The first time I gave Taake’s new album Stridens Hus a chance, I was having a bad day at work and very bored. Fifteen minutes in, that boredom had not relented. How could I have such a strong dislike for this album on first listen? Maybe it was because my headphones were malfunctioning; perhaps losing the left-side of the audio was clouding my judgment and rational thought? Maybe I was just an anger filled jock who hadn’t gotten laid in a while—probably the most dangerous animal on earth—and was feeling the need for an explosive physical confrontation with another male species.
Whatever the reason was, I was wrong about Stridens Hus and I can admit that now. While it’s not the best work they’ve ever put out—and it doesn’t necessarily move the band forward as much as you might hope—it’s a solid record with all of the classic genre-blending you can expect from a band this talented.
Taake leader Ørjan Stedjeberg, a.k.a. Hoest, has been making black noise since 1993. Only the sixth full length in his over-20-year history, Stridens Hus reveals an even more sophisticated, mature technique for what is commonly a very typical black metal format. The album is built on a foundation of rawness typical of both waves of Norwegian black metal, but Hoest layers the sounds in such a way that each instrument and part reveals a proficiency that’s not only experimental but quite successful.
The album opens quickly and clearly with the guitars charging ahead on “Gamle Norig.” Just under six minutes in length, the song is full of dynamic changes, sparse guitars, whispering vocals and layers upon layers of a unique blended of genre sounds. There’s black metal and there’s thrash, but we also hear some post-metal melodies and guitar bends that transcend the limited confines of what is “kvlt.” Later, the vocals on “Orm” reveal very classic roots, borrowing from Aldrahn at times to build tension, while track No. 3, “Det fins en prins,” features a shockingly clear and melodic guitar solo that soars like an Eagle of Valinor. And as momentum continues to build, “Stank” unleashes a shrill, straight-ahead blast of pure, thrashing power.
“En sang til sand om ildebrann” acts as a kind of theme song for the album—its swan song, if you will. A massive, arcing piece that ties together all of the album’s previous sonic references, the song drops away the tinny loneliness of instruments playing on their own and instead dumps a thick, layered, track-upon-track style of production. It’s a true drain—one that, mercifully, follows up with the instrumental, “Kongsgaard bestaar,” for a needed bit of respite. We then close with the most classic-sounding Taake song on the album, “Vinger,” which combines elements of classic black metal and thrash, not surprisingly.
A lot of criticism against Taake has ridden on the unfocused nature of Hoest’s work, but Stridens Hus successfully pulls together an inordinate amount of material with as much seamlessness as you can expect. While that opinion doesn’t seem to be too widely held among metalheads, I hope that people at least approach the album with two things: first, an open mind; and second, the belief that change can be a good thing. Don’t expect this album to top his previous efforts like Hordalands Doedskvad or Noregs Vaapen, but definitely give it a chance.
-Manny-O-War
Leave a Reply