Cor Scorpii - Attergangar

This is the first release by Cor Scorpii, an awesome little EP. Came out in 2005.
Only four songs (totaling 23 minutes), but it's quite good. Be sure not to miss the opening track, which is, in my opinion, the best here.

This is obviously for fans of Windir and the two bands that spawned with its demise (Vreid & Cor Scorpii), but it's also for fans of fast-paced melodic black metal and good melodies and riffs.

Cor Scorpii - Attergangar

Tracklist:

1. Fall of Man
2. Transcendental Journey
3. Attergangar
4. Når Enden Er God

Gorelord - Force Fed On Human Flesh

"10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 6... 6..."
That's how this awesome album begins.
As I described in my previous Gorelord post, this is a one-man project that plays brutal, groovy, fun death metal with memorable riffs.
In the style of Necrophagia, a band Frediablo played in at one point, the lyrical content is based on horror movie scenarios --including samples of horror movies-- and death metal clichés, and sometimes are so overdone, it feels a bit satirical. Whether that's Frediablo's intention or not, I ignore; but I find it slightly amusing.

Of interest to some may be that the final track of this album features guest performances by Frediablo's former bandmates in Wurdulak, Killjoy of Necrophagia and Maniac of Mayhem.

I highly recommend this to people who like the more atypical death metal and those who value cool riffs. This is probably not to the liking of most people who indulge in more traditional, well-known death metal, like Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, Vital Remains, Morbid Angel, Necrophagist, Six Feet Under, etc...; especially if you take your death metal very seriously.

Gorelord - Force Fed On Human Flesh

Tracklist:

1. Dismember Virgin Limbs
2. Crushed Skull On Christian Shoulders
3. Crucified Goat Drenched In Blasphemic Blood
4. Force Fed On Human Flesh
5. Necrophilic Orgy In Entrails & Cum
6. Chainsaw Ripping Skin
7. Alive When Fucking The Dead
8. Maggots Impaled
9. Hell's Kitchen

Ved Buens Ende - Written In Waters

This band is Ved Buens Ende, which means "by the end of the bow", in reference to Bifröst, the mythological burning rainbow bridge that connects Midgard and Asgard. The band formed in 1994, disbanded in '97, got together again in 2006 with plans to record a new album and called it quits again in early 2007 without taking their plans into action.
This is the only album they managed to record, although there's a demo too, which was recently re-released with bonus tracks, and which I'll be posting later.

This is rather obscure, although this band's small and scattered following seems pretty hardcore to me. Indeed, I'm a very big fan of the very little work they managed to put out.
I'll have to say... this is one of those albums I post where I have to warn you that this isn't for everyone. I got into this from the moment I hit "Play" the first time, but I understand many people have had a very hard time getting into this before becoming fanatics.
This album is... odd. Some would describe it as complex, atmospheric, doom-ish, jazzy, obscure metal with very basic black metal influences here and there. I don't know if I agree with that, but I'll agree that it's complex... very much so.
I'll come out with a cliché again and say that you'd have to listen to this.

I guess the best I can do is say that I consider this to be post-black metal, that I think it's silly that some people call it avant-garde despite the weirdness, and that if you're into black metal, post-black metal, the not-quite-"progressive" complex music and/or the weird, this is probably if interest to you. If not, it's very unlikely you'll find something here.


Ved Buens Ende - Written In Waters

Tracklist:

1. I Sang For The Swans
2. You, That May Wither
3. It's Magic
4. Den Saakaldte
5. Carrier of Wounds
6. Coiled In Wings
7. Autumn Leaves
8. Remembrance Of Things Past
9. To Swarm Deserted Away

The 3rd And The Mortal - Tears Laid In Earth

Today I feel like posting this album, The 3rd And The Mortal's debut album, Tears Laid In Earth.
This band formed in 1992, in Trondheim, Norway. Notably, one of the founding members was the gorgeous and amazing Kari Rueslåtten, who is today a famous pop singer in Norway, and who I will be posting later on.
This is the band that started it all. I think it's safe to assume that most of the average readers of this blog have at the very least heard of bands like The Gathering, Nightwish, Lacuna Coil, Epica and Theatre of Tragedy. All of those bands, and more, owe a lot to these guys.

The 3rd And The Mortal started out playing a form of doom metal that used distorted guitars and heavy drumming with clean guitars and Kari's beatiful voice.
They would later become more and more experimental.

I won't rant about this album. In fact, I don't think it's an amazing piece, although it has some pretty nice atmospheres, and excellent vocal work. What can I say? I'm a big fan of Ms. Rueslåtten, even though I'm not 100% sure how to pronounce her last name.
I would recommend this album to anyone who has any interest in metal history, particularly regarding all these famle-fronted bands, to hardcore fans of Kari, and to people looking for slower, darker stuff that's not quite the typical Doom.

The 3rd And The Mortal - Tears Laid In Earth

Tracklist:

1. Vandring
2. Why So Lonely
3. Atupoéma
4. Death-Hymn
5. Shaman
6. Trial of Past
7. Lengsel
8. Salva Me
9. Song
10. In Mist Shrouded
11. Oceana


EDIT: It has come to my attention that, for some bizarre reason, I posted this album missing one track... or rather, substituting one track for another in this band's following EP with another singer, a song called From The Depth of Memories... it's a great song, and I like it better than the one it substituted, but for the sake of doing things right, I'll be correcting this mistake and sharing said EP in the following days.

Ihsahn - angL

The second of three solo albums so far released by Norwegian musician Ihsahn, better known as the frontman, guitarist and singer of black metal band Emperor. Released in 2008 and notoriously featuring Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth in one song, this is a pretty good album for those who like Emperor's late days, or somewhat unconventional black and prog metal in general; though in my opinion, the previous effort was even better.

Standout tracks include Misanthrope and Scarab.

Ihsahn - angL

Tracklist:

1. Misanthrope
2. Scarab
3. Unhealer
4. Emancipation
5. Malediction
6. Alchemist
7. Elevator
8. Threnody
9. Monolith

Gorelord - Zombie Suicide Part 666

Today I bring you my favorite album from one of my favorite death metal bands. Well, actually, it's a one-man project, but still...
This man is Frediablo. Some of you might recognize him... he's the guitar player who stepped in around the time when Anton Crowley (Pantera's Phil Anselmo) was in Necrophagia.
He also played with his brother Fug on Killjoy's other more black metal-ish project, Wurdulak, a prominent band as Mayhem's Maniac formed part of the line-up; Gorelord would release two splits with Wurdulak in 2001 and the following year.

In September 2005, Frediablo issued a statement, announcing that he was quitting all of his numerous bands, except Grimfist, so he could focus on this solo project.

This is the second of three albums released so far, with another one supposedly in the way since 2007.
Groovy death metal, with solid instrumentation and memorable riffs... that's how I can describe this album, briefly.
Check out for yourself:

Gorelord - Zombie Suicide Part 666

Tracklist:

1. Stench of Flesh Decomposing
2. Screams Choked To Silence
3. Dreams Of The Macabre
4. Horror Gore & Unreligion
5. Outback
6. Shrieks Of The Undead
7. Cumfucked Face Of Death
8. Four Ways To Heaven One Way To Hell
9. I Am Master Here
10. Alive When Fucking The Dead (Demo)
11. Necrophilic Orgy In Entrails & Cum (Demo)

Cor Scorpii - Monument

Cor Scorpii is one of the two bands that rose from the ashes of Windir, after the tragic demise of Valfar.
In 2005, they released their demo, which received much praise from critics as well as fans.
Later, in 2008, they released this album, Monument, which at the time of this post, is the only full-length album by the band; although it has been reported that a follow-up album is the in the works.

Featuring an air of nostalgia and melancholy, Cor Scorpii's atmospheric and highly melodic brand of black metal is undoubtedly reminiscent of Windir.
And so, without any further ado:

Cor Scorpii - Monument

Tracklist:

1. Ei Fane Svart

2. Endesong

3. I, The Damned

4. Our Fate, Our Curse

5. Helvetesfossen

6. Oske Og Innsikt

7. Kjettar

8. Bragder I Stein