Istapp – Sól Tér Sortna Review

By Doom_et_Al

Not many bands can claim to have a 4.5 from AMG Himself and a 4.0 from notorious curmudgeon, Grier. Yet that is exactly what Swedish black metal band, Istapp (Icicle) managed to achieve with debut album, Blekinge, and third album, The Insidious Star, respectively. Yet despite these glowing endorsements, Istapp remained on the periphery of the metal scene since their inception in 2005. Maybe it’s the long turnaround time between albums (4 in 20 years), or perhaps it’s the constantly shifting band line-up. Whatever the reason, Istapp remained relatively obscure, producing albums that people like, but that don’t make any dents in end-of-year lists. Now they’re back after a 6-year gap, with (surprise!) a new lineup and a new album, Sól Tér Sortna (The Sun Turns Dark). Are they about to add a Doom 4.0 to their accolades?

Pretty much the only constant in Istapp is founder, songwriter, and vocalist-turned-drummer, Fjalar. And when the opening notes of “Under Jökelisen” begin, you’ll know this is a classic Istapp album, through and through. Melodic chords married to furious blast beats in a way that is both compelling and accessible (by black metal standards). But it’s when the clean vocals hit that the true power of Istapp shines – the ability to incorporate more accessible elements without compromising their core ethos. Istapp manage to sound like a cool mix of Borknagar, Immortal, and Svavelvinter, without ever treading onto “derivative” territory. If this description of Sól Tér Sortna sounds eerily familiar to previous albums, that’s because Istapp maintain the clear, distinctive sound that they’ve perfected since 2005.

And yet, for some reason, Sól Tér Sortna just doesn’t hit as hard as those previous albums. And I’ve spent a week trying to puzzle out why. Certainly, when a sound remains unchanged for this long, we start entering “diminishing returns” territory. Istapp are playing it very safe with their aesthetic, and when you become familiar with it, it all starts to blur together. This isn’t helped by the fact that this collection lacks a real banger; something that grabs you by the short and curlys and says, “Listen! This is more interesting than that random chore you are doing!” When the band does try something new, like the introduction of female vocals on “Rägnarok,” it works fantastically, making you wish they had taken a few more risks. The songs on Sól Tér Sortna are consistently very good, but rarely great.

The production, as consistent as it is, also sounds weirdly thin. It’s hard to explain, but there’s a chonkiness missing from the guitars. This anemic mix leeches the album of some of its power. Istapp always flourished by relying on those “big” moments in their material; the flattened range makes everything sound a bit tinny and flat. For comparison, I went back to early Immortal, and while the production in those days was clearly inferior, there is real oomph behind the guitars. Even The Insidious Star sounded better balanced. I’m not certain if this production was intentional or not, but it doesn’t help the music.

Sól Tér Sortna is an album I really wanted to love, but although its catchy melodies and solid songwriting initially seduced me, I could never firmly commit. It’s a collection that, although never difficult to listen to, is missing something. This is speculation, but perhaps the constant lineup shifts have prevented Fjalar from evolving his brand. Perhaps this is simply the AMG “Law of Diminishing Returns” proving itself again as a band enters its third decade. Or maybe I expected too much from a band that has given us plenty to cheer about in the past. Regardless, Sól Tér Sortna, while rock-solid, simply doesn’t hit like other Istapp material. As a result, it eludes the unqualified Doom stamp of approval.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: trollzorn.de/en
Websites: istappofficial.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/IstappOfficial
Releases Worldwide: March 6th, 2025

#2025 #30 #BlackMetal #Borknagar #Immortal #Istapp #Mar25 #Review #Reviews #SwedishMetal #TrollzornRecords

Bergthron – Neu Asen Land Review

By Killjoy

Some people just can’t be rushed. Neu Asen Land is the first sign of life from the German atmospheric/progressive black metal band Bergthron since 2010. That’s a 15-year hiatus lasting almost the entire time that our beloved blog has been in operation! The exact identities of the band members have historically been difficult to ascertain,1 but the promotional material describes them as explorers who used this time for expeditions to remote forests and the Arctic Circle. Talk about a sabbatical! Given all of this, I expect I’m far from the only one who hadn’t heard of Bergthron before now. However, when even an unfamiliar group survives such a long break it bakes a certain level of interest into the new offering. After all, why break the silence after all this time without something worth saying?

Neu Asen Land’s most striking quality is how it manages to be both rugged and refined. This is evident from the intro “Skandinavische Expansion” which features a medley of gruff chants and growls on top of subdued piano keys. The vocals are a many-headed beast, with at least two members working together at any given time to produce rough shouts and sonorous cleans. Bergthron abandoned the darker, more industrial feel of 2010’s EXP. Autarktis somewhere along the way in favor of an eclectic blend of Sólstafir’s free-spirited rock, Borknagar’s brisk progressive black metal, and Havukruunu’s raw verve. They eschew many of the modern editing conventions, resulting in a more natural, unfiltered sound. Despite the lengthy hiatus, there’s no doubt that these guys are still comfortable playing together.

Bergthron make it abundantly clear that they write and perform solely on their own terms. The drumming is energetic, with rapid-fire double kick and long, indulgent fills (“Aufbruch nach Neu Asen Land,” “Gefangene der Polarnacht”). The bass lines in songs such as “SOG” and “Horizont in Flammen” are distinct and intricate, on par with those of the guitar. Like the weather, the musical conditions can drastically change without notice. Bergthron often slow down and let their prog rock roam free; much of “Gefangene der Polarnacht” in particular sounds akin to a blackened Rush. They play with temperature contrasts by placing balmy guitar melodies alongside shimmering wintery synths, which gives Neu Asen Land the feel of a sunny, snowy day. These atypical song structures might be jarring to some, but I find them charming overall.

Neu Asen Land’s biggest shortcoming is there isn’t quite enough of it to go around. At 32 minutes, there is zero bloat–exactly what one might expect of lean outdoorsmen. Of course, this isn’t a problem on its own, but every minute is even more important when there are less of them to spare, and this is why the concluding track “Skaldenruhm erstarrt in Zeit” falls so flat. It’s not a bad song, but it begins with eerie synths and ends with weak meandering, closing the album with a whimper in stark contrast with the vibrancy that came before. If Bergthron hadn’t let their blazing campfire die a bit too early, Neu Asen Land would likely be knocking on the door of greatness.

While I wasn’t able to send Bergthron off, Neu Asen Land is of such quality that I’m happy to welcome them back. They are clearly a well-traveled group of individuals and this is reflected in every fiber of their comeback album. While undeniably lacking polish, it possesses a handcrafted charm that I’m unlikely to experience again anytime soon. I can recommend this for those who like their black metal lively and unpredictable. If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to discover more good music in 2025, Neu Asen Land stands ready to help start the year strong.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Trollzorn Records
Websites: bergthron.bandcamp.com | bergthron.de
Releases Worldwide: January 6th, 2025

#2025 #35 #Bergthron #BlackMetal #Borknagar #GermanMetal #Havukruunu #Jan25 #NeuAsenLand #ProgressiveMetal #ProgressiveRock #Review #Reviews #Rush #Solstafir #TrollzornRecords

Skiltron – Bruadarach Review

By Dr. Wvrm

In my years not reviewing albums, I’ve learned execution trumps everything. No pet project, no kitsch, no absurdist or ill-advised concept is doomed from the start. Well, ain’t that aces for Skiltron, the premiere bagpipe-powered Celtic folk metal band originally from Buenos Aires (maybe!). Bruadarach is the sixth album with the Skiltron name attached, but the first since 2016. Significant turnover leaves only one original member in the band’s ranks, with the drummer and vocalist making their debut. Skiltron’s recent releases sported some fraying in the kilt, so maybe some new blood is for the best. After all, who knows Celtic folk better than two Argentinians, a Frenchman, a Finn, and an Italian?

Despite the turnover, Skiltron clearly know their way around the studio. Bruadarach is nothing if not polished, sporting a taut focus suggesting a veteran presence in the sound booth. The act’s heavy/power metal chops check the obvious boxes, swinging between fist-pumping rippers and mid-paced sing-alongs. The bagpipe is a tempestuous beast; your mileage with Bruadarach depends on your tolerance for it. Opener “As We Fight” establishes an uneasy, if passable dynamic between the pipes’ mainline melodies and Emilio Souto’s not-quite-backing heavy/power metal axework. The result is easy enough to latch onto, so long as you don’t mind shagging the haggis a bit. Unfortunately, that’s the ceiling.

I know it’s my job to pinpoint The Key Failing in Skiltron’s sound, but it’s too damn hard with so many options. The blame game power rankings stand as follows: 1. Low-ceiling songwriting, 2. Poor vocals, 3. Bagpipes. Yes, I too am surprised that the bagpipes aren’t higher, and they aren’t even on this list for being annoying! Instead, my main gripe with Bruadarach comes down to overplayed weaknesses. Relative to even Skiltron’s past material—to say nothing of metal writ large—very little of the record hits with any punch (with the exception of “Rob Roy”). Most up-pace songs are interchangeable, most ballads tiresome and cringeworthy. It’s at best uninspiring dad-metal, seemingly designed for a listenership barely paying attention at the local Scottish-Argentinian heritage pub, with lyrics to match.

Worse, new vocalist Paolo Ribaldini is flat-out bad. I’ll give it to him, he has a distinct vibe that many vocalists aim for and miss. However, he lacks any measure of excellence past that; his delivery is flat and one-note in a way that only works when the music is equally milquetoast. Remember what I said about overplayed weaknesses? There are three (to four!) ballads on this album! Not a great idea when your vocalist can’t sing! There’s a weird seesawing to the songwriting and the vocals, and when the songwriting is at its best, Ribaldini is at his worst (“A Treasure Beyond Imagination,” “Where the Heart Is”), and vice versa (“Proud to Defend,” “I Am What I Am”). As such, the record is never unbearable, but rarely without blemish. Only highlight “Rob Roy” and to an extent “As We Fight” strike a passable balance worth the spin.

This brings us to Pierre Delaporte’s omnipresent bagpipes. I don’t not like bagpipes, but I don’t not like them nearly enough for them to drone across what feels like every second of Bruadarach’s 44 minutes. While the curl of the skirl1 is quite clear, it isn’t suited to be the melodic output of music that wants you to play it more than once. It’s so tough to parse the instrument that I can’t say if the directions would be successful if given to the guitars. All I can say is that in those rare moments where the rest of the band has anything to do, the album is actually alright. The acoustic picking and folk flutery on “A Treasure Beyond Imagination” are the coolest pieces of the spin.

No one of these elements would damn the record if the others picked up the slack. A bad vocalist isn’t a death knell if you’ve got the riffs. Bad writing is passable if the performances stand out. The bagpipes would be… fine if they were applied logically instead of as an object of worship for which Skiltron shall haunt the Argentinian highlands until the Gathering. By their powers combined though, Bruadarach is less than the difference of its parts.

Rating: 1.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps
Label: Trollzorn Records
Websites: skiltron.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/skiltron
Releases Worldwide: December 1st, 2023

#15 #2023 #Bruadarach #CelticFolkMetal #Dec23 #InternationalMetal #Review #Reviews #Skiltron #TrollzornRecords