arve isdal

Ready for something different, otherworldly, fresh and new? Let me tell you about DROTT and this three-man band’s first full length release Orcus. The band hails from Bergen in the west coast of Norway and is inspired by nature, superstition, and spirituality. The album title is after Orcus, god of the underworld, punisher of broken oaths. While this namesake brings dark themes and undertones, the feel of the album is not as heavy as one might think. Musical style influences include metal, progressive rock, jazz, folk, classical and each influence can be detected throughout these compositions. This makes it hard to classify the release, but I think part of the beauty of the album is that it does not NEED to be classified since it does not fit perfectly into any box and brings a little something for everyone.

Continue reading →

With a new album dropping on March 10th, the time is ripe for a quick review of just how amazing Enslaved is. Haugesund, Norway’s finest have been plying their trade since 1991, and have been described as many, many different types of metal over the years. If you had to sum it up—and please do not do so by labeling them “viking metal”—they’re probably best described as “progressive-extreme-blackened-death-metal.” Or something like that.

Regardless, in their 24 years, they’ve released a whopping 12 LPs, three EPs, two splits (with Emperor and Satyricon, no less!) and two DVDs. That’s a monumental amount of work for a band of any genre, but even more significant is how they’ve evolved from an experimental band to a truly progressive and influential one. So without further ado, here’s a list of my personal Top 10 Enslaved songs: Continue reading →