Satyricon – “Nemesis Divina”

Rating: 6,5/10

“Nemesis Divina” is Satyricon’s latest effort to grasp the Norwegian Black Metal thone’s cetre. Satyr’s first words “This is Armaggedon” announce this band’s war against Christianity and anything that has light. As Satyricon has always been one of my favourite bands, and I really loved their first “Dark Medieval Times” and “The Shadowthrone”, I expected a lot from this third assault, but honestly the feeling is a bit upsetting. “Nemesis Divina” is definetely not the best CD Satyricon has released. This CD’s first song “The Dawn Of A New Age” is somehow a summary of all the listener will find in this CD: Outrageous melodies, freezing atmospheres, speed and angry growlings. It may be the best song of the LP along with its real jewel “Mother North”, a true and proud hymn to the Nordic lands. Unfortunately, though songs like “Forhekset” or “Du Som Hater Gud” aren’t bad at all, there are songs like “Nemesis Divina” that are, in my opinion, real rip-off tracks. This CD lasts about 43 minutes and ends with an instrumental song called “Trascendental Requiem of Slaves” which is ok. In a few words, “Nemesis Divina” has two really, really good songs “Dawn of A New Age” and “Mother North”, and for having these two songs the purchase of this CD would be worth, but the rest is by far not so good. So, from my point of view, “Nemesis Divina” is a good album, but somewhat a failure if its intention was advancing bands like Enslaved or Emperor at the Norwegian BM’s race.

Impaled Nazarene – “Suomi Finland Perkele”

Osmose

Rating: 8/10

Finnish band Impaled Nazarene may be the extremest band around… …till now. Yeah, if you expect “Suomi Finland Perkele” to sound like “Ugra-Karma”, you’re wrong. The impalers have lowered their ultra-rapid speedy black metal and have released some songs that no one could ever imagine Impaled Nazarene to compose. But the best is that “SFP” is a great, great album. In it you’ll find the typical IN’s ultra-fast songs (“Steelvagina”, “Vitutuksen Multihuipenus”, etc…), but also (melodyc!!! ) songs like “Blood Is Thicker Than Water” or “Quasb (the Burning)” or “The oath of the goat”, the latter even having acoustic tracks!!! Incredible, huh? Maybe one of the most peculiar songs is “Total War-Winter War”, half buffonery half geniousity. Lyrically IN haven’t changed much and keep being as extreme as usual. Maybe a bit more fascist-oriented than “Tol Cormpt…” or “Ugra-Karma”; something noticible on the lyrics on “Total War – Winter War”, “Genocide”, “Ghettoblaster” (titles that speak by themselves), or “The oath of the goat”. So the nazarenes have done a risky move considering the image they reached by their previous works. About the sound, it keeps being very clear and polished.

God Of Emptiness – Indepth analysis

This is not a review of the “Covenant” album, but an indepth analysis of the album’s closing track “God of Emptiness”:

TITLE : “God Of Emptiness”
I. “The Accuser”
II. “The tempter”
LENGTH : 7’ 14”
ALBUM : “Covenant”, 1993
ARTIST : Morbid Angel
AUTHORS : Music – Trey Azagthtoth
LYRICS – David Vincent
EDITION : Published by Cutha Hymns/ASCAP and God Of Perverse/ASCAP
DETAILS : It is included as the album’s last song, situated after the tetric instrumental track “Nar Mattaru”, whose “melody” is based upon sound effects. There is no lap of time between “Nar Mattaru” and “God Of Emptiness” itself, so the former can be interpreted as the intro for the latter, as a preparatory introduction for the blast of “God Of Emptiness”.

MUSICAL DEFINITION :

“God Of Emptiness” is divided into two parts, very different one from the other, but with no lap in-between.

The first part is titled “The Accuser” and is composed of several heavy and slow riffs, quite complicated at its execution and its tempo yet simple at their appearance. The vocal aspect brings us lead singer David Vincent using two different vocal styles: One, melodic yet guttural voice; two, deeply-performed spoken voice, seeming to be performed in the background.

The second part is titled “The Tempter” and is completely different: Its music is done by a guitar-based melody, a riff repeated again and again, while the growling voice just sings also again and again two simple sentences (Vid. lyrics) to the end, before which the mixing volume goes diminishing more and more until absolute silence.

Therefore both parts are quite different, not only concerning their qualitive aspect (Many different and weird guitar riffs, large lyrics and a complicated drumming in the first part while there is a total simpleness in all elements -music, guitar, drums, vocals and lyrics- in the second part) but also their quantitive aspect (The first part is by far longer than the first one).

LYRICAL DEFINITION :

“God Of Emptiness” musts be analyzed in two parts, corresponding to the song’s two musically and lyrically-defined parts: “The Accuser” and “The Tempter”.

“The accuser” does this : to accuse. The lyrics charge God of having lied, of having fulfilled people with oppression and of having received, as reward from mankind, glory. And contraposes the song’s spirit (“I offer fantasy”) attitude to God’s (“And you, Creator, blind of envy”).

In “The Accuser”’s chorus, David Vincent brings two basic ideas: Authorizes children and women to get near him while man stands behind (mmh…!) and, in the other hand, makes himself appear as the personification of Evil or simply a Devil-sent : The snake (one of the most known symbols of evil), slithers, as the cat stalks to bet the mortals’ soul and thus granting them freedom by their emptiness.

In “The Tempter”, the simpleness is confronted to the complexity of “The Accuser”.This part’s lyrics are just two sentences, constantly repeated as if the song wanted the listener to bow before it.

PHILOSOPHIC INTERPRETATION :

The “god of emptiness” concept is based upon a XIX century’s philosophic thought that defended the importance of the human being over the one of the so-called God. In fact, its English (original) version it was called “the philosophy of the god of emptiness”.

Besides, lyrics-mainwriter David Vincent has always been interested in Nietzsche’s philosophy (Check “Covenant”’s credits for details). Needless to say that one of the most importants aspects in Nitzschean philosophy is its anti-Christian thought. In his works, the German philosopher uses to accuse God of having enslaved the Western world and its people by His “true” moral and propugnates a back-to-earth attitude in life that fits perfectly with this song’s lyrical meaning.

LYRICS :

I.The Accuser

Lies – And you fill their souls
with all oppressions of this world
and all the glory you receive
So what makes you supreme?

Lies – And your crown is falling
I offer fantasy
And you, Creator,
blind with envy

So let the children come to me
Their mothers love me so shall they
Women, bleeding, ate my gifts
Man was close behind

And like a snake I’m slithering
through my world divine
and like a cat I’m stalking
I’ll take your soul and you’ll be like me
In emptiness, free

II.The Tempter

Bow to me faithfully
Bow to me splendidly

Written by Metallykon

Enslaved – “Frost” (Español)

Osmose Productions

Nota: 8/10

El helador clima noruego parece influenciar mucho a las bandas procedentes de ese pa£s, pero especialmente a Enslaved. Los tres vikingos nos llevan a un tiempo y un lugar sin piedad, igual que su m­sica. “Frost” (“Hielo”) nos muestra claramente el orgullo de estos chicos por su tierra y sus ancestros. Vestidos en un estilo medio medieval medio sado/maso (ver contraportada para mµs detalles), Grutle Kjellson, Ivar Bjornson y Trym Torson nos ofrecen una pieza de lo que ellos llaman “viking metal”. La intro “Frost” anuncia la devastadora batalla que se estµ fraguando, y Žsta empieza con “Loke”, sigue con “Fenris”, con mi favorita “Svarte Vidder”, y as£, sin piedad, se suceden los temas con los ­nicos respiros que podemos disfrutar en “Yggdrasil” o “Isoders Droning” (fantµsticas las dos). Todas las canciones estµn en noruego, pero como viene la traducci½n os puedo decir (si no lo habiµis adivinado ya) que todas las letras tratan de la mitolog£a escandinava (que, en realidad, es igual que la griega s½lo que cambiando los nombres). “Frost” es, en definitiva, el mejor trabajo que han sacado los Enslaved, as£ que ya sabŽis lo que esto significa: una maravilla!!! Heil Wotan!!!

Burzum – “Filosofem”

Misanthropy Records

Rating: 6/10

“Filosofem” is Varg Vikernes’ infamous musical project Burzum’s new CD. Now imprisioned for several criminal charges, it seems that the album was recorded before his incarceration. Anyway, what we find here is Vikernes’ peculiar musical skills revealing themselves shaped in a luxurious A4 digibook.

Although most songs on this new work retain the thick guitar-based melodies that can be encountered in Burzum’s previous releases, it is nevertheless true that “Filosofem” means another step towards a more ambient or avantgarde approach. Whether be this on purpose or by lack or equipment, I don’t know, but the CD also features some industrial and noise effects that help Burzum’s music leave behind the “black metal” label and instead becomes more ambient. This definition gains suitness when considering that Vikernes’ typical musical simplicity remains also intact. It is this simplicity that is responsable for much of the hypnotic effect Burzum is acknowledged for. This can be experienced in “Erblicket die Töchter des Firmaments” (whose lyrics are suspiciously similar to those of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Bilbo Song”). Another remarkable song is “Rundgang um die traszendentale Saule der Singularitat”, which is a synth-based number close to “Tomhet” from Burzum’s previous album “Hvis Lyset Tar Oss”, yet it is not so ethereal nor has such a beautiful melody neither. Some other songs have nice raw guitar riffs such as “Jesus’ Tod” and the opener number. Last song is “Gebrechlichkeit ii.”, which is nothing but a mere filler, since it is a valueless remix of the fourth song “Gebrechlichkeit i.”, without the vocal work.

All in all, another good work (yet far from excelling) by virtue of Vikernes’ mind and hands. Time shall tell whether this will be the last thing we’ll ever know about him.