excellent atmosphere, while the second half lets the compositional strength seep away in favor of the vibes. Vibes can be good, but vibes do not a song make.

It is a unique challenge to score At the Sound of the Heart; in many ways, it defies scoring. At times sublime in its composition and at times little more than musicians just shooting the breeze, At the Sound of the Heart is an unobstructed view into an organic, collaborative artistic process that never truly fails, but only occasionally succeeds. The free-form nature of the music is clearly the point, and it would be a loss if Whispering Void abandoned their free-form experimentation for rigidity. I only wish Whispering Void made more stellar songs like those of the album’s first half, but perhaps you’ll feel differently, and I invite you to experience At the Sound of the Heart for yourself.

Rating: Mixed
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps
Label: Prophecy Productions
Websites: facebook | bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: October 18th, 2024

#25 #2024 #Ambient #AtTheSoundOfTheHeart #CrippledBlackPhoenix #Enslaved #Folk #LunaticSoul #NorwegianMetal #Oct24 #PostRock #ProgRock #ProphecyProductions #Trelldom #Wardruna #WhisperingVoid

For @HailsandAles' #BlackMetalMonday:

#Arkona/#Аркона: Prometeus

https://song.link/kzkxn3ncm0vkw

#PaganBlackMetal

FFO #GenitalShame #Misþyrming #Trelldom